Newcomer Builds Free Tool To Map Flight Noise Across Chiang Mai
Luke Bartlett moved to Chiang Mai this year after visiting in 2024 and deciding to stay. The move came with the usual friction: neighbourhoods to evaluate, apartments to inspect, landlords to negotiate with. But one variable that proved genuinely difficult to assess was aircraft noise, and the gap between what property listings communicated and what residents actually experienced once settled.
Bartlett built a tool to close that gap. It is called Flight Path Noise and it tracks all flight paths within a 20-kilometre radius of Chiang Mai International Airport. The tool calculates estimated noise levels at any given location based on aircraft type, altitude, and frequency of overhead traffic throughout the day.
How it works
Users enter an address or drop a pin manually anywhere on the map. The tool analyses noise exposure across the full day at that point, rather than offering a static average. A share function allows users to export a set of saved pins, which makes it practical for comparing shortlisted locations or sending assessments to a partner or agent.
Bartlett notes that the tool does not account for road traffic noise or building construction quality, both of which have a material effect on interior sound levels in Chiang Mai’s residential stock. The interface is currently optimised for desktop rather than mobile.
Why this matters for the Chiang Mai property market
Flight noise is one of the least well-documented variables in Chiang Mai’s rental market. CNX handles a substantial volume of regional and international traffic, and the expansion of low-cost carrier routes over the past decade has changed the noise profile of several established residential areas, particularly in the east of the city around the Nimmanhaemin and Santitham corridors. Property listings rarely carry noise disclosures of any kind.
The groups and forums where incoming residents ask these questions, including the Chiang Mai expat Facebook communities and r/chiangmai on Reddit, have no single reference point to point to. Until now, the honest answer to “how noisy is this area?” was to visit at different times of day and hope for a representative sample.
A community-built tool that aggregates flight data and models noise at street level changes that calculation. It will not replace a site visit, but it gives prospective residents a starting point that the property market has not provided.
Try it
Flight Path Noise is a personal project and remains in active development. Bartlett is collecting bug reports through the comments on his original post. The tool is free and requires no account to use.
