The northern city of Chiang Mai is one of Thailand's most distinctive provincial capitals, steeped in tradition and local cuture. With its own dialect, deliciours northern cuisine and unique architectural style, the former kingdom of Lanna - the 'land of a million rice fields' - stands apart from the rest of Thailand. In recent years the city has expanded rapidly and lost much of its charm but still remains a major tourist destination with many opportunities for adventure.


PRACTICAL INFORMATION


1. Getting there & away

Land

Bus

Departing from Bangkok’s newer Northern and Northeastern bus terminal (also known as Moh Chit) there are 12 2nd-class air-con buses a day (434B, 10 to 11 hours), but note that the air-con doesn’t always work.

More comfortable 1st-class air-con buses with toilets and 42 seats leave every half hour from 6.45am to 9pm (558B, 10 hours).

The government VIP buses, with seats that recline a bit more than the seats in 1st-class air-con, have about six departures each day, from either Bangkok or Chiang Mai, between 7pm and 9pm plus one in the morning at around 9am (24/32 seat bus 651/863B, 10 hours).

Ten or more private tour companies run air-con buses between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, departing from various points throughout both cities. Return tickets are always cheaper than one-way tickets. The fares cost 400B to 500B, depending on the bus. The government buses from the Northern and Northeastern bus terminal in Bangkok are generally more reliable and on schedule than the private ones booked in Banglamphu and other tourist-oriented places.

Travel agencies in Bangkok are notorious for promising services they can’t deliver, such as reclining seats or air-con that works. Several Th Khao San agencies offer bus tickets to Chiang Mai for as little as 300B, including a night’s free stay at a guesthouse in Chiang Mai. Sometimes this works out well, but the buses can be substandard and the ‘free’ guesthouse may charge 50B to 60B for electricity or hot water, or apply heavy pressure on you to sign up for one of its treks before you can get a room. Besides, riding in a bus or minivan stuffed full of foreigners and their bulky backpacks may not be the best cultural experience.

Several readers have complained of purchasing tickets for large air-con or even VIP buses from Th Khao San and at the last minute being shunted into cramped minivans. We recommend avoiding these buses altogether; use public buses from Bangkok’s Northern and Northeastern bus terminal instead.

Government buses between Chiang Mai and other northern towns depart frequently throughout the day (at least hourly), except for the Mae Sai, Khon Kaen, Udon, Ubon and Khorat buses, which have only morning and evening departures.

For buses to destinations within Chiang Mai Province use the Chang Pheuak bus terminal (0 5321 1586; Th Chotana). For buses outside the province use the Chiang Mai Arcade bus terminal (0 5324 2664), also called New Terminal. From the town centre, a túk-túk or chartered sǎwngthǎew to the Chiang Mai Arcade terminal should cost 50B to 60B; to the Chang Pheuak terminal you should be able to get a sǎwngthǎew at the normal 20B per person rate.

Train

Chiang Mai-bound trains leave Bangkok’s Hualamphong station daily. To check the most up-to-date timetables and prices call the State Railway of Thailand (www.railway.co.th/www.thailandrailway.com;0 2220 4334, free hotline 1690; 24hr) or visit its website.

Rapid trains leave Hualamphong station in Bangkok at 5.50am (2nd/3rd class 391/231B) and 2.30pm (2nd/3rd class 391/231B, 2nd-class sleeper lower/upper 541/491B) arriving at 7.45pm and 5.35am, respectively.

An express train leaves Bangkok at 10pm and arrives in Chiang Mai at 12.25pm (2nd/3rd class 431/271B, 2nd-class air-con 541B, 2nd-class sleeper lower/upper 581/531B, 2nd-class air-con sleeper lower/upper 821/751B).

Sprinter trains leave Bangkok at 8.30am and 7.20pm, arriving in Chiang Mai at 8.20pm and 7.30am respectively (2nd-class air-con 611B).

Special Express trains leave at 6pm and 7.35pm, arriving at 6.30am and 9.20am (1st-class air-con sleeper 1353B, 2nd-class air-con sleeper lower/upper 881/791B).

Berths on sleepers to Chiang Mai are increasingly hard to reserve without booking well in advance; tour groups sometimes book entire cars. The return trip from Chiang Mai to Bangkok doesn’t seem to be as difficult, except during the Songkran (mid-April) and Chinese New Year (late February to early March) holiday periods.

