Sponsored by
Web Design Thailand | Tour Starting at $27
Chiang Mai Travel Guide
Chiang Mai also occasionally written as “Chiengmai”, is the biggest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located some 700 kilometers north of Bangkok, among some of the highest mountains in the country. The city stands on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river.
In recent years, Chiang Mai has become an progressively modern city, and although it lacks the cosmopolitan nature of Bangkok, it has many attractions for the 1000s of tourists who come annually. Chiang Mai’s historical importance is derived from its strategic location on an ancient trade route. Long before the modern influx of foreign visitors, the city served as a major center for handmade goods, umbrellas, jewelry (especially silver) and woodcarving.
There is also many great Chiang Mai Hotels to choose from.
Chiang Mai Nightlife
Chiang Mai Shopping
Chiang Mai Attractions
Getting to Chiang Mai
By plane
Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) handles both domestic and regional international flights. The route from Bangkok is one of the busiest in the country (Thai Airways flies daily almost every hour, with additional flights in the peak tourist season).
The airport is some 3 km south-west of the city centre, only 10-15 minutes away by car. Legal airport taxis charge a flat 120 baht for up to 5 passengers anywhere in the city; if you take a metered taxi, the fee will start from 40 baht + a 50 baht service fee from the Meter Taxi counter. The taxis operate from the exit at the north end of the terminal – after baggage claim and/or customs, walk into the reception hall and turn left. Alternatively, take bus #4 to the city center for 15 baht, or charter a tuk-tuk or songthaew for 50-60 baht. Most hotels and guesthouses offer cheap or free pick-up/drop-off services.
By bus
Buses to Chiang Mai leave from Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal (Moh Chit). The cheapest, non-aircon, stop-everywhere government buses take around 12 hours; non-stop VIP 24-seaters manage the trip in 9 hours on a good day. Chiang Mai also has good bus connections to practically everywhere in the North, and major destinations/hubs in the North-East (Isaan); there’s even a direct service to Pattaya and Rayong in the East.
By train
Various rapid, express and sleeper services depart from Bangkok’s Hualamphong Train Station, taking twelve to fifteen hours depending on the service selected. Daytime trains are entirely second and third class, with no sleeper berths; the first “overnight” train of the day departs Chiang Mai around 2:50PM and departs in Bangkok at around 5:30AM.
The overnight trains – particularly second class sleeper berths – is very popular, safe, comfy and fun, and great value too – sleeper fares start at about 500 baht for an upper berth in a 2nd class fan carriage. 2nd class lower berths are somewhat more expensive than, but also slightly wider than, upper berths; air-con is of course about 30% more expensive than non-aircon. Those who wish to avoid sharing the relatively basic second class “bathroom” facilities can book a private first class two-berth cabin (the attendant cleans the first class bathrooms frequently).
In the train (2nd sleeper class at least), you will be offered food (several types of set Thai dinner in the evening, and of Western or Thai breakfast in the morning) and drinks by the train staff – food quality is OK (more like from a street stall than from a restaurant). Bringing your own food/drinks is not a problem. Breakfast for 100 baht and especially dinner for around 150 are worth trying, however, if you do not want to rely on fast food during your trip.
Tickets can be purchased up to 60 days in advance on any station in Thailand, not only from the point of your departure. Advance booking is advisable year-round, but especially between November and March and around Songkran in April . On the larger stations (including Chiang Mai) you can pay for the ticket using your VISA/MasterCard – this is fairly safe, as SRT is a state-owned company.
From February 2009, SRT also opened an e-ticketing website http://www.thairailwayticket.com, an excellent option, especially for those willing to book while outside Thailand. However, it is still a bit tricky to register – as they explained by e-mail, you have to avoid any special characters while filling a registration form. After registration, you can book, pay and print your e-ticket online. However, it looks they sell only 1nd and 2rd aircon sleeper class tickets that way. The price is exactly what you’d pay in the ticket office.
SRT advises to buy tickets only in their ticket offices (or via e-booking). In Bangkok, touts may approach you near Hua Lamphong station, trying to deflect you into one of the nearby travel agencies, stating this is a ticket office – just ignore them, the ticket offices proper are inside the main station building. Travel agencies, however, may be worth checking, if you can’t pay with a credit card and wish to avoid extra visit to the station – just make sure they charge you the actual price plus reasonable commission, not the silly “tourist” price. The latter is especially probable in the Khao San Road agencies; in Chiang Mai, however, they are often honest, with extra 60 baht or so well worth what you get for this (the songthaew return trip to the station will set you back 40 baht, plus at least 40 minutes).
Chiang Mai train station is approximately 3km due east of the city center, across the Ping River and near the main Post Office, at the crossing of Charoen Muang Road and Rat Uthit Road (27 Charoenmuang Road). If you arrive late it would be better to take a songthaew to town (many of these meet every train that arrives). If you do want to walk, exit the station, cross the open square in front and turn left on the first major road you come to (Charoen Muang Road) ; this road goes to the city center.
