Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is a province in the northern part of Thailand. Its capital, Chiang Mai, is the second major tourist city in Thailand. It is a place full of cultural heritage and is a gateway to the Himalayas and to the famous Golden Triangle, where the three countries of Myanmar (Burma), Laos and Thailand meet!

General Facts About Chiang Mai

It is a place with a vast array of minority ethnic tribes who live in the mountains and valleys trying to keep their traditional way of life amongst the hoards of travelers passing through.

Chiang Mai also has two of the highest mountains in Thailand as well as vast forested areas which are ideal for trekking, hiking, cycling, elephant trekking, and bird watching.

Chiang Mai is probably most famous for three things: River Rafting, Trekking and Cooking schools.

There is a large variety of hotels ranging from the basic backpacker hostels to high-quality five-star hotels which were introduced late in the 1990s as Chiang Mai was set to become the information technology capital of Thailand. There is cheap shopping of traditional goods across the city with many markets and a massive variety of restaurants to choose from.

Chiang Mai province is home to up to 1,690,000 people and is the main gateway to northern Thailand. Chiang Mai city was founded by the traders’ centuries ago who traveled along the Silk Road plying their goods of fabrics, silk, opium, tea, fruits, tobacco, ivory and wood.

Unlike Bangkok, Chiang Mai has kept more of its cultural soul, and the feeling within the city is that of histories past giving its guests a more traditional emotion. Traditional handcrafted goods are on sale ranging from wood carvings, furniture, pottery, textiles and jewelry.

One of the most popular backpacker destinations in the Chiang Mai region is a small town on the Burmese border called Pai. This place is about a 5-hour songthaew ride through the mountains but well worth a visit.

Accommodations

Chiang Mai has everything from backpacker dorms, boutique accommodation, five-star resorts to match the requirements of every type of traveler from backpacker to organized tour.

Action & Adventure

The city has over 300 temples in its surrounding area and lots of attractions to satisfy everyone. The most popular activities on the tourist ‘things to do’ list in the Chiang Mai province include:

• Chiang Mai Walking Streets: Saturday and Sunday markets
• Chiang Mai Night Bazaar: the perfect place for shopping and souvenirs
• China Town: Traditional Chinese Archway and Chinese temples
• Doi Chiang Dao, Mae Kampong and Inthanon mountains: located just a few hours drive from Chiang Mai city
• Chiang Mai Old City temple tour: Take a walk on foot and you’ll be amazing at its cultural heritage
• Sbun-Nga Textile Museum: Ethnic textiles and cultural centre
• Chiang Mai National Museum: Arts, artifacts and Buddha images
• Chiang Mai City Museum of Arts & Cultural Centre: Chiang Mai History
• Wat Phra Singh Temple: The revered Lion Buddha is located here
• Chiang Mai Tribal Museum: Handicrafts, jewelry, costumes, ornaments and tools
• Wat Chedi Luang Temple: One of the tallest structures in old Chiang Mai
• Chiang Mai Zoo: Pandas, birds, a vast variety of animals and an aquarium
• Chiang Mai Night Safari: includes the night time Predator Prowl and Savannah Safari
• Hmong Villages & Doi Suthep-Pui National Park: mountains and hill tribe villages

Day Trips from Chiang Mai City

• Flight of the Gibbon: Treetop zip lines through the forest canopy
• Chiang Mai Rock Climbing and Abseiling
• Trekking & white water rafting

Social Life

Chiang Mai is famous for its Riverside strip which has live bands playing in many bars but it also becomes alive in the evening with street vendors, cheap food stalls, street bars a vast array of pubs, and night clubs serving the young backpackers.

Chiang Mai is a special place with live music and night clubs, entertainment, and cinemas plus a vast array of bars and restaurants. The nightlife scene has something to offer everyone!

Climate

The best time to visit is from November to February when it’s less hot. March until June is the hot season and can be smoggy. The monsoon period lasts from June to October. Temperatures in the cold spell can drop down to nearly zero, so don’t forget your winter clothes!

Bus, Taxi, Songthaew, Tuk Tuk

There are local buses taking tourists to places outside the city but these can often be old, hot, and mechanically poor.

Songthaews are converted pickup trucks and these are often the preferred way to travel especially through the mountains. They are cheap since they can carry multiple passengers.

A good way to get around is to order a taxi via an app like Grab, which also allows you to rent a car or motorbike, and even order food.

Tuk Tuk’s (above) are an experience that many want to try, but be on your guard, as many will offer low transport rates but will try to take you to jewelry shops or suit makers where they are paid commissions, and you may waste most of your day!

Shopping

Chiang Mai is a shopper’s paradise with huge open-air markets, masses of street vendors, rows and rows of shops catering for every need all over the city and provides a vast range of cheap traditional goods.

Banks & ATM’s

There is an abundance of ATM’s and banks all over Chiang Mai. There are also facilities for international money transfer via Western Union.

Police, Post office & Medical Emergencies

There is a Tourist Police Station in Chiang Mai. There are a number of Thai hospitals in Chiang Mai. The main Post Office is on Charoen Muang but there are many sub-branches spread around the town. There is an official Tourist Association of Thailand (TAT) official office located at 105/1 Chiang Mai-Lamphun Rd, Wat Ket, เมือง, Chiang Mai 50000.

Important Numbers in Chiang Mai

Police emergency: 191

Tourist Police: +66 53 212 147

Tourist Police – Emergency: 1155

Fire Department: 199

Chiang Mai Ram Hospital: +66 53 920 300

TAT Chiang Mai Office: +66 53 248 604

If you are looking for a cultural or entertainment destination with a chilled laid back feeling, Chiang Mai has it all! When visiting Chiang Mai, we recommend to take a few days and go to Pai and to the Golden Triangle region. It will give you the full Thailand cultural experience!