Try and book as well in advance as possible and at least a day in advance for seats (rather than sleepers). To book, either go to Bangkok’s Hualamphong station, Chiang Mai station or any major train station in person. Alternatively, email the State Railway of Thailand (passenger-ser@railway.co.th) at least two weeks before your journey. You will receive an email confirming the booking. Pick up and pay for tickets an hour before leaving at the scheduled departure train station.

Chiang Mai’s neat and tidy train station (0 5324 5364; Th Charoen Muang) has an ATM and two advance booking offices: one at the regular ticket windows outdoors (open 24 hours), the other in a more comfortable air-con office (open 6am to 6pm). These booking offices have a computerised reservation system through which you can book train seats for anywhere in Thailand up to 60 days in advance. It’s advisable to check out current timetables and prices on www.railway.co.th/www.thailandrailway.com or by calling 0 2220 4334 or 1690, but it’s not possible to book on the websites or over the phone.

There is a left-luggage facility in the station that is open 4.50am to 8.45pm. The cost is 10B per piece for the first five days and 15B per piece thereafter, with a 20-day maximum.

Air

International

Regularly scheduled international flights fly into Chiang Mai International Airport (0 5327 0222) from the following cities:

Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia; 0 2515 9999; www.airasia.com)

Kunming (THAI Airways; 0 5321 1021; www.thaiair.com)

Singapore (Silk Air; 0 5327 6459; www.silkair.com)

Taipei (Mandarin Airlines; 0 5320 1268; www.mandarin-airlines.com)

Vientiane, Luang Prabang (Lao Airlines; 0 5322 3401; www.laoairlines.com)

Yangon, Mandalay (Air Mandalay; 0 5381 8049; www.air-mandalay.com)

Domestic

Since 2003 Thailand has been going through a period of air route deregulation which has resulted in several low-fare, no-frills airline start-ups. Fares range from as low as 899B one way from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with Air Asia to as high as 4740B for the same sector on THAI (more in business class). Prices constantly vary depending on factors like season and various promotions. The following have counters at Chiang Mai International Airport; tickets can be booked online.

Air Asia (0 2515 9999; www.airasia.com) Has four flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai daily.

Bangkok Airways (0 5321 0043/4) Has two flights a day to Bangkok, one of which goes via Sukhothai.

Nok Air (1318; www.nokair.com) A subsidiary of THAI; has the most frequent daily departures to Bangkok. It also flies to Mae Hong Son from Chiang Mai twice a day for 900B.

One-Two-Go (0 5392 2159; www.fly12go.com) Has five flights a day between Chiang Mai and Bangkok at a fixed price of 1700B.

Siam GA (0 2664 6099, 0 2641 4190; www.sga.aero) 35-minute flights to and from Chiang Mai and Pai. At the time of writing the fare was one way/return 1450/2900B.

Thai Airways International (0 5321 1044/7; www.thaiair.com) Operates around eight one-hour flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai daily, plus four flights a day between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son.

2. Getting around

Bus & tram

Bus

After much protracted talk and studies concerning a Mass Transit System to alleviate Chiang Mai’s traffic congestion, a bus system has finally emerged. There are four new routes – numbers 2, 4, 6 and 8 – in addition to number 10, an existing bus route.

White air-con buses ply routes 2, 6 and 10. Numbered red sǎwngthǎew follow routes 4 and 8. The air-con buses cost 10B per person and the sǎwngthǎew (on these routes) charge 15B. With no number allotted, yellow sǎwngthǎew (or the purple line on the map) run from Th Praisani (the road running along Mae Ping River near Warorot Market), stop at Chang Pheuak bus station, Rajabhat University and finally, Mae Rim.

Maps of these routes can be found in most free publications around Chiang Mai, or pick one up at TAT. These services run every 15 minutes from 6am to 9pm daily.

At the time of writing this seemed to be a fledgling service. Most Chiang Mai residents still take the regular sǎwngthǎew and many also own their own bicycles or motorcycles.

Bicycle

Cycling is a good way to get around Chiang Mai if you don’t mind a little traffic and, at the denser intersections, vehicular fumes. The city is small enough so that everywhere is accessible by bicycle, including Chiang Mai University, Wat U Mong, Wat Suan Dok and the Chiang Mai National Museum on the outskirts of town.

