S.P. Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 11/1 Soi 3 Bamrungburi Rd., T. Prasingh, A. Muang., Chiang Mai 50200 Tel. 053 - 814 455-6 Fax. 053 - 814 457 E-mail: guidelin@loxinfo.co.th

	---> MORE Features/Stories: _________________________________ Flowers used as a ceremonial donation The old way of celebrating the Thai New Year The costume of a Sang Long Lanna Musical Instruments In Thailand, small fish are pets since the old days Recapturing the Royal Past through postage stamps Chiang Mai Night Safari Souvenirs Naga collections A Quick Look at Thai Currency Six Thai compound words with ‘Mae’ The Chiang Mai International Food Festival 2011 Accessories provided by Thailand Cycling Alliance Seven things to know about Ligay Seven things for your Songkran Festival Wandering around Gad Mua Lanna’s Talismans The Chiang Mai Winter Fair What's to be found at Nimmanahaemin Art Promenade? Camping & Trekking equipment What we eat instead of meat - The Kaset Protein What’s inside the Tan Kuay Salak basket? Herbal Life The Podology Center Mind Over Matter: Edible insects Boxing Outfits: Check out the what and why of muay Thai Surviving the Heat! Chiang Mai Highlights Close Shave in Chiang Mai HALLOWED GROUND GOLFING WITH THE GHOSTS European Union Film Festival 2009 THAILAND'S SURVIVORS - Wonderful creatures BEYOND THE SEA - Chiang Mai's unseen industries THE ASTONISHING SUCCESS OF BEER LAO THE ANGRY JAO TEE - A true Chiang Mai story Kong Lor Cave: Remarkable Treasure in the Heart of Laos KHAOSAI GALAXY: THAILAND'S GREATEST WORLD CHAMPION The Wild Elephants of Laos Up Close and Personal A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE: Chiang Mai's Sunday Market What on earth do Thai people have to smile about? CHIANG MAI - HUB OF INTERNATIONAL CRICKET FANCY A MAGICAL SPELL BY THE SEA? A DANISH HERO IN CHIANG MAI WHITE BOVINE SHINES at Four Seasons Resort Buffalo Camp Why Wai? Why do Thai people wai? 'Monk Chat': Interactive Visiting at Wat Suan Dok Doi Suthep Pui: Chiang Mai's Defining Mountain THE MYSTERIOUS WHITE CHEDI Weird and Wonderful Chiang Rai OF KITES AND KINGS - AND LOTS OF OTHER THINGS TOO Ganesha: God of Art and Remover of Obstacles CHINESE NEW YEAR THE CHIANG MAI WINTER FAIR: Don’t Miss It Five Fantastic Days in Chiang Mai European Union Film Festival 2007 Doing the Mae Sot Loop Firearm Fun in Chiang Mai HERMIT SUTHEP: Founding Spirit of Wat Doi Suthep CHIANG MAI PUB CRAWL II With an Addendum CHIANG MAI WEATHER GOES OFF THE GRAPH - AGAIN!! Chiang Mai Pub Crawl: A Shock and Awe Campaign Chiang Mai Shooting Club and ATV Park The Meditation Retreat THE AMAZING SURVIVAL OF A PRECIOUS TIGER ANGKOR AS IT WAS, ALIVE AND BUSTLING UP TO THE MAE SAI BORDER AND ACROSS TO TACHILEK THE WANDERINGS OF THE EMERALD BUDDHA LUANG PRABANG Dowager Duchess Sitting Pretty Exploring Kong Ta Walking Street ELEPHANTINE Coup for N. Thailand BIKING IN CHIANG MAI Durian - King of Fruits (but a bit of a ponker) Back to Battambang RESURRECTION OF THE CHIANG MAI SIXES TEXTILES WITH A HISTORY THE GENTLE ART OF WALKING THE (CHINESE) YEAR OF THE DOG AHEAD OF US EGGHEADS OF THE NORTH - REJOICE! The 4.p.m. from Chiang Mai to Bangkok Mountain-biking up Steep Doi Pui Close Shave in Chiang Mai A Trip to Nan: In Nature's Embrace The Rice Birds: Folktales from Thailand THE EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL 2005 UP THE PING RIVER with a paddle A Model Weekend at Lisu Lodge It's not full-scale War... it's just Paintball !!! TWO WHEELS UP DOI KHOM RONG The Spa Boom - What's in it for Men? THE LONG JOURNEY HOME Riverine Life in Thailand FINDING THE REAL THAILAND: at the Dalaat Pratu Gom Ang Khang in the rain SWAN LAKE IN CHIANG MAI: The Chiang Mai Ballet Academy THE GYMKHANA CLUB: In the Shade of the Big Tree LISTENING TO THE DEAD: The Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery MOO KHA TA: A NEW WAY OF EATING CRICKET EXPERIMENT BACKPACKING IN VIENTIANE FLYING INTO HISTORY GETTING ABOUT IN CHIANGMAI SUBURBAN WILDLIFE: Nest-building ants DOCTOR WITH A DIFFERENCE THE STREET VENDORS: A story worth dying for AN EARLY MORNING STROLL DECORATING YOUR GARDEN WITH A BUDDHA KHRU BA SRIVICHAI: THE SAINT OF DOI SUTHEP OASIS IN THE CLOUDS: Rejuvenation in a Secret Valley

