Chiang Mai Travel Guide
Weekend in Chiang Mai Itinerary for Two Days in Thailand’s Ancient Lanna Capital
A weekend in Chiang Mai is just enough time to get a feel for northern Thailand's former Lanna capital. While most travellers focus on the old walled city and gilded pagodas, the city is also ...
Where to Stay in Chiang Mai – From Charming Boutique Hotels to Chic Apartments
Where to stay in Chiang Mai is easy. If it’s your first time to Northern Thailand then you need to be in the Old City as gawking at pagodas will be your priority. If you’re ...
Where to Eat in Chiang Mai for the Best Northern Thai Lanna Cuisine
Where to eat in Chiang Mai for the best Northern Thai Lanna cuisine depends on how far you’re prepared to travel to eat well. Make the effort to seek out Northern Thailand's Lanna food and ...
Chiang Mai Food Tour – Footpath Feasting in the Old Lanna Capital
A Chiang Mai food tour is the number one thing to do in Chiang Mai for culinary travellers visiting Northern Thailand's ancient Lanna capital. It's no surprise. Chiang Mai is a fantastic destination for foodies with ...
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Chiang Mai Essentials
WHEN TO GO
Nov–Feb The perfcet time to visit the city, with great weather and festivals in Nov and Feb.
Mar–May Chinag Mai really starts to heat up and activities are best done early or late afternoon with temps up to 40°C in the middle of the day. Note that crop burn-off can make the city hazy.
Jun–Oct Wet season cools things down but the humidity is high and monsoon rains can be relentless, but better weather than Southern Thailand. On the flip side, it’s very quiet tourist-wise
Health
Chiang Mai is a large city and has excellent healthcare facilities, with several very good hospitals. It’s still of great importance that you get full medical insurance for your visit – particularly if you’re hiring a motor scooter. Recommended Vaccinations
Visas
Nationals of most countries can get a free tourist visa on arrrival in Thailand, it’s the length of the visa that varies and can range from 15 days to 90 days. Overstaying visas incurrs daily fines and rules can change overnight so be aware. Some visas can be extended, check the Thai Immigration website.
Insurance for Chiang Mai
CURRENCY
CURRENT EXCHANGE RATES
$1.00 USD = 33.40 THB
$1.00 AUD = 24.30 THB
€1.00 EUR = 39.14 THB
£1.00 GBP = 45.66 THB
The Thai currency (THB) is called the ‘Baht’, and it’s the only currency used in the country. In touristy areas they may acccept USD but and give change in THB but you’ll suffer an unfavourable exchange rate. It is, however, easy to change most major currencies into THB.
LANGUAGE
THAI IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THAILAND.
ELECTRICITY
ELECTRICITY IN THAILAND IS 220 VOLTS. 50 CYCLES/SEC.
LOCAL TIME
CURRENT CHIANG MAI TIME
Chiang Mai’s Time Zone is (GMT+7)
Chiang Mai’s has never utilised daylight saving.
WEATHER
CURRENT CHIANG MAI WEATHER
- TEMPERATURE
°C | °C - HUMIDITY
% - WIND
m/s - CLOUDINESS
% - SUNRISE
- SUNSET
- TUE 28°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- WED 29°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- THU 30°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- FRI 1°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- SAT 2°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
- SUN 3°C | °CCloudiness%Humidity%
TRANSPORTATION
AIR/LAND/SEA
There are direct international flights to Bangkok from most major international destinations. Domestic flights cover all major tourist destinations. Around Bangkok, the BTS Skytrain and MRT Metro are the most efficient means of travel. Quality of taxi services vary wildly, use Grab Taxi, but that can’t stop the traffic jams. Only tourists use tuk-tuks, locals and expats use motorbike taxis.
Chiang Mai Daily Costs
Budget
Daily Budget Up To:
US$30
- Guesthouse dorm room: US$10–20
- Night Market dish: US$1.50
- Rót daang ride: US$0.80-1.20
Mid Range
Daily Budget From:
US$31–200
- Air-con hotel room: US$30–45
- Good local restaurant meal: US$5–15
- Food Tour & Cooking Class: US$35
Luxury
Daily Budget From:
US$201+
- Boutique hotel or resort: US$80–500
- Thai multi-course meal: US$35+
- Chiang Rai White Temple Tour: US$80+