- Public Transportation,
- Semi-public Transportation (Ride-sharing),
- Routes of Public Transportation to or from Baan Sammi,
- Vehicles for Public Transportation,
- Private Means of Transportation,
- Routes for Private Transportation,
- Miscellaneous about Transportation.
If you would like to read each chapter, please click on "Read more" and scroll down.
1 — Baan Sammi by Public Transportation
1.1 — How to Reach Baan Sammi by Public Transportation from the Airport, City, Train Station, and Bus Stations
Below is an overview of the various options for public, semi-public, and private transportation in and around Chiang Mai. The emphasis in the description is on how you can reach the destination Baan Sammi. A second focus is on how you can reach destinations starting from Baan Sammi.
1.2 — Recommended Maps
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| Map of Chiang Mai with Doi Saket, which shows important destinations, and the main route between Baan Sammi and the center of Chiang Mai for public and private transportation — based on Google Maps |
For your local orientation, downloading to your device (mobile phone, tablet), and/or printing the following maps from the Maps Album is recommended:
- Baan Sammi — Route Map 1: Chiang Mai and Vicinity – Route to Baan Sammi
- Baan Sammi — Route Map 2: Area near Doi Saket – Route to Baan Sammi (text Thai + English)
1.3 — Public transportation
To reach Baan Sammi by public transportation, you may
- take a taxi (saloon car with a taximeter, photo right, top), or,
- book a ride with the app-based car-sharing service e.g., Grab and Bolt (recommended, see Chapter 2), or,
- hire a driver with a red song-thaeo (photo right, center) or tuk-tuk (photo right, bottom) for the whole distance, or,
- choose a combination of bus and song-thaeo (on fixed routes, within Chiang Mai and towards Doi Saket), and then a saleng (3-wheel motorbike taxi, in our area including Doi Saket). This combination (bus, song-thaeo, saleng) is the more adventurous mode of transportation and is preferred by backpackers.
Thai taxi drivers, tuk-tuk drivers, and song-thaeo drivers usually do not know much of the surroundings of Chiang Mai, they lose their orientation when driving off main roads, often cannot interpret maps, and a few cannot read (neither Thai nor Roman script), so be prepared to guide your driver with the help of the maps (as listed above), and, most important, let a Thai driver call Khun Sam on his mobile 089-639517 for guidance.
Several organizations are responsible for public transportation on fixed routes (bus, song-thaeo) in Chiang Mai, and their information on the Internet is, to put it mildly, unhelpful to foreigners. A meritorious attempt was made by Slice-of-Thai.com to present this information (e.g. routes, timetables) understandably, but it might be of practical use only if you undergo a time-consuming reading combined with good local knowledge of a Chiang Mai city dweller.
2 — Semi-public Transportation (Ride-sharing)
2.1 — Semi-public transportation by Grab — basics
Semi-public transportation service is offered in Chiang Mai by Grab, both for the city and the province. Grab is a mobile application-based taxi service or real-time ride-sharing service. Guests and tenants of Baan Sammi who have used the service GrabCar, always recommend Grab, because Grab charges low fares, lower than almost all taxi companies in Chiang Mai, and provides a good and reliable service, even during the late hours and early hours of the day.
Another ride-sharing service was offered by Uber in the past but is no longer available in the Chiang Mai area.
Recent additions of app-based real-time ride-sharing services to Chiang Mai are Bolt and inDriver (see Chapter 2.4 below).
Grab requires downloading the Grab App to your mobile device for any further action e.g., to register and to book. You also need to activate GPS tracking on your mobile device. When booking a ride-sharing called GrabCar, your actual location will automatically appear on your device, so you do not need to enter your starting location e.g., Chiang Mai International Airport. You must enter (type in) your destination e.g., Baan Sammi. Then you will see the route and the fare. The fare could be 250–370 Baht for this route during mid-day and less than 500 Baht during rush hours (recorded in Sep. 2018). A ride from the train station to Baan Sammi at a late hour cost only 220 Baht (25 Dec. 2022, 20:00 h).
Baan Sammi has formerly been listed on the Grab Map at a high zoom level (map much enlarged) as "Baan Sammi Nature Resort" (April 2022) but is listed since recently as "สวนไผ่บ้านแซมมี - Bambusetum Baan Sammi" (October 2022). Please consider that Grab uses Open Street Map as its base layer map, no longer Google Maps.
