Independent Chiang Mai relocation guidance
About CNXlocal
The people behind the work
Who We Are
We're Lily and Kris, the team behind CNXlocal: an independent guide and relocation-support business for people making practical decisions about life in Chiang Mai.
Lily
Half Thai and half American, Lily was raised in Chiang Mai and returned in 2017 after time in London and New York. She brings local context to the questions that matter before a move: where daily life works, how neighborhoods differ, and what to check before committing to a home.
Kris
Kris is a Canadian software developer who has lived in Chiang Mai since 2018. He builds the directories, tools, and systems that make local information easier to compare and use.
Together, we combine local knowledge, practical research, and a clear view of what newcomers need to decide before they arrive.
What we actually do
Guides, Tools, and Practical Support
CNXlocal combines practical Chiang Mai guides with personal relocation advice and home-finding services. We help you understand the city, work through decisions, and arrange local help when your plans need someone on the ground.
Neighborhood Guides
Practical comparisons of where to live, based on daily routines, family needs, budget, and trade-offs.
Practical Living Resources
Cost, healthcare, schools, visas, and daily-life research for planning a move with better information.
Relocation Consultation
A focused 1:1 call for people who need help connecting the research to their own move, priorities, and next steps.
Home Finding
A defined, local rental search with research, walkthrough videos, neighborhood guidance, and lease-process support.
Local Directories
Browsable directories for neighborhoods, cafes, coworking, family life, and the places that shape a move.
Local Context
Useful cultural context and honest constraints, without presenting a move as simpler than it is.
How we work
Standards for Useful Local Guidance
A useful local guide should make trade-offs clearer, show its work, and be honest about where a general guide ends and paid help begins.
- Start with the practical question. We focus on the choices that shape everyday life: area, budget, schools, healthcare, work, and how a home will function for a household.
- Make trade-offs visible. No neighborhood, visa path, or rental is right for everyone. Our guides explain the advantages, constraints, and questions worth asking.
- Keep recommendations useful and transparent. We distinguish editorial guidance from paid services and explain what each service includes.
- Respect local context. Chiang Mai is a lived-in city, not a backdrop. We aim to help newcomers participate thoughtfully and make well-informed choices.
- Be clear about scope. A guide can help people prepare; a consultation or home-finding service can help with a defined decision. We do not promise outcomes outside our control.
- Keep family needs in view. School runs, childcare, commutes, and the pace of daily life are central to many relocation decisions, and deserve more than generic advice.
These standards shape the guides we publish and the support we offer to people preparing for life in Chiang Mai.
How to use this site
How to Get the Most From CNXlocal
Our guides, tools, and services are organized by where you are in your Chiang Mai journey.
Actively planning
Already here
Local conversation
Join Our Facebook Group
Keep Up With Chiang Mai
Our Facebook community is a place to hear local updates and compare notes with other people living in or planning for Chiang Mai.
Work with us
Partner With CNXlocal
We work with people and businesses whose work can make a relocation decision clearer. We review every inquiry for fit with the site and its readers.
Partner Homes Network
Owners and property managers can register early interest in a future Chiang Mai rental network. It is not a live consumer marketplace.
- Homes available for medium- or longer-term stays
- Owners and managers who want to hear if the network opens
Relevant Business Enquiries
If your work is relevant to people relocating to or living in Chiang Mai, tell us what you offer and why it is useful.
- Directory corrections and relevant local services
- Editorial or business enquiries that fit the guide
For a relevant business or editorial enquiry, use the contact form.