Getting There By Air:Chiang Mai Airport (CNX)
Tel: (053) 270 222.
Website:
www.chiangmaiairportonline.comChiang Mai’s international airport is 3km (2 miles) southwest of the city center.
Amenities at the airport include currency exchange offices, left-luggage facilities, a restaurant, bookshop, post office with overseas phone facilities, an
Avis car hire desk and a
Thai Hotels Association (tel: (053) 922 129) accommodation booking desk
that usually offers cheaper rates than equivalent offices in town.
To get to the city center, catch bus 4 or 10 to Tha Pae Gate. Alternatively, hail a metered taxi from outside the arrivals hall. If you have booked your accommodation in advance, many hotels and guesthouses will collect you upon arrival for free.
Getting There By Road:Chiang Mai lies at the heart of the main road network for all of northern Thailand. Virtually every town and village is connected to the city by road, so exploring the region by car is very easy.
Ordinary and air-conditioned buses are usually run by the government transport company
Baw Khaw Saw. Privately owned air-conditioned buses, such as those run by
Nakonchai (tel: (02) 936 3355; website:
www.nca.co.th), also ply some of the more popular long-distance routes. Ordinary buses are cheap and frequent, but work on a commission basis so pack in as many people as possible and may not leave on time as a result of touting for extra business. To flag down an ordinary bus wait at a bus stop or
sala. Air-conditioned buses are a little more expensive, but run according to a timetable, allocate seats to travelers and provide snacks and videos on longer routes. Tickets for air-conditioned buses can be bought at the terminals: ordinary bus tickets should be bought once onboard.
The main Arcade bus station, on Thanon Kaeo Nawarat (tel: (053) 242 664), is 3km (2 miles) northeast of town. Buses to and from most northern provinces, as well as elsewhere in Thailand, arrive and depart here. To get to the city center from here, catch bus 4 to Tha Pae Gate. Alternatively hail a
songthaew (share-taxi) or
tuk-tuk (motorized rickshaw). However, if you are coming from Fang or Tha Ton in the north, you will arrive at the Chang Phuak bus station on Thanon Chotana, 500m (1,600ft) north of the city center’s northern Chang Phuak Gate and 2km (1.25 miles) northwest of Tha Pae Gate.
Getting There By Rail:Chiang Mai’s train station is on Thanon Charoen Muang (tel: (053) 244 795), just over 2km (1.25 miles) from Tha Pae Gate on the eastern side of town.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) runs the main train network, which consists of four main lines and a number of branch routes. The northern line connecting Bangkok to Chiang Mai, via Ayutthaya, Lopburi and Lampang terminates in Chiang Mai. There are several different classes of train, the fares for which depend on the type of seat, whether you want air conditioning and on the speed of the train. Booking tickets a day in advance is recommended.
For 24-hour train information, contact the SRT in Bangkok (tel: (02) 220 4567) or on its free hotline (tel: 1690). The SRT website (
www.railway.co.th or
www.thailandrailway.com) features English-language timetables and ticket prices.
Getting Around:Public TransportThe town center is relatively compact and it is possible to walk between temples and other sights. However, a quicker and more preferable means of travel is by bicycle (see
Bicycle Hire below).
Public transport in Chiang Mai is cheap and reasonably efficient, comprising a network of
buses,
songthaews (see below) and other small carriers. A simple air-conditioned bus system has started in the city and covers five routes around the main destinations. Route numbers are displayed in western numerals and the fare is paid to the conductor depending on your destination. Most free newspapers include a map of the routes.
TaxisMetered taxis can be flagged down in the street or pre-booked (tel: (053) 279 291).
Songthaews, basic pick-up trucks with two facing benches in the back, act as share-taxis, collecting people heading in roughly the same direction and dropping them off where required. There are also masses of three-wheeled, open-sided, two-stroke tuk-tuks vying for business. Quick and safer than you’d imagine, these are handy, exhilarating ways of scooting about the city, although hard bargaining for the fare is expected. A handful of
samlors (tricycle rickshaws), also still operate in the city center.
Driving in the CityThais drive on the left. The official speed limit is 60kph (37mph) in towns and cities and 90kph (56mph) outside them. Other rules are largely ignored. However, a right indicator flashing on a vehicle ahead of you usually means don’t overtake, whilst a left flashing indicator means that it is safe to do so. An oncoming vehicle flashing its headlights means that it doesn’t intend to stop.
Car HireCars can be hired from outlets in the Tha Pae Gate area. Reliable outfits offering vehicles, insurance and breakdown cover include
Journey, 283 Thanon Tha Pae (tel: (053) 208 787; website:
www.journeycnx.com ), and
North Wheels, 70/4-8 Thanon Chaiyapoom (tel: (053) 874 478; website:
www.northwheels.com). International agencies include
Avis, at ChiangMai Airport (tel: (053) 922 130; website:
www.avis.com) and Royal Princess Hotel, 112 Thanon Chang Klan (tel: (053) 281 033), and
Budget, 201/2 Thanon Mahidol (tel: (053) 202 871; website:
www.budget.com).
Foreigners need an international driver’s license to hire a car, although most companies will accept national licenses, and the smaller agencies may not actually ask for any proof at all. International agencies will accept credit card details as security whilst small agencies may want a cash deposit and to hold on to your passport.
Bicycle HireBikes can be hired from several agencies on the road running alongside the eastern moat, or from
Velocity at 177 Thanon Chang Phuak (tel: (053) 410 665), which also runs guided trips. If you’d prefer, motorbikes can be hired from
Queen Bee, 5 Thanon Moonmuang, (tel: (053) 275 525; website:
www.queen-bee.com) or
Mr Mechanic, 4 Soi 5, Thanon Moonmuang (tel: (053) 214 7080).
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Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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