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| Baan Sammi on the Grab Map: formerly displayed as "Baan Sammi Nature Resort", nowadays as "สวนไผ่บ้านแซมมี - Bambusetum Baan Sammi" |
Grab offers various types of services on its website, such as GrabTaxi, GrabCar (with subdivisions e.g., JustGrab, GrabVan), GrabBike (motorbike ride, not bicycle), GrabRent (daily car rental with chauffeur service), GrabExpress (goods delivery), and GrabFood (meal delivery). All these services have been offered in the Chiang Mai area since mid-2019. TheThaiger.com (7 June 2019) announced another new Grab service for Chiang Mai: "Grab TukTuk (Electric)", but apparently due to the past Corona Pandemic this service has not been launched yet (October 2022).
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| Grab Booth at Central Festival |
Before the Corona Pandemic, Grab started to set up green Grab booths in certain locations with frequent car-sharing demand in Chiang Mai, such as shopping malls. At such a booth, you could book a ride with Grab right away. However, only one booth was discovered, which was located at the south-east entrance of the Central Festival but was abandoned during the Corona Pandemic.
2.2 — From Baan Sammi towards the city or airport
A trip with Grab starting from Baan Sammi to any destination in the near or distant vicinity is possible throughout the daytime and on any day. You may start your trip early in the morning or late in the evening. Even if you do not have your own mobile phone, we can arrange the trip on your behalf.
2.3 — From the Chiang Mai Airport to any direction
If you wish to book a Grab car when having arrived at the Chiang Mai Airport, it is strongly recommended not to book with Grab while staying inside the Airport terminal building or outside on the platform in front of the terminal building. Do first walk to the southeastern corner of the terminal building, then stay there and book the Grab car from this location. This is the best meeting point within the airport area for Grab cars.
Alternatively, you can choose two further meeting points outside the Airport area, provided you have little luggage and it does not rain. If you wish to book a Grab car that will take you to the city of Chiang Mai or to Baan Sammi, then choose a location northwards, just on the four-lane main road extending to Mahidon Road (ถนนมหิดล tanon mahidon).
If you wish to book a Grab car that will take you in the southern direction, to Hang Dong and Boonthammee Bamboo Garden, then choose a location on the two-lane Airport Road (ถนนสนามบิน tanon sanam bin).
2.4 — Semi-public (ride-sharing) transportation by Bolt and inDriver
In addition to Grab, Bolt has recently (probably in early 2022) started offering a similar ride-sharing service in Chiang Mai. We don't have extensive experience with Bolt yet. However, two renters or guests successfully used the Bolt service for a one-way trip from Chiang Mai to Baan Sammi in January and October 2022 respectively. Identifying the destination was not a problem for the driver (Baan Sammi Nature Retreat is correctly displayed on Bolt Map), and the fare was significantly cheaper than Grab. However, it has occasionally been reported on social media that getting a ride from the city to neighboring districts is more accessible than the other way around.
Another app-based ride-sharing company that started operating around the same time as Bolt in Chiang Mai is inDriver. Unlike Grab and Bolt, customers must offer a fare that they are willing to pay (payment mode is cash only). So far, we have no experience with inDriver. The negotiated fares are said to be roughly the same as those of Bolt.
3 — Routes of Public Transportation to or from Baan Sammi
3.1 — From the Chiang Mai Airport to Baan Sammi
The Chiang Mai Airport (CNX) serves both international and domestic flights (Chiang Mai Airport Guide). The airport building is long-rectangular with the International Passenger Terminal at its very left end, and the Domestic Passenger Terminal at its very right end. Each Terminal has an arrival lounge on the ground floor (= "first floor" of the Airport Terminal Map). In case you will get picked up at the airport, the meeting point can be the International Arrival Lounge or the Domestic Arrival Lounge. The International Arrival Lounge (left), and the Domestic Arrival Lounge (right) are connected by a several hundred meters long corridor hall. In each arrival lounge there are several taxi desks where you can hire a taxi, and outside, a few meters beyond the Domestic Passenger Terminal, there is a small building and taxi stand where you can hire a taxi as well.
