# Introducing The Chiang Mai Brief: A New Guide to the City | The Chiang Mai Brief > We URL: https://chiangmaibrief.com/blog/introducing-the-chiang-mai-brief/ Last-Modified: 2026-08-20 Author: The Chiang Mai Brief Editorial Team 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 about living here and you’ll get the same three results: a listicle written by someone who spent a fortnight in the city in 2018, a forum thread where the actually useful reply is buried on page four, and a page of content marketing from a visa agency dressed up as advice. None of it tells you what you need to know, and quite a lot of it is now wrong. That gap is why we’re starting The Chiang Mai Brief. ## What we’re building An independent English-language publication and city guide for people who live in Chiang Mai, spend extended periods here, or are planning to visit properly rather than passing through. It has two halves, and they work differently. **News and updates** covers what’s changing — new openings, closures, transport changes, event dates, immigration procedure shifts. Time-stamped, dated, and useful right now. **The guide library** covers what doesn’t change quickly — which visa fits [/visas-and-immigration/ →](/visas-and-immigration/) , what the city actually costs [/cost-of-living/ →](/cost-of-living/) , which neighbourhood suits you [/neighbourhood-guides/ →](/neighbourhood-guides/) , how to get around [/getting-around/ →](/getting-around/) , where to eat [/restaurants-and-thai-food/ →](/restaurants-and-thai-food/) , and how to handle burning season [/air-quality-and-burning-season/ →](/air-quality-and-burning-season/) . Evergreen, but revised rather than abandoned when the facts move. ![Checking a map of Chiang Mai on a phone at a street corner](/images/content/hands-holding-a-phone-showing-a-map-of-chiang-mai-.webp) ## What we’re not We’re not a travel blog. We’re not selling tours, property, insurance or visa services. We don’t take payment for inclusion in a guide, and where a commercial relationship exists on a page we’ll say so on that page. We’re also not going to pretend the city is flawless. Chiang Mai has a serious seasonal air quality problem, a rental market that catches newcomers out, and a set of bureaucratic procedures that will consume mornings of your life. Writing honestly about those is more useful than another piece about how magical the temples are — and the temples are, in fact, magical, which is exactly why they don’t need our help. > **The name** > > “Brief” is the promise. We want you to be able to skim a page and come away knowing what actually matters, then go deeper only where you need to. Length is not a virtue. ## How this is organised Six sections, built around what people actually search for: | Section | Covers | | --- | --- | | Living in Chiang Mai | Visas, cost of living, renting, healthcare, banking, remote work, air quality | | Neighbourhoods | Where to stay and live, inner areas and outer | | Eat & Drink | Northern Thai food, restaurants, street food, coffee | | Things To Do | Temples, culture, markets, shopping | | Travel | Local transport, day trips, the airport | | Events | Festivals and the annual calendar | Everything links across. If you land on a guide about opening a bank account, it’ll point you to the visa guide that explains why the branch is asking for a Certificate of Residency, and to the cost of living guide that tells you what you’ll be spending once the account is open. ![A notebook, coffee and camera on a table in a Chiang Mai café](/images/content/open-notebook-with-handwritten-notes-beside-a-coff.webp) ## What happens next We’re publishing the guide library first, because that’s the part with the longest shelf life. News and event coverage builds from there, and the newsletter goes out roughly twice a month with whatever is genuinely worth knowing. If you live here and something in our guides is out of date, tell us. That’s the whole mechanism by which a resource like this stays accurate, and readers spot changes long before we do. **Start with the part of the city you’re trying to figure out** — Browse the neighbourhood guides [/neighbourhood-guides/ →](/neighbourhood-guides/) #announcement #about ![The Chiang Mai Brief Editorial Team](/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 publication More from the Brief ## Related updates ![Paper lanterns drifting up over Chiang Mai at night during Yi Peng](/images/featured/paper-lanterns-drifting-upward-over-chiang-mai-at-.webp) Events ### Yi Peng & Loy Krathong 2026: Dates, Events and What to Know Chiang Mai's lantern festivals are approaching. Here are the 2026 dates, the main ticketed and free events, and practical tips for seeing them well. 15 Oct 2026 [Yi Peng & Loy Krathong 2026: Dates, Events and What to Know →](/blog/yi-peng-loy-krathong-2026-what-to-know/) ![A Chiang Mai condo interior during rainy season with visible humidity on windows](/images/featured/chiang-mai-condo-interior-during-rainy-season-with.webp) Seasonal ### Do You Need a Dehumidifier in Chiang Mai? Chiang Mai's rainy season pushes indoor humidity well above comfortable levels. Here's how to tell if your space needs a dehumidifier. 8 Sept 2026 [Do You Need a Dehumidifier in Chiang Mai? →](/blog/do-you-need-a-dehumidifier-in-chiang-mai/) ![A Chiang Mai street at the start of cool season with clear skies and outdoor café tables](/images/featured/chiang-mai-street-in-early-cool-season-with-clear-.webp) Seasonal ### Chiang Mai Cool Season 2026–27: New Openings & What's Worth Knowing As Chiang Mai's cool season begins, here's a round-up of new cafés, restaurants and openings worth knowing, plus what's changed around town this year. 5 Sept 2026 [Chiang Mai Cool Season 2026–27: New Openings & What's Worth Knowing →](/blog/chiang-mai-cool-season-2026-2027-whats-new/) 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.