# About | The Chiang Mai Brief

> The Chiang Mai Brief is an independent English-language publication and city guide covering Chiang Mai for residents, long-stay visitors and travellers.

URL: https://chiangmaibrief.com/about/

![Working on laptops at a table in a Chiang Mai café](/images/misc/two-people-working-on-laptops-at-a-wooden-table-in.webp)

About

# An independent guide to Chiang Mai

We publish practical, locally-informed writing about living in and visiting Chiang Mai, current local news alongside evergreen guides that get updated rather than abandoned.

## Why this exists

Chiang Mai is one of the most written-about cities in Southeast Asia and one of the worst served by that writing. Search almost any practical question, which visa, which neighbourhood, how bad is March, and you'll find a mix of listicles written by people who spent a fortnight here in 2018, forum threads where the useful reply is buried, and content marketing dressed as advice.

The Chiang Mai Brief is our attempt at the thing we wanted and couldn't find: a single English-language publication that treats Chiang Mai seriously, keeps its facts current, and is written from the position of actually living here.

## What we cover

Six sections, each built around the questions readers actually ask. 

Living in Chiang Mai

[/living-in-chiang-mai/ →](/living-in-chiang-mai/)

 handles the practical machinery: visas, cost of living, renting, healthcare, banking, remote work and air quality. 

Neighbourhoods

[/neighbourhoods/ →](/neighbourhoods/)

 covers where to stay and live. 

Eat & Drink

[/eat-and-drink/ →](/eat-and-drink/)

 covers Northern Thai food and the coffee scene. 

Things To Do

[/things-to-do/ →](/things-to-do/)

 covers temples, culture and markets. 

Travel

[/travel/ →](/travel/)

 handles transport and day trips. 

Events

[/events/ →](/events/)

 covers the festival calendar.

Alongside those, our 

News & Updates

[/blog/ →](/blog/)

 feed carries dated coverage, openings, changes, event details, and our 

guide library

[/guide/ →](/guide/)

 holds the evergreen reference material.

## How we work

We are independent. We don't run sponsored guides, we don't sell visa or property services, and we don't accept payment for inclusion in a recommendation. Where something has a genuine drawback, we say so. That applies as much to the city itself as to a restaurant.

Guides carry a published and updated date. When rules change, fares rise or a place closes, we revise rather than republish. If you spot something out of date, 

tell us

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

. That's how a resource like this stays accurate.

![A desk with a laptop, camera and printed map of Chiang Mai](/images/misc/desk-with-a-laptop-camera-and-printed-map-of-chian.webp) ![A morning street scene in Chiang Mai](/images/misc/morning-street-scene-in-chiang-mai-with-a-food-car.webp)

Editorial principles

## How we decide what to publish

### Specific over general

We name places, quote prices and give dates. A recommendation that doesn't tell you where to go isn't a recommendation.

### Current over evergreen-looking

Anything that changes, visa rules, fares, opening hours, gets an updated date and a revision when it moves.

### Useful over promotional

We're not selling tours, property or visa services. If something isn't worth your money, we'll say so.

### Local over touristic

We write for people who will still be here next month, which tends to produce better advice for visitors too.

Who writes this

## Meet the team

![The Chiang Mai Brief editorial team working in a Chiang Mai café](/images/squares/small-editorial-team-working-on-laptops-at-a-woode.webp)

### The Chiang Mai Brief Editorial Team

Editorial Team

The Chiang Mai Brief publishes practical, independent guides to living in and visiting Chiang Mai. We cover neighbourhoods, food, transport, accommodation, events and the practical details that help readers get more from the city.

Independent English-language Chiang Mai publicationBased in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Newsletter

## Get the Brief in your inbox

Twice a month: new openings, events, changes worth knowing about, and our latest guides. No filler.

You're on the list

Check your inbox: the next Brief goes out within a fortnight.

![Evening view across Chiang Mai rooftops toward Doi Suthep](/images/misc/evening-view-over-chiang-mai-rooftops-with-doi-sut.webp)

The Chiang Mai Brief

## Got something we should cover?

Openings, closures, changes, corrections: we read everything. The best tips come from readers who live here.

Send us a tip

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

 

Read the guides

[/guide/ →](/guide/)