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| Domestic Passenger Terminal on the right side, International Passenger Terminal on the very left end |
The taxi fares are fixed (but different at each taxi desk) depending on distance or destination. Each taxi desk has a map or list of destinations with given fares. Usually, their records are incomplete, or, they cannot locate certain destinations, hence the staff at the taxi desk get confused and will tell you a much higher fare to reduce risk and be on the safe side. An example: Baan Sammi is located in Pa Lan subdistrict (tambon) of Doi Saket district (amphoe) (ตำบลป่าลาน อำเภอดอยสะเก็ด). If this subdistrict is not on their records, they might assume Pa Lan of San Sai district to be the correct destination, which is not. The fare to our location is between 450 and 800 Baht (Jan. 2016), depending on which of the taxi desks you are inquiring about, or which of their staff you are contacting.
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| Taxi stand beyond the Domestic Passenger Terminal |
Taxi fares in Chiang Mai are rather high compared to Bangkok. If you want safe money, you may get a red song-thaeo or a tuk-tuk at a somewhat lower price. Wait on the platform in front of the terminal building for a song-theo or tuk-tuk arriving to get off its passengers. Then immediately deal with the driver (he is not allowed to stay there after his passengers got off), and he certainly appreciates getting you as a new passenger right away. Alternatively, you may leave the airport area on foot (ca. 600 meters) and get a song-thaeo or tuk-tuk stopped on the nearby Mahidon (Mahidol) Road towards the city, or walk to the shopping mall Central Plaza (ca. 1 km), where many song-thaeos or tuk-tuks are waiting for passengers.
If you prefer not to take a taxi, there are the following recommended options: Use Grab or Bolt, both are app-based car-sharing services (see Chapter 2), which are the most convenient and cheap. Another option is using the white bus (route B2) to its destination, the Arcade Bus Terminal (see the following section), and then continue your ride with a yellow song-thaeo to Ban Rong Khilek / Ban Nam Phrae, and from there with a saleng to Baan Sammi, which is even cheaper, but time-consuming, not suitable if you have lots of luggage, and a first ride might be confusing.
3.2 — From the Chiang Mai Airport to the city of Chiang Mai
If you arrive during the daytime and prefer first to go to the city and thereafter to Baan Sammi, you can do so. Just follow the aforementioned guidelines and choose a specific destination in the city. The city is very close to the airport, hence the fare to the city, charged by most regular taxi companies, is relatively low, e.g., 150 Baht to Tha Phae Gate (Sep. 2018). Another option is to take the air-conditioned white bus (bus no. 2, on fixed routes), which can drop you off at the center of the old city (Three Kings' Monument), or at Warorot Market, or at its destination, the Arcade Bus Station. The fare is only 15 Baht (Dec. 2016).
Route of white bus no. 2: Arcade – Airport – Arcade
UPDATE 16 DEC. 2018:
Apparently, the "White Bus" system was recently replaced by the "RTC Chiangmai City Bus" (also called "RTC Chiangmai Smart Bus"). The new bus system uses longer and blue buses, serving now 3 routes, and with a general fare of 20 Baht. The route of the previous "White Bus" described and mapped aforementioned will be served by the new bus system.
References:
(1) Der Farang, 16 Dec. 2018 (in German).
(2) RTC Chiangmai City Bus, on Facebook (some text in English, some in Thai).
UPDATE 14 OCT. 2022:
With the onset of the Corona Pandemic, bus services in Chiang Mai were suspended, and, as far as is currently known, bus services have not yet resumed after the pandemic. However, red song-thaeos and tuk-tuks are still available in the city of Chiang Mai.
There are two main reasons for going to the city first:
- Renting a motorbike/scooter/bicycle in the city. Most rental shops are located in the area of Tha Phae Gate.
- Going to Warorot Market, where close nearby, in the Wichayanon Rd. – Praisani Rd., is the "bus" terminal, or song-thaeo stop, for the fixed-route song-thaeos e.g., in the direction of Doi Saket. From this song-thaeo stop, you can get a yellow song-thaeo at the normal fare of 20 Baht per person (Aug. 2023). The Warorot Market is also a good place to buy ready food, fruit, etc., so you can get there fully provided with food for your first days at Baan Sammi. If you wish to start your ride by public transportation from near Warorot Market, you may skip reading Chapter 3.3 to continue reading Chapter 3.4.