If you have your own bicycle with you and need repairs or hard-to-find parts, your best bet is Canadian-owned Top Gear Bike Shop (0 5323 3450; topgearbike@hotmail.com; 173 Th Chang Moi), near Soi 2.

Basic Chinese- or Thai-manufactured bicycles can be rented for around 30B to 50B a day from some guesthouses or from various places along the east moat:

Contact Travel (0 5381 2444; www.activethailand.com; 73/7 Th Charoen Prathet) Rents rugged 21-speed mountain bikes for 200B a day. Also operates cycling tours around the province.

Velocity (0 5341 0665; velocity@thaimail.com; 177 Th Chang Pheuak) Rents mountain and racing bikes, offers guided tours and carries all kinds of cycling accessories.

3.Money & costs

Money

All major Thai banks have several branches throughout Chiang Mai, many of them along Th Tha Phae; most are open from 8.30am to 3.30pm. In the well-touristed areas – for example, the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, Th Tha Phae and Th Moon Muang – you’ll find ATMs and bank-operated foreign-exchange booths open as late as 8pm.

SK Moneychanger (0 5327 1864; 73/8 Th Charoen Prathet; 8am-6pm Mon-Sat) Private agency specialising in cash exchanges in several currencies. Travellers cheques are also accepted, usually at better rates than banks.

Western Union (0 5322 4979; Central department store, Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Centre, Th Huay Kaew) Also at any post office; send or receive money by wire.

4.Health & safety

Dangers & annoyances

Upon arrival in Chiang Mai by bus or train, most waiting sǎwngthǎew and túk-túk (motorised pedicab) drivers will try to get you to a particular hotel or guesthouse so that they can collect a commission. Since the better guesthouses refuse to pay any commissions, this means if you follow the driver’s lead you may end up at a place with less appealing conditions or an out-of-the-way location. A handful of guesthouses now maintain their own free shuttle services from the train station. At any rate, if you call a guesthouse from the bus or train station, staff will be delighted to arrange a ride to avoid paying such exorbitant commissions.

Beware of bus or minivan services from Th Khao San in Bangkok, which often advertise a free night’s accommodation in Chiang Mai if you buy a Bangkok–Chiang Mai ticket. What usually happens on arrival is that the ‘free’ guesthouse demands you sign up for one of the hill treks immediately; if you don’t, the guesthouse is suddenly ‘full’. Sometimes they levy a charge for electricity or hot water. The better guesthouses don’t play this game.

Theft is also more of a risk on the Th Khao San buses than on legitimate buses that leave from Bangkok’s Moh Chit terminal.

Many less expensive guesthouses in Chiang Mai will evict guests who don’t engage trekking or tour services through the guesthouse, or who don’t eat meals regularly at the guesthouse. We’ve tried to avoid listing guesthouses where this practice is known to happen, but if in doubt, be sure to ask before checking in whether it’s OK to take a room only.

Take care in the unlit backstreets around the Night Bazaar. We have had a few reports of women being attacked and robbed.

While you're there

Dentists

Thailand has a very good reputation for its dental care, and it is cheaper than at home. Most offer cosmetic dentistry too. The following have been recommended.

Dental 4U (0 5387 4149; www.dental4uchiangmai.com; 382-384 Th Tha Phae)

Grace Dental Care (0 5389 4568; www.gracedentalclinic.com; 45 Soi 11 Th Nimmanhaemin)

Medical services

At most hospitals in Chiang Mai, many of the doctors speak English.

Chiang Mai Ram Hospital (0 5322 4861; www.chiangmairam.com; 8 Th Bunreuangrit) The most modern hospital in town, with higher-than-average prices.

Lanna Hospital (0 5335 7234; www.lanna-hospital.com; Hwy 11/Th Superhighway) One of the better hospitals in town and less expensive than Chiang Mai Ram.

Malaria Centre (0 5322 1529; 18 Th Bunreuangrit) Offers free blood checks for malaria.

McCormick Hospital (0 5326 2200; www.thai.net/mccormick; 133 Th Kaew Nawarat) Former missionary hospital; good for minor treatment, and inexpensive.

Mungkala (0 5327 8494; www.mung kala.com; 21-27 Th Ratchamankha) Traditional Chinese clinic offering acupuncture, massage and herbal therapy