Hey there! Lily here. If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re either already in Chiang Mai with kids or thinking about making the move.

Either way, you might be wondering how to go about arranging childcare for your precious little ones. Don’t worry – I got you.

Having grown up with wonderful nannies myself, access to great childcare support was a big part of why I always wanted to raise my own family in Chiang Mai.

We’ve personally, had really good luck finding childcare, though there have been hiccups here and there. I’m lucky to have a good network and the ability to speak Thai though. 

This guide is written for those of you in Chiang Mai without my advantages – to take advantage!

Table of contents

What to Expect When Hiring a Nanny in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai’s got a whole mix of childcare setups. Some might feel familiar, others might seem a bit out there if you’re new to Thailand. Let’s dive in:

Babysitters and Part-time Help

Just need someone to watch the kids for a few hours while you get some work done or have a date night? Totally doable.

There’s no shortage of babysitters in Chiang Mai. You’ve got university students looking for extra cash, experienced local sitters with pediatric nursing qualifications, and even other expat moms who provide childcare. Rates usually run between 150-300 baht an hour, depending on experience.

Word to the wise: always, always check references, and maybe do a supervised trial run before you leave your kids for a full evening.

Full-time Nannies: Mae Baan vs. Pi Liang

Now, if you’re looking for more consistent help, you might want to consider a full-time nanny. In Thailand, you’ll hear two main terms:

  1. Mae Baan (แม่บ้าน): Think of a mae baan as your all-in-one household superhero. They’ll watch the kids, cook, clean, do laundry – you name it.
  2. Pi Liang (พี่เลี้ยง): A pi liang is all about the kids. Their job is to keep your little ones alive, happy, and maybe even teach them a thing or two. Think Mary Poppins.

Choosing between a mae baan and a pi liang really depends on what you need. 

Do you want someone to manage your whole household, or do you just need focused childcare?

The nice thing is, you don’t really have to choose between the two. 

Plenty of home helpers are happy to do both. The best way to handle this is to be clear when hiring what your ideal arrangement is and what the primary duties will be so you can match up with someone with the  skills and preferences you want.

Live-in vs. Live-out Nannies

Here’s another thing to consider: do you want your nanny to live with you or not? Live-in nannies are pretty common in Thailand, and it can be super convenient, especially if you need help early in the morning or late at night. Plus, it often works out cheaper because you’re providing room and board.

But if you’re like me and value your privacy, a live-out nanny might be more your speed. They’ll come to your house during agreed hours and then head home. 

Normal Working Hours

In Thailand, it’s pretty standard for nannies to work six days a week, maybe from around 8 am to 5 pm. But here’s the thing – you can totally negotiate this. Maybe you only need help on weekdays, or you need someone to start super early because you’ve got an ungodly work schedule (been there, done that).

Just be clear about your expectations from the get-go. And remember, if you’re asking for odd hours or overtime, be prepared to pay a bit extra.

How Much to Pay a Nanny or Babysitter in Chiang Mai

The cost of childcare in Chiang Mai can vary widely depending on the type of care, experience level, and whether you’re hiring through an agency or independently.

Here’s a general breakdown:

  • Babysitters: 100-300 baht per hour
  • Part-time Nannies: 600-1,000 baht per day
  • Full-time Nannies (Live-out): 12,000-20,000 baht per month
  • Full-time Nannies (Live-in): 10,000-15,000 baht per month

Keep in mind that nannies with better English skills or experience with expat families often command higher rates. If you’re hiring through an agency, expect to pay a bit more, but you’ll often get more reliable, pre-screened candidates.