3.3 — From the train station, Arcade Bus Station, or Chang Phueak Bus Station, to Baan Sammi
At the train and bus stations, there are many red song-thaeos and tuk-tuks waiting for passengers. Deal with the driver for the fare to Baan Sammi, which can be between 300 and 500 Baht for the whole vehicle (pre-Corona Pandemic fare).
3.3.1 — From the train station to Kaeo Nawarat Road / From Arcade Bus Station to Kaeo Nawarat Road
Take a red song-thaeo or tuk-tuk from the train station to Kaeo Nawarat Road (= Kaew Nawarat Road, = Chiang Mai – Doi Saket Road, = Chiang Mai – Chiang Rai Road, = National Road or Highway #118), or, to Arcade Bus Station. You will possibly be charged 30–60 Baht (pre-Corona Pandemic fare). Continue reading Chapter 3.5.
If you walk off the train station a few hundred meters and try to get a fixed-route red song-thaeo stopped on the main road (Charoen Mueang Road in the direction out of the city, or, a little farther to Thung Hotel Road, some 20 meters off the intersection towards Arcade Bus Station), you might have to pay the regular fare of 15 Baht/person only (pre-Corona Pandemic fare). Get off in Kaeo Nawarat Road, or, get off at Arcade Bus Station and walk 200–300 meters to Kaeo Nawarat Road. Continue reading Chapter 3.5.
3.3.2 — From Chang Phueak Bus Station to Kaeo Nawarat Road / Arcade Bus Station
Take a red song-thaeo or tuk-tuk from the Chang Phueak Bus Station to Kaeo Nawarat Road (= Kaew Nawarat Road, = Chiang Mai – Doi Saket Road, = Chiang Mai – Chiang Rai Road, = National Road or Highway number 118) next to Arcade Bus Station. Likely, they will charge you 30–90 Baht per person (pre-Corona Pandemic fare).
If you walk off the Chang Phueak Bus Station less than one hundred meters and try to stop a fixed-route red song-thaeo on the main road (Rattanakosin Road, towards Arcade Bus Station), you might have to pay the regular fare of 15 Baht/person only (pre-Corona Pandemic fare). Get off in Kaeo Nawarat Road, or, get off at Arcade Bus Station and walk 100–200 meters to Kaeo Nawarat Road. Continue reading Chapter 3.5.
3.4 — From Nawarat Market (near Warorot Market) towards Doi Saket
3.4.1 — The stop / terminal for yellow song-thaeos
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| Wichayanon Rd., nr. entrance gate of Nawarat Market: This is the yellow song-thaeo stop or terminal for destinations to Doi Saket and to Mae Rim. The street view image below shows the same place but from a different perspective. |
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| The entrance gate of Nawarat Market (ตลาดนวรัฐ) on Wichayanon Rd., easy to recognize by the huge building (อาคารโอ้วจินเฮง) in the rear, the same building can be seen in the street view picture above. |
The busy China Town in Chiang Mai is best known for its markets, like Warorot Market (ตลาดวโรรส), Ton Lam Yai Market (ตลาดต้นลำไย), Nawarat Market (ตลาดนวรัฐ), and Florist Market (กาดดอกไม้), all of which are close to each other. The Warorot Market, also called Kat Luang (กาดหลวง), is the largest market in China Town. Close to the Warorot Market, there are the "bus" terminals or song-thaeo stops for fixed-route song-thaeos, white, yellow, green, and blue song-thaeos, which serve different destinations in the northern, eastern, and southern vicinity of Chiang Mai. Several song-thaeo stops are along the one-way road, Wichayanon Rd. – Praisani Rd. (Wichayanon Rd. – Praisanee Rd, ถนนวิชยานนท์ – ถนนไปรษณีย์). This road is easy to find, it runs parallel to the Ping River (แม่น้ำปิง) on the side of China Town, just between 2 bridges that cross the Ping River: Nakhon Phing Bridge (สะพานนครพิงศ์) and Nawarat Bridge (สะพานนวรัฐ).
