Chiang Mai Information
Bounded by a huge ring road, the Superhighway, Chiang Mai divides roughly into two main parts: the old town, surrounded by the well maintained moat and occasional remains of the city wall, where you’ll find most of Chiang Mai’s traditional Wats, and the new town centre, between the moat and the Ping River to the east, for hotels, shops and travel agents. The main concentration of guest houses and restaurants hangs between the two, centered on the landmark of Pram Tha Pae (Tha Pae Gate) in the middle of the east moat.
Many people arrive at the train station on Thanon Charoen Muang, just over 2 kilometers from Tha Pae Gate on the eastern side of town or at the Arcade bus station on Thanon Kaeo Nawarat, 3 kilometer out to the northeast. Getting from either of these to the centre is easy by songthaew or tuk tuk (see “City transport” opposite). Coming south from Fang or Tha Ton, you’ll wind op at the Chang Phuak bus station on Thanon Chotana, 500 meters from the city center’s northern Chang Phuak Gate and 2km northwest of the accommodation concentration around Tha Pae Gate.
If you plan to travel with one of the low cost private bus companies on Bangkok’s Thanon Khao San Road, find out exactly where you’ll be dropped in Chiang Mai before making a booking: many of these companies’ buses stop on a remote part of the Superhighway, where they “sell” their passengers to various guesthouse touts. There’s no obligation to go with the touts, but if you try to duck out you’ll have a hard job getting downtown and you’ll certainly come in for a lot of hassle. The better guest houses certainly including those we’ve listed don’t involve themselves in such shenanigans. Arriving at the airport, 3 kilometers southwest of the centre, you’ll find banks, a post office situated outside with an overseas phone (all open daily 8AM – 8PM), and an Avis car rental office. The free courtesy phone for local calls in the arrival hall is helpful to secure accommodation. Though no buses serve the airport, there is a well organized taxi system which charges 100 Baht for a car to the city centre. If you hook accommodation in advance, many hotels and guest houses will pick you up for free front the bus or train station or the airport.