Additional costs to consider:

  • Transportation costs for live-out nannies
  • Food costs if your nanny eats meals at your home
  • Annual bonuses (common in Thai culture, often equivalent to one month’s salary)
  • Health insurance or other benefits for full-time staff

Legal Basics

Home-help arrangements are typically informal, but here are some basic labor regulations you might want to know when making agreements with your nanny:

  • Minimum Wage: As of 2023, the minimum wage in Chiang Mai is 330 baht per day. However, most nannies and household helpers earn above this rate.
  • Working Hours: The standard workweek is 48 hours. Anything over this should be considered overtime.
  • Holidays: Workers are entitled to at least 13 public holidays per year, plus a minimum of 6 days of annual leave after one year of service.

While it’s good to ground yourself in the legalities as a baseline expectation, I’d encourage you to think less in terms of contracts and transactions and more about the energy of the relationship you want to create.

Take the time to understand what’s more important to your helper – is it flexibility? Is it certain days off? Is it your support in other parts of her life? And it might well be money.

What I’m saying is to be curious and take an interest.

You’re inviting this person into your home and into your child’s emotional life. Set yourselves up for success by taking the personal approach.

How Do I Find a Nanny in Chiang Mai?

So now you know your nanny options, but where do you actually find these magical humans?

Word of Mouth

This is huge in Chiang Mai. Seriously, never underestimate the power of chatting with other parents at a playground or over coffee. Ask other expat parents, and don’t be shy about it. We’ve all been there, and most people are happy to share their experiences.

Facebook Groups

Facebook is a big deal here. Love it or hate it, it’s a goldmine for finding essential info in Thailand, and it’s no different when it comes to childcare.

Here are some groups you should definitely join:

  1. Chiang Mai Expat Moms
  2. Chiang Mai Nanny, Housekeeper & Babysitters
  3. Nanny,babysitter in Chiangmai Thailand
  4. Thailand Expat Nanny Finder

These groups are not just for asking for recommendations (though that’s super helpful). They’re also where many expat families post when they’re leaving Chiang Mai and want to help their current nanny find a new position.

This is actually a great way to find an experienced nanny who’s already used to working with expat families. Plus, you can usually chat directly with the current employers to get the real scoop on the nanny’s strengths and quirks.

Pro tip: If you post in these groups seeking help, be sure to check the “Message Request” section in your Facebook Messenger app for responses.

Agencies and Training Centers

If you want a more formal approach, there are agencies and training centers that can help you find qualified help. One that’s worth checking out is the Bliss Mae Baan Network.

These folks started out training housekeepers, but they’ve recently branched out into nanny services to:. Here’s the deal:

  • They provide training for both housekeepers and nannies
  • They offer placement services for a fee
  • You can hire someone who’s completed their training program, which can give you some peace of mind about their skills
  • Managers at Bliss will help facilitate the interview, including helping translate
  • Within the trial period, if you’re not happy with the first placement, they’ll send an alternate for no additional fee.

The upside of using a service like this is that you’re getting someone with formal training. The downside? It’ll cost you a bit more than finding someone through word of mouth or Facebook groups.

Online Platforms

There are also some websites and apps that can help you find childcare:

  1. Thai Kids Home: This site lets you browse profiles of nannies and babysitters in Chiang Mai.
  2. Kiidu: It’s an app that connects parents with babysitters and nannies. It’s pretty user-friendly and you can see reviews from other parents.

Local Job Boards

Literally, those old-school boards where people post printed notices. Look out for these at Western supermarkets, churches, and kid-friendly cafes and destinations.

How We Hired an Amazing Nanny for Our Daughters

Oi, our beloved nanny, has been with us now for two years, and we hired her with the help of our weekly cleaner (who we have known for – wow! – four years at this point). 

Our first nanny was the girlfriend of one of Kris’ friends who wanted part-time work. She helped us out a couple half-days a week until she got too busy with her main job. At that point, Fiona was maybe 6 months old. 

So our cleaner helped post in a LINE group for mae baans. The nannies being referred to us from the mom’s Facebook group were asking more than we had budgeted at the time – which was totally fair since they spoke great English and had experience with farang families. Since I speak Thai, though, we thought we’d try an alternate route and it worked out well.