GETTING ABOUT IN CHIANGMAI

If you are visiting this lovely city of Chiang Mai then you will undoubtedly want to trip around the place in the way best suited to yourself to see the places of interest. Some may prefer to rent a car and, then again, some may prefer to walk around the town taking in the sights at closer range. There is no doubt that, ‘the slower you go the more you see’, so we can assume that walking is the best way to take in the many beautiful and historical sights of the area. However, there is a limit to the walking bit with regard to both time and fitness and, dare I say it, old age. So we must now turn to swifter and more comfortable means of ‘getting about in Chiang Mai’, the purpose of this story. If you are interested in car, 4 wheel-drive or helicopter rental, then I cannot help you, as I have never done any of those things.

The fact is that there are very many types of transport available here that will get you to where you want to go inexpensively and in some degree of comfort, although that can sometimes be a very personal opinion. To begin at what we may call the ‘bottom of the price range’ (as I do not like to use the word ‘cheap’) there are the ever-reliable samlors. The word samlor simply means ‘three wheels’ and, in this case, two legs are also added as driving power. The owner of one of these vehicles is also called a samlor. As primitive looking as these links with days gone by may seem, they provide a most worthwhile service for both locals and visitors. They move a surprising amount of goods and people throughout the city at really cheap rates. I must admit that on occasions when I have used a samlor I have been slightly embarrassed at paying the price after seeing the guy work so darned hard for so little return.

For equally inexpensive travel you can board one of the multitude of red or yellow coloured songtaows. The word songtaow means two rows, of which, as you will observe as you enter, there are two rows of seating within. Standing room is also standard fare if you are boarding at rush hour. Usually, but not always, they have set routes so you will have to ask the driver which way he goes and the cost. These too are incredibly low-cost, and a journey around the city will rarely cost more than ten baht, or maybe twenty.

Then, of course, what would Thailand be without the ubiquitous tuk tuks, probably the most popular form of rapid transport available? They are a unique Thai design, run on gas, and will usually get you where you are going to in double quick time. They can comfortably seat two average-sized persons, three at a pinch, and if you manage to have any more than that on board, shut your eyes and hold onto your hat. For getting to and from wherever it is you are headed, the tuk tuk is hard to beat, and despite some hair-raising journeys I have had, must admit that most drivers are very competent, and accidents are rare. As with the samlor, you settle the cost before the journey, and then there is no problem. It is normal procedure, and avoids any misunderstandings at the wrong end of the trip. I must mention here that when I see tourists arguing over a ten baht difference in the price of the fare, which they earn in milliseconds in their own country, it sometimes horrifies me. In reality you will find that nearly all the drivers will give you a pretty accurate estimate of the cost so why worry about a pittance? My tuk tuk friend Udom has a special way of dealing with such situations. He simply laughs and walks away, leaving the luckless bargainer to look for another tuk tuk.

Then there are the new range of Government-run buses that have recently been added to the local transport system. I have not yet had the chance to ride in one of these but believe they are, at least partly, air-conditioned, and comfortable, quick, and reliable. Once again, they are inexpensive but I am not sure just how much they charge but not much. As one would expect, they run to set routes and cover a goodly area of the city.

Then comes, of course, my personal favourite, the motorbike or, as it is known here, motorcy. There are any number of rental spots around town and beyond, renting bikes from the 100cc runabouts to bigger, faster and more powerful for those who wish to go further and faster. Frankly, the smaller bikes are ideal for the person who wants to be able to get to where they want to go, stop and have a look about, then on to the next spot. They are dependable, seat two people comfortably, and are easy to ride even if you are a first-timer. When cars and trucks are held up in the heavy traffic so often, the motorbike scoots through the gaps and gets you there so fast that you will arrive well ahead of the guy in the Mercedes Benz. You can rent one for less than 150 baht per day and another twenty baht will buy you enough gasoline to get you through the whole day, and maybe longer.

So there it is, take you pick. Any one of the many means of ‘getting about in Chiang Mai’ you will find reliable, inexpensive, and readily available. Not only that but they are a lot of fun too. Anyway, if all else fails, you can duck out to Mae Sa Valley, rent an elephant, and really enjoy yourself.

© 2004 Graeme Monaghan