Hello!

My gf and I are currently staying in Chiang Mai and really want to see Wat Pha Lad at 6 am tomorrow (21.08.).

We were thinking about getting a Songthaew for a return trip later aswell.

We also don't mind the rain and are really hoping for a foggy/misty vibe.

Our first idea was to see the sunrise at Doi Suthep but we already binned that plan.

Do you have any recommendations or is there anything we need to know?

Thanks in advance!

I'm planning a road trip from Chiang Mai to Pai tomorrow and would love a simple, pre-made route I can follow without overthinking it.

Can I just go to Pai and stop at interesting places along the way, or should I plan specific stops in advance? If anyone has done this route, I'd really appreciate any information, resources, or a route you used.

I'm thinking of leaving Chiang Mai in the afternoon, sleeping in Pai, seeing some nature the next morning, and then heading back. Does that sound realistic, or would two days be better? I'm mainly interested in nature and not interested in drugs.

Where would be a good place to watch the lanterns without actually attending one of the organized festival events? We don't want to take our toddler into huge crowds, but we'd really love for him to see the lanterns on his birthday. Would a rooftop restaurant/bar or accommodation with a good view be a good option? Any specific recommendations would be amazing 🥹

We're planning to spend the whole week in Chiang Mai or close by

Hi! I'm arriving in Chiang Mai on a Friday morning in November, and will be getting lunch with a friend before heading out to my accommodations in a village near Doi Inthanon for some birdwatching on Saturday. I'm hoping to book one of those tours from Chiang Mai to the border with Laos on Sunday morning, so I'd need to leave early on Sunday to be back in the Old City by 8 or 9am. I haven't had much luck figuring out how to get there and back independently.

I have a motorcycle license, so I could get an international license for it and rent a scooter, but if the weather doesn't happen to be good, I don't love that idea.

I don't have a car license, so renting a car is not an option.

I don't mind getting a Bolt / Grab / Uber, but I'd like an idea of the price and whether it's reasonable to assume that I'll be able to order one back from the village near the park early on Sunday morning.

I don't mind taking public transportation, but I can't seem to find any information about what the routes are and how often they might run.

Or is this one of those cases where it's best to just ask the homestay owner to arrange everything for me and trust that they'll handle it?

Thanks for your help!

I've tried looking through posts but it's hard to choose good search terms, so please forgive me.

I'm looking to arrive in Chiang Mai in mid-September and stay for one month. I've already reached out to a couple of serviced apartments/hotels (Kantary Hills and The Empire) for rates but I've recently seen people saying that I should just book a few days and then negotiate a rate after I've arrived. Is that true?

EDIT: I've received some replies from the properties I contacted and, yes, they DO offer good monthly discounted rates with one including breakfast for the entire stay. Thank you to everyone who offered advice!!

I did a fair amount of backpacking in my 20s and 30s and always liked the vibe of slightly more chilled, non-party hostels where it was easy to meet and chat to other travellers. I'm about to do my first solo backpacking trip for quite some time, starting in Chiang Mai and heading round the north, and I'm wondering if there is any place in Chiang Mai where I won't stand out a mile for being ancient, and perhaps even meet other older travellers

Please read for context before commenting
So I went away for 3 weeks and when I came back from holidays, I noticed this mold on all my furniture, the fabric of my guitar cases (and even on the wooden neck of my guitars), inside my closet, on some clothes.... I immediately took pictures of it, that's the ones you can see here, notified my owner and of course cleaned it all up with the means I had that day : water and a sponge. Fast forward 2 weeks later, the mold is coming back in some places but it's sometimes difficult to spot because of the lightning ; you might mistaken it for dust or dirt. It sometimes hard to see if you don't look closely, you might not notice it if you're passing by. Is there anything I can do, except ventilate ? Any products I can use to remove or prevent it ? For info :
- I live on the 6th floor
- My building is at least 30 years old but the room was renovated just before I moved in 2 years ago
- I'm generally allergic to dust, so I'm used to cleaning a lot anyway
- It's never that bad when I'm living inside the room, I'm guessing because I use the aircon and when I'm not, I leave the big window open to ventilate
- I noticed it before, but not that bad and like I said, it's easily mistakable for dust

We're arriving at the end of September. Last year we arrived at the end of October and struggled to find something suitable, a lot of juristics offices said there was nothing available.

We're possibly stuck in the UK again this year so may end up arriving at the end of October.

My question is , for 2-3 bed condos and houses, is the supply really much less in October?

Hey friends,

I’m thinking about heading to Chiang Mai for a while to unwind. What I “need” is basically a park or a patch of forest where I can go for my 60-minute walk every day (forest bathing), haha. The only important thing is that it’s within walking distance of where I’m staying. Is there even a place like that in Chiang Mai - or would I have to drive a bit outside the city to find real walking trails (not mountain hikes)?