We were super clear about the skills we were looking for: someone who would primarily provide childcare but could also help with housework and household management. We wanted someone with a driver’s license too to take the baby on outings.

Honestly, we really lucked out with a unicorn of a nanny.

In the years since we’ve hired her, she’s learned the ins and outs of our household and always goes above and beyond. We’re so lucky too that she has two teenage daughters who frequently come to work with her and have become big sisters to our two girls. This has been an especial blessing since baby number two joined the family. When I was recovering post-partum, she totally took over the household. Grocery shopping. Taking the car for an oil change. Making dentist appointments for Fiona. Cooking dinners. Everything. She’s been an absolute godsend. 

She’s totally family to us, and when we moved house a year ago, a big factor in choosing our mooban was that we’d be 10 minutes down the road from her. This has added lots of flexibility in the arrangement for both of us and also means that she can refer us to helpers of other kinds like gardeners and electricians (that one’s her nephew).

She stays late often and unprompted, and we never say no when she requests extra time off. When we go away for burning season or holidays, we keep her at her usual pay and treat that as her PTO. We’ve gone on roadtrips and paid for her family to go with us.

When I say we’re like family – sometimes she requests to take Fiona on an outing on her day off.

Your experience with a nanny might not be the same as ours, but I guess I want to share our arrangement to help you dream up what’s possible.

Is Childcare in Chiang Mai Safe and Reliable?

Thailand is so, so, so safe on the social level, but I get it – leaving your kids with someone new in a foreign country can be scary. I’m lucky to only have had good experiences with childcare in Chiang Mai.

Any issues I have experienced myself or have heard about from friends have only been social awkwardness, miscommunication, or a bit of flakiness around work schedules. When it comes to children’s safety, your family is typically in good hands here.

Thai families tend to dote on their kids, and when they hire help, they typically have very strict rules and would never let their nannies take the kids outside. Most expat families are way more relaxed on that front, so your nanny’s instincts can likely be trusted to fall on the safe and conservative end.

Here are some basic tips for managing safety and risk in regards to your childcare providers:

  1. Ask for their ID: As a reasonable precaution, take a photo of your babysitter or nanny’s Thai ID for your records just in case.
  2. Always check references: Don’t just take someone’s word for it. Talk to other families they’ve worked for.
  3. Trust your instincts: If something feels off, it probably is. Don’t ignore those gut feelings.
  4. Start with a trial period: Whether it’s a nanny or a daycare center, start with a short trial to see how things go.
  5. Be clear about your expectations: Miscommunication can lead to all sorts of issues. Be upfront about what you need and expect.

Thai culture places a high value on children. In my experience, most childcare providers here are genuinely caring and will treat your kids like their own.

Due to cultural/societal differences though, some things you might want to check in with your nanny directly about would be:

  • Allergies, food intolerances, and dietary restrictions: Thai people are often totally perplexed by the idea that someone couldn’t eat cooking with peanut oil, soy sauce (which here contains gluten), or shrimp paste. Thai people also love sugar in many different types of food, and might not have the same understanding of what counts as a sweet or not.
  • Road and traffic safety: In Thailand, the family vehicle is a motorbike, and it’s totally normal to see small children strapped into carriers so their parents can zip around town. When riding in cars, many families will simply hold small children in lieu of putting them in car seats.
  • When to go to the doctor: Thai people tend to go to the doctor for everything. Compared to Americans or Europeans, this may seem excessive. If your nanny is urging you take your child to the doctor, get specific about the concerns and maybe take the suggestion with a grain of salt.

Get clear with your helpers on what is and isn’t considered safe according to your own standards.