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| The plate on the front top of the yellow song-thaeos displays their destination: Mae Rim (แม่ริม), Mae Kuang (แม่กวง), and Doi Saket (ดอยสะเก็ด) — photos from left to right |
On this road which runs parallel to the river, there are 3 song-thaeo stops for yellow song-thaeos. The destinations for the 3 yellow song-thaeos are Mae Rim (แม่ริม) in the northern direction, and Mae Kuang (แม่กวง) and Doi Saket (ดอยสะเก็ด) in north-eastern direction. The name of the destination is in Thai script only and displayed on a plate on the front top of the vehicle. The song-thaeos for Mae Rim and Doi Saket share the same stop, located in the direction of travel on the right-hand side of Wichayanon Rd., just in front of the Nawarat Market, which is almost at the end of Wichayanon Rd. where it continues as Praisani Rd. The stop of the song-thaeos for Mae Kuang is located in the direction of travel on the left-hand side of Praisani Rd.; this stop should not be chosen.
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| Praisani Rd. nr. Warorot Market: The Praisani Rd. extends on the right bank (downstream) of Ping River. A yellow song-thaeo is parked, waiting for passengers that want to go in the direction Mae Kuang. |
3.4.2 — Choose a yellow song-thaeo in the direction of Doi Saket. They are waiting for passengers near the entrance gate of Nawarat Market (see photos above), and depart every 5–10 minutes during rush hours in the morning and evening, and every 15–30 minutes during the rest of the day, until night (about 9–10 p.m.). Ask the driver to stop at the village Ban Rong Khilek (บ้านร้องขี้เหล็ก) (see map below), or village Ban Nam Phrae (บ้านน้ำแพร่). Ban Rong Khilek is the village on the left-hand side of Highway #118, and Ban Nam Phrae is the village just opposite, on the right-hand side of the highway. The driver knows both village names, but he will stop only on the left-hand side of the highway, where you have to drop off and take on foot the underpass of the highway to enter Ban Nam Phrae.
If you did not ask the driver to stop at Ban Rong Khilek / Ban Nam Phrae, he will not stop there and continued to go farther to Doi Saket. When this happened, then ask the driver to stop at the market of Doi Saket (ตลาดดอยสะเก็ด, "talat Doi Saket"). The regular fare is 20 Baht to Ban Rong Khilek (about 12 kilometers), and maybe 25 Baht to the market of Doi Saket (about 16 kilometers) (pre-Corona Pandemic fares).
3.4.3 — Route to Doi Saket: The route of the fixed-route yellow song-thaeo starts from the end of Wichayanon Rd., turns right and passes the Nawarat Market, continues right onto Ratchawong Rd., turns right onto Tai Wang Rd., crosses the Ping River on the Nakhon Phing Bridge, continues straight ahead onto Kaeo Nawarat Rd., passes the Arcade Bus Station, and continues as the Chiang Mai – Doi Saket Highway (#118). Drop off at either Ban Rong Khilek (preferred and recommended), or the market of Doi Saket.
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| The route of the yellow song-thaeo: from Warorot Market in Chiang Mai to Doi Saket |
Continue reading Chapter 3.6.
3.5 — From Kaeo Nawarat Road / Arcade Bus Station towards Doi Saket
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| Kaeo Nawarat Rd. nr. Arcade Bus Station: Left, towards the city of Chiang Mai, and right, towards Doi Saket. A yellow song-thaeo (center of image) driving towards Doi Saket. |
3.6 — From Ban Nam Phrae to Baan Sammi
Google.jpg) |
| The intersection of Highway #118 at Ban Nam Phrae / Ban Rong Khilek with underpasses |
View of Highway #118 from Ban Nam Phrae towards Ban Rong Khilek
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| saleng (ซาเล้ง, 3-wheel motorbike taxi) |
View from the village road at Ban Nam Phrae, which joins Highway #118
If you ask a Thai shop owner in English for a saleng, he or she might not understand English sufficiently. You can show him or her the following request in Thai. If you are a male person, this phrase applies: "ช่วยโทรหาซาเล้งให้ผมด้วยครับ" (chuai tho ha saleng hai phom duai khrap) /ˈtɕʰûaj ˈtʰoːn ˈhǎː ˈsaːˌléŋ ˈhâj ˈpʰǒm ˈdûaj ˈkʰráp/. If you are a female person, this phrase applies: "ช่วยโทรหาซาเล้งให้ฉันด้วยค่ะ" (chuai tho ha saleng hai chan duai kha) /ˈtɕʰûaj ˈtʰoːn ˈhǎː ˈsaːˌléŋ ˈhâj ˈtɕʰǎn ˈdûaj ˈkʰâʔ /.
