Chiang Mai

Currency

SuperRich and the exchange shops along Tha Phae Road beat the airport and hotels. Chiang Mai is considerably cheaper than Bangkok or the islands for both food and long-stay rentals.

ATMs & cards

The flat 220 THB foreign card fee applies here too — withdraw large amounts infrequently. Decline dynamic currency conversion at the machine.

Flat 220 THB per withdrawal, so plan around fewer, larger cash-outs.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe city. The serious seasonal issue is burning season, roughly late February to April, when agricultural fires make the air quality among the worst in the world — avoid these months if you have any respiratory sensitivity. Only visit elephant sanctuaries that prohibit riding.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Rabies if you will be near animals or staying a while
• Japanese encephalitis for long rural stays

Getting treated

One of the best places in the world to have an accident. Private hospitals in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai are excellent, fast, English-speaking and cheap by Western standards — a consultation runs a few tens of euros. They expect payment or an insurance guarantee up front.

Dengue is present year-round and worse in the rainy season; there is no prophylaxis, so repellent is the defence. Rabies is present in street dogs and monkeys — any bite or scratch means a clinic the same day.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Khao soi is the northern Thai dish to seek out — a curried noodle soup unique to this region. The Sunday Walking Street market and Chang Phueak night market are where locals actually eat.

Getting around

• Songthaew — red shared trucks, flag one down, 30-50 THB within the city
• Grab — reliable and cheap for longer trips
• Scooter — the common local option, licence and helmet required
• Bicycle — the old city inside the moat is flat and easy to cycle
• Airport: Grab or metered taxi to the old city (15 min, ~150 THB)

Must-see

Things to do

• Climb to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
• Temple-hop the old city
• Visit an ethical elephant sanctuary
• Take a Thai cooking class
• Browse the Sunday Walking Street
• Trek and stay in a hill tribe village

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Thai

• Helloสวัสดี — Sawatdeesa-wat-DEE khrap/kha
• Pleaseกรุณา — Karunaka-roo-NA
• Thank youขอบคุณ — Khop khunkop-KOON khrap/kha
• Yes / Noใช่ / ไม่ — Chai / Maichai / my
• Excuse meขอโทษ — Kho thotkor-TOAST
• How much is it?เท่าไหร่ — Tao rai?tow-RYE
• The bill, pleaseเช็คบิล — Check binchek bin
• Cheers!ไชโย — Chai yo!chai YO

End sentences with khrap if you are male and kha if female — it is what makes a sentence polite rather than blunt.

Religion

Theravada Buddhist

About 93% Buddhist, and it governs a lot of daily etiquette. Monks may not be touched by women. Never point your feet at a Buddha image or climb on one — people have been prosecuted for it.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Return the wai greeting — palms together, a slight bow — when someone offers it first
• Remove shoes before entering temples and homes
• Cover shoulders and knees at temples, including for men
• Keep your cool; visible anger loses you the argument and the respect

Don't

• Do not touch anyone’s head, including children — it is the most sacred part of the body
• Do not point your feet at people or at Buddha images, and never step over someone
• Do not say anything critical of the royal family; lèse-majesté carries prison sentences and is enforced
• Do not climb on Buddha statues for photographs