Tips for Success and Managing Cultural Differences

Here are my top tips for making your childcare setup work:

  1. Be clear about expectations: Write down the job description, working hours, salary, and any house rules. It’ll save you headaches later.
  2. Respect your caregiver: Remember, they’re a professional providing a valuable service. Many have been mothers themselves. Being respectful and, more importantly, giving trust is how you forge a real relationship.
  3. Pay fairly and on time: Nothing sours a relationship faster than issues with payment. Be reliable with this.
  4. Provide feedback: If something’s not working, speak up (kindly). You may need to repeat yourself several times to get a result. Resistance may just be a difference in culture.
  5. Show appreciation: A little gratitude goes a long way. Recognize when your caregiver goes above and beyond.
  6. Be flexible: Home help arrangements tend to be informal, and Thai people don’t necessarily think about things like overtime pay and days off like an American would. it’s perfectly good to be generous and fair, but there’s no need to be uptight about enforcing these standards on your part.
  7. Keep learning: Learning can go both ways. The right helper wil be eager to learn from you in order to improve the working relationship and their ability to do the job. You might also learn a lot from your nanny about the Thai approach to child-rearing.Let’s discuss expectations and how to navigate cultural differences with your Thai (or just as likely here, Burmese) nannies.

If you hire a local nanny or send your kids to a Thai daycare, you’re probably going to run into some communication issues. My suggestion? Learn some basic Thai phrases related to childcare. It’ll go a long way in helping you communicate with your caregiver.

Here’s a cheat-sheet of useful phrases I made for my husband to study that you can crib.

As for cultural differences, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Food: Thai people often show love through food. Don’t be surprised if your nanny wants to feed your kids… a lot. So many sweets cakes and treats. As I already suggested before, be clear about your boundaries and directives related to food.
  2. Discipline: Thai culture tends to be more permissive with young children. If you have specific disciplinary approaches, make sure to communicate them clearly. Nannies can and should help teach manners, but they may have a harder time setting boundaries and providing discipline unless you’ve established good understanding with them on this.
  3. Schedule: Thai culture can be more relaxed about schedules. If punctuality is important to you, make that clear from the start.
  4. Grengjai: Thai people can be uncomfortable with staying no or asking for things directly – it’s important to pay attention to context and subtle clues.
  5. Hierarchy: You may notice your nanny stays off your sofa or otherwise avoids intriguing upon “family-spaces” this might seem odd if you come from a more egalitarian cultural context, but here it’s just trying to give respect.

Daycares in Chiang Mai for Expat Families

Alright, moving on from nannies – let’s talk about daycare. This is great option if you want some structure and for your kid to socialize with other littles.

Chiang Mai has a mix of local and international daycare options. Local ones are usually cheaper, but the staff might not speak much English. International daycares often have bilingual staff and follow Western-style curriculums, but they’ll cost you more.

Some popular ones include:

  1. Egg Tot’s (two locations in Santitham and in Hang Dong)
  2. Lemur Lion Lamb
  3. KiDO Chiang Mai
  4. The Mudhouse

Prices can range from about 5,000 baht to 20,000 baht per month, depending on how fancy you want to go. Most places offer both half-day and full-day options.

Pro tip: Visit a few centers before deciding. See how the kids interact, check out the facilities, and trust your gut. If something feels off, keep looking.

Finding the right childcare solution in Chiang Mai can take some time and effort, but it’s absolutely doable. Whether you choose a nanny, a daycare center, or a combination of options, remember that flexibility and clear communication are key.

Don’t be afraid to try different arrangements until you find what works best for your family. The beauty of Chiang Mai is that there’s a childcare solution for every need and budget.

Remember, your childcare provider isn’t just watching your kids – they’re also a window into Thai culture for your family. Embrace the opportunity to learn from them, and don’t hesitate to share your own cultural practices too.

Lastly, don’t forget to tap into the expat community. Other parents who’ve been through this process can be an invaluable source of advice and support.

Chiang Mai is a wonderful place to raise a family, and with the right childcare setup, you’ll be free to enjoy all that this amazing city has to offer. Good luck on your childcare journey!