Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [266]
Sleeping berths are increasingly hard to reserve without booking well in advance; tour groups sometimes book entire cars and available spots get even more scarce during holidays like Songkran (mid-April), Chulalongkorn Day (October) and Chinese New Year (late February to early March). See the Transport chapter ( Click here) for information about advance bookings.
GETTING AROUND
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To/From Airport
There is only one licensed airport taxi service charging a flat 150B fare. Public bus number 6 (15B) goes from the airport to points west en route to Chiang Mai University; it isn’t a convenient option if you’re staying in the old city. Many guesthouses and hotels also provide airport transfers.
From any point within the city, you can charter a túk-túk or red srng·ta·ou to the airport for 60B or 70B.
Bicycle
Cycling is a good way to get around Chiang Mai. Rickety cruiser bikes with a fixed gear can be rented for around 50B a day from some guesthouses or from various places along the east moat. Brakes on the older models wouldn’t stop you from a dead halt. Chiang Mai Mountain Biking ( Map; 0 5381 4207; Th Samlan; 8am-5pm) rents well-maintained mountain bikes and city bikes for the day.
If you want to buy a bike or you need repairs, your best bet is Canadian-owned Top Gear Bike Shop ( Map; 0 5323 3450; 173 Th Chang Moi), near Soi 2.
Bus
After much protracted talk, and studies concerning a public mass transit to alleviate Chiang Mai’s traffic congestion, a bus system finally emerged and then retracted shortly thereafter. The city service uses white air-con buses that run from 6am to 9pm daily and cost 15B. The transit authority claims that there are three surviving bus lines but the described routes did not match our experience. We did successfully take a No 6 bus from the Arcade bus terminal to the Chang Pheuak bus terminal via the Superhighway (Rte 11), so the bus is a reliable option between the two terminals if nothing else.
Car & Truck
Private transport is available from rental agencies throughout the city, mainly along Th Moon Muang. Be sure that the vehicle you rent has insurance (liability) coverage, which usually includes a 5000B excess. This does not cover personal injury and medical payments of anyone injured in a traffic accident. Ask to take a look at the terms of the insurance policy so you’re clear on what is and isn’t included.
Two of the most well-regarded agencies are North Wheels ( Map; 0 5387 4478; www.northwheels.com; 70/4-8 Th Chaiyaphum) and Journey ( Map; 0 5320 8787; www.journeycnx.com; 283 Th Tha Phae). Both offer hotel pick-up and delivery, 24-hour emergency road service, and comprehensive insurance. Journey even has baby seats available.
The following are standard rental rates per day: Toyota Vios (1200B) and Toyota Sportrider (1800B). Weekly and monthly rates are available and petrol is not included in the price. Most agencies around town have similar rates; what varies is the quality of the vehicle.
The good-value and highly recommended Alternative Travel (08 1784 4856, 08 9632 6556; noree9000@hotmail.com) offers customised tours, with English-speaking drivers, in Toyota sedans, 4WD trucks or vans (1500B to 2000B a day, plus petrol). Contact Winai to discuss car or itinerary options.
Other car-rental agencies in town:
Budget Car Rental ( Map; 0 5320 2871; 201/2 Th Mahidol) Across from Central Airport Plaza.
National Car Rental ( Map; 0 5321 0118; Amari Rincome Hotel, 1 Th Nimmanhaemin)
Motorcycle
One of the most popular options for getting about on your own is to rent a motorcycle. Agencies along Th Moon Muang and even some guesthouses rent Honda Dream 100cc step-through manual/automatic bikes for about 150/200B a day. The Honda or Yamaha 125cc to 150cc rent for 250B a day. A few places