Where to live in Chiang Mai: the areas compared
7 popular areas for a house, side by side: drive times to the city, the airport, malls and a hospital, the international schools close by, and the projects in each area.
How close each area is
Minutes by car from the centre of each area, without traffic (OpenStreetMap routes). Gold marks the closest area.
| Area | Old City | Airport | Central Airport | Central Chiangmai | Bangkok Hospital | Schools within 15 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hang Dong | 16 min | 14 min | 12 min | 24 min | 24 min | 11 |
| San Phak Wan | 14 min | 12 min | 9 min | 22 min | 22 min | 16 |
| Mae Hia | 13 min | 10 min | 8 min | 16 min | 17 min | 13 |
| Pa Daet | 10 min | 9 min | 7 min | 14 min | 14 min | 17 |
| The city (Old City) | - | 9 min | 7 min | 9 min | 9 min | 15 |
| San Sai and the north | 14 min | 22 min | 19 min | 11 min | 10 min | 7 |
| Mae Rim | 19 min | 26 min | 24 min | 18 min | 19 min | 4 |
Our villas and the main places on the map
The south and west of the city, where our projects are, with the airport, the Old City, malls, a hospital and schools.
What each area is like
What it is like, the drive times, the international schools within 15 minutes, our projects, and other projects with their starting prices from the developers' websites.
Hang Dong
Quiet and green, with mountain views, several international schools close by and the airport not far.
Old City 16 min · Airport 14 min · Central Airport 12 min · Central Chiangmai 24 min · Bangkok Hospital 24 min
Schools within 15 min: Esara 7 min, SBS 7 min, Meritton 7 min, Grace 7 min
999: 999@World Club Land (Starting from THB 17.xx Million), 999@Ban Waen (Starting from THB 10.xx Million), 999@Kad Farang (THB 59,128,000)
Other projects here: Koolpunt Ville 9 (premium zones) from THB 9.95 million
San Phak Wan
A sub-district of Hang Dong with large, leafy estates and an easy drive to the city and the airport.
Old City 14 min · Airport 12 min · Central Airport 9 min · Central Chiangmai 22 min · Bangkok Hospital 22 min
Schools within 15 min: Meritton 4 min, Cariad 5 min, Esara 5 min, Lanna 6 min
999: 999@Ban Wang Tan (Starting from THB 14.xx Million)
Other projects here: Thera Thamm Wang Tan
Mae Hia
South-west of the city, close to the airport and the malls, with several international schools.
Old City 13 min · Airport 10 min · Central Airport 8 min · Central Chiangmai 16 min · Bangkok Hospital 17 min
Schools within 15 min: APIS 1 min, BCIS 2 min, Meritton 4 min, Cariad 5 min
No 999 project here yet.
Pa Daet
Close to the city, the shopping malls, the hospitals and the airport.
Old City 10 min · Airport 9 min · Central Airport 7 min · Central Chiangmai 14 min · Bangkok Hospital 14 min
Schools within 15 min: APIS 7 min, Meritton 9 min, Windfield 9 min, Ambassador (ABA) 9 min
999: 999@Pa Daet (Starting from THB 25.xx Million)
Other projects here: The Cassia II from THB 14.99 million; Chaiyapruek 3 Serene Lake from THB 15.29 million; Mantana 2 Serene Lake from THB 17.9 million; Habitat Mahidol from THB 20 million
The city (Old City)
Close to the Old City, Wat Ket and Charoen Mueang Road: restaurants and city life, but little land.
Airport 9 min · Central Airport 7 min · Central Chiangmai 9 min · Bangkok Hospital 9 min
Schools within 15 min: Windfield 4 min, CMIS 5 min, Singapore (SISB) 6 min, Bright Seeds 7 min
No 999 project here yet.
Other projects here: The Urban from THB 22 million
San Sai and the north
North-east of the city: close to Central Chiangmai and Bangkok Hospital, but further from the airport.
Old City 14 min · Airport 22 min · Central Airport 19 min · Central Chiangmai 11 min · Bangkok Hospital 10 min
Schools within 15 min: Tonkla 7 min, Mill Hill 10 min, Windfield 11 min, CMIS 11 min
No 999 project here yet.
Other projects here: Laddarom Elegance Salaklang from THB 8.5 million; Habitat Ruamchok from THB 10.8 million; Setthasiri Ruamchok from THB 15.9 million
Mae Rim
Nature and mountains, further from the city, bigger plots.
Old City 19 min · Airport 26 min · Central Airport 24 min · Central Chiangmai 18 min · Bangkok Hospital 19 min
Schools within 15 min: NIS 12 min, Prem 12 min, Tonkla 13 min, Bright Seeds 15 min
No 999 project here yet.
Other projects here: Koolpunt Ville 15 Park Avenue from THB 13.55 million; HyLuxe Mae Rim from THB 26 million
Questions people ask
Which area is closest to Chiang Mai airport?
Apart from the city itself: Pa Daet 9 min, Mae Hia 10 min by car without traffic.
Which areas have the most international schools close by?
Schools within a 15-minute drive: Pa Daet 17, San Phak Wan 16, The city (Old City) 15. All schools are in our international schools guide.
Where are the 999 projects?
In Pa Daet, San Phak Wan and Hang Dong, south and west of the city: 999@Pa Daet, 999@Ban Wang Tan, 999@World Club Land, 999@Ban Waen, 999@Kad Farang.
How were the drive times measured?
OpenStreetMap driving routes without traffic, from the centre of each area (October 2026). At rush hour it takes longer.
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Or ask us anything. We reply within 1 working day, often sooner.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 08:30 to 17:30
Drive times: OpenStreetMap (OSRM) routes without traffic, from each area's centre on OpenStreetMap (October 2026).
Other developers' projects and starting prices: each developer's own website (checked October 2026). 999 prices: our current price list.
Updated October 2026 by the 999 Developments team