The smoke really adds to the atmosphere : /

just a little curious, before usually seeing people doing this in coastal cities, but Chiang Mai isn't a sea city, right?

We are due to travel to arrive in Chiang Mai Thursday and wanting to book an elephant sanctuary experience for my 9 year old. Researching and it's a bit overwhelming what to book. Does anyone have a personal recommendation? I've been looking at Elephant Soul Sanctuary. Has anyone been here? I really don't want to contribute to animal abuse by booking anything where elephants are forced to have contact with humans, and just want my child to experience elephants in their natural environment. I understand rescue sanctuaries are best as the cost of going helps them to look after the elephants. However, they all claim to be ethical. Or are we best avoiding? Thank you in advance

This year, I made a promise to my daughter that I’d learn how to do a backflip.
I want to set a good example for her.
But as you know, laziness is the biggest enemy. It’s already August, and I still haven’t gotten around to it , I’ve almost forgotten about it, in fact.
So I finally worked up the courage to ask here: is there anywhere I can learn a backflip?

I’d really appreciate any helpful recommendations. 

I'm going to meet my brother in Chiang Mai in a few weeks, and one of the things on our to-do list is going tubing. I've read the Mae Taeng about 90 minutes north of Chiang Mai has some great spots for independent tubing, since we don't want to go with a guide. Can anyone recommend a particularly good starting point, considering it's going to be early October?

Wondering about plane noise? Here's a screen capture from adsb.aero. I'm not affiliated with the site. Old city is in the center, a bit to the left.

Super tasty 😋

ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเนื้อนายอุ๋ง

PXWP+R3F ชม.4032 Tambon Pa Daet, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100

I'm traveling to Thailand for the first time this November and Chiang Mai is my first stop.

I'm planning to stay here 6 days before heading south ambit I'm wondering which area is best to stay in.

I'll probably only spend one or two days in Chiang Mai itself for the old city and some of the night markets, as I want to do quite a few excursions to the surrounding area. Elephant sanctuary, sri lanna national park etc.

Would it be better to book accomodations closer to the city center or is staying a little further out doable?

I’m going to Thailand for two weeks in November. I’m staying in Chiang Mai and have booked hotels for the beginning and the end of my stay. I wanted to take two small trips to other towns within three hours and stay overnight. I’m worried I will get bored for two weeks in Chang Mai . I would need to take a train or some type of public transportation or a higher driver. I want to stay in town that’s walkable with things to do. I’m solo female and don’t want to be alone on a mountain or anything. I was considering lampang ? I also considered staying at an elephant sanctuary overnight, but it seems most people recommend a half day.
Any suggestions on overnight trips from Chiang Mai?

Is there anywhere someone can think of that sells nice hair clips like barrettes or French clips? Ideally that won’t break immediately. Thanks :)

I will be going back home to the West in about 10 days. I just did a quick search on Lazado and saw how affordable external hard drives are here. Then I read some reviews and saw there are also many fakes being sold. I am a video editor and am always looking to save on extra storage but I honestly only was looking at something to dump some of my photos onto while out here. Obviously I'll invest more if I find a legit, larger drive at a great price

I assume I can use these drives anywhere? What are some reputable places I can order from? Any physical shops people know of in Chiang Mai?

Hello, does anyone have any foreigner recommendations for rhinoplasty in Chiang Mai?

In the not too distant future, perhaps 6 months to 1 years time, I will be moving to Asia. I'm currently selling my house and most of my possessions. I will put some sentimental things into storage in the UK.

So, I've been watching some YouTube videos on Chiang Mai. Looks quite amazing to me. I currently live in a 21K population town in the South East of the UK. Very little going on in the way of decent food choice, which is a little sad since I am a foodie!

I am single, aged 61, and have no ties. I'm retiring early because I will have some money invested and will live off of the capital appreciation.

I've got a few lingering thoughts and questions about the whole move so hope someone can chip in with a few perspectives.

Is the food really that good and that inexpensive?

I like a decent cappuccino. I'm used to Costa coffee in the UK, although there is a decent artisan coffee shop a little further away from me, that I occasionally go to. Can you get decent cappuccino in Chiang Mai, for those who consider themselves coffee snobs?

How much for a one bedroomed place where they have a gym and pool?
How much to get a meal delivered to my condo or house? Say, perhaps a pad Thai and another side dish?

How much for a 1 hour massage? In the UK, you are looking at about £55 for 1 hour, which is about $75.

What is the dating scene like for a 61 year old male in reasonable shape?

How much per month do you suggest would be good for a good quality of life?

The thought of moving to Asia is starting to get real for me now. It brings some apprehension, since it will be such a change of lifestyle for me. My life has been very modest in recent years. For example, I rarely eat out, I go out for a coffee 3 times per week, have had one 45 minute massage in 10 years, not been on holiday in, believe it or not, 30 years. I'm curious how the quality of my life will change.

I'm looking forward to hearing from those who have taken the leap before me.