Alternatively, and if you don't have heavy luggage to be hand-carried, you may call Khun Sam at Baan Sammi from a nearby telephone box, asking him to pick you up by motorbike in Ban Nam Phrae to give you a lift to Baan Sammi.
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| Route of the saleng: from Ban Nam Phrae at Highway #118 to Baan Sammi |
3.7 — From the market of Doi Saket to Baan Sammi
3.7.1 — by 2-wheel motorbike taxi
If you walk down the street (on the right in the photo, parallel to the canal), you will see the motorbike taxi parking lot under the trees
Having arrived at the song-thaeo stop near the crossing with traffic lights in the center of Doi Saket, you might not see at first sight the market which is hidden behind houses along the streets. Go towards the main entrance of the market next to the bridge of the canal, where the street crosses the canal. A few meters canal upstream, under tall shady trees, there is the terminal for all local motorbike taxis. The taxi drivers are recognizable by wearing a red or orange waistcoat. They are waiting for passengers, and ready to give you a lift. You need to show the driver the address (in Thai script) of Baan Sammi. The distance from the market of Doi Saket to Baan Sammi is 7–8 kilometers. The drivers may choose one of three routes (gray routes on Google Maps): Ban Ko – Ban Pa Sak Noi – Ban Pa Tio – Ban Pa Yang Poi, or: Ban Ko – Ban Pa Pong – Ban Dok Daeng – Ban Pa Tio – Ban Pa Yang Poi, or: Ban Luang Tai – Ban Pa Sak Noi – Ban Pa Tio – Ban Pa Yang Poi. The fare is about 80 to 140 Baht per person (pre-Corona Pandemic fares), but some taxi drivers might try to overcharge you.
3.7.2 — by song-thaeo and saleng
Yellow song-thaeo stop / terminal at the Doi Saket Market,
the market is on the left behind the row of houses,
the traffic light junction is further ahead and the direction straight ahead marks the direction to Ban Nam Phrae – Chiang Mai
the market is on the left behind the row of houses,
the traffic light junction is further ahead and the direction straight ahead marks the direction to Ban Nam Phrae – Chiang Mai
An alternative to hiring a motorbike taxi is to choose a yellow song-thaeo from nearby the market of Doi Saket towards Chiang Mai, leave the song-thaeo after about 5 km at Ban Nam Phrae (บ้านน้ำแพร่), and continue your ride with a saleng (three-wheel motorbike taxi, see the previous section) to Baan Sammi (blue route on Google Maps). The advantages: Firstly, it's cheaper, you pay about 10 Baht per person (pre-Corona Pandemic fare) to the song-thaeo driver, and 40 Baht to the saleng driver (Aug. 2023). Secondly, you can carry much more belongings (e.g. if you shop at the Doi Saket market) than on a ride with a (two-wheel) motorbike taxi. Continue reading Chapter 3.6.
3.8 — From Baan Sammi to the market of Doi Saket
For bulk shopping, shops in Chiang Mai city may be preferable, but a good alternative is shopping in Doi Saket, the district village where you can centrally find a large market, Lotus's, 7eleven, many other shops, restaurants, banks, etc. The best time to visit the market is between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. To go to Doi Saket, one can use public transportation, or semi-public transportation by Grab, and of course private transportation.
3.8.1 — Public transportation: saleng and song-thaeo
Using public transportation from Baan Sammi to the market of Doi Saket (blue route on Google Maps) is possible by calling a saleng (three-wheel motorbike taxi) for a ride to the village บ้านน้ำแพร่ (Ban Nam Phrae), then continue your ride with a yellow song-thaeo.
The saleng driver comes on call, i.e. by phone call. Contact Khun Sam, best in person, and he can call on your behalf and make arrangements such as destination, fare, departure time.
Having arrived at Ban Nam Phrae, you need to take the underpass on foot to reach the song-thaeo stop towards Doi Saket on Highway #118. Then wait there for a yellow song-thaeo to pick you up. In the center of Doi Saket, the song-thaeo will stop near the traffic light junction, which is very close to the market. The fare for the saleng is 40 Baht per person (Aug. 2023) and about 10 Baht for the song-thaeo (pre-Corona Pandemic fare).
3.8.2 — Public transportation: saleng only
This essentially requires the same procedure as above, but you want the saleng driver to go straight to Doi Saket as the final destination. If you just want to go to the market to shop, the saleng