Last updated on April 10th, 2026 at 03:26 pm
Review: The Smith Residence, Chiang Mai, Thailand
A terrific place to stay — set your expectations for clean, basic, no frills.
Where can you find personalized medical service like this?
The old saying in the real estate business is: location, location, location. And location will be on your mind if you decide to visit Chiang Mai, Thailand. Why?
A historic 700-year old moat containing four drive-thru gates runs around the inner core of the city. Businesses cluster around this moat. Two roads, one way each way, loop around this moat. If you view the moat as a rectangle, certain main thoroughfares cut through the moat area.
In Chiang Mai, if you operate a business at or near the gates, you are smack-dab in the middle of the action. Every week, a night market is set up at one of these gates.
The Case for the Smith Residence
Enter The Smith Residence. Located one block from the Chiang Mai gate on the south side of town, it offers a little bit of everything to all comers. In short, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts in the case of this hotel.
We stayed at this place for four months in 2014 and 2015. It is a terrific place to stay if you want basic, squeaky clean, convenient lodging smack dab in downtown Chiang Mai. If a price-performance ratio for value drives your decisions, chances are you'll like this place. Current rates on major booking sites range from approximately $17–27 USD per night depending on season and room type — check Booking.com or TripAdvisor for current rates.
Want to be near popular restaurants, sights, schools or shopping sites? Many are within walking distance or you can take a short ride on a tuk-tuk, taxi, Songthaew, or Grab — the ride-hailing app now used by most travelers in Chiang Mai.
Want to rent a car and park it? They offer on-site parking. Want to buy a motorbike and park it? They have a separate area for motorbike parking.
Want to see the night market every week? It's a one block walk from the hotel.
Want to be near the airport? It's about a 10–15 minute drive away. And the list of advantages goes on and on.
Want to chill out and take a break from the searing heat of Southeast Asia? The Smith Residence offers a rooftop pool with a panoramic 360° view of the entire city — a great place to watch the annual sky lantern festivals.
The staff is helpful, professional, with many members speaking English. For those long term visitors who hold the right visas, they can provide letters of residency for your term of stay. This letter is needed to extend a long term visa or to apply for a Thai drivers license.
A laundry service is inexpensive and downstairs in a separate section of the parking area. The laundry lady, Prahnee, is wonderful — please treat her well!
There's an in-house cafe, again, basic, no frills. You can call down for room service between 7–7. Sure, you can get better food in dedicated restaurants right around the corner from this place. But convenience is a strong motivator for those days you want to stay in or when you return from a long day out and about on the road.
The owner, Dr. Smith, offers on-site medical services. And you won't find better service any place else on Earth. During a festival in November 2015, I came down with flu-like symptoms. Dr. Smith concluded it might be food poisoning. Thirty minutes later, a young man showed up at my room with prescription-grade medicine. Within four hours I was better. Where can you find personalized medical service like this?
The best in class in Chiang Mai
This place is a better deal than the #1 rated serviced apartment (also known as self-catering) in town (the Opium). We know. We checked out the Opium after we rented at the Smith Residence. There's no comparison in our view. (Note: This comparison dates from our 2014–2015 stay. Both properties are still operating as of 2026.)
There's an “upgrade” nearby: the Smith Suites. They're much nicer and roomier, but offer no services in the building (no restaurant or laundry service) as of the time of this review. Units cost more and leases are for those committing to stay for 3 or more months.
You'll see a range of tenants at this place, from young to old. Permanent residents here include expats from the US, UK, Canada and Australia and other countries.
PROS
Convenience: Downtown location, pool, exercise room
Value: Price-performance ratio is excellent
Services: Room service, laundry, cleaning twice per week, restaurant, documentation support
Building features: Parking, clean building, convenience store, in-lobby computers for rent at 20 baht per hour, office will print papers for 5 baht per page, electronic security systems for elevator and room doors
Room features: Various layouts and sizes, extra half bath (for suites), room A/C (in-wall separate units per room), two TVs (in some suites), safe, separate shower, closet storage, small kitchenette with basic plates and utensils, microwave
CONS
Climate control: A/C leakage is common due to poor caulking; high electric bills from inefficient insulation
Bathroom: Open shower — water flow is all over floor
Trip hazards: Raised edges in doorways — easy to trip over or stub toes
Noise: Dogs barking across street; nearby room noise (loud talk, disruptive guests, foot traffic above at all hours); nighttime noise incidents can go unresolved because English-speaking staff are not present
Smoking: Policy at roof interferes with enjoyment of pool and fitness room
Other: Decrepit pool furniture; no hot water in kitchen; all-cash payment policy (credit cards accepted for reservations and, in a pinch, for payment if you cover the handling fee)
Room-Picking Tip: Rooms face either the mountains or the street on the back side of the building. Mountain-facing rooms are hotter and cost more.
Are there nicer places to rent in town in more high-class areas? Yes. But remember, with us, it's all about the price-performance ratio. Given what you pay for this place, for what you get, this place falls smack-dab in the sweet spot.
Contact
The Smith Residence
37-39 Nantharam Road
Tambon Haiya,
Amphue Muang,
Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
Phone: +66 53 201 710
(Note: Some booking sites list an alternate number: +66 53 203 217. Verify current contact details before calling.)
A terrific place to stay
Set your expectations for clean, basic, no frills — and you'll be rewarded with one of the best price-performance ratios in downtown Chiang Mai. The location, the rooftop pool, and the personalized service from Dr. Smith and his staff make this place hard to beat for the long-stay traveler on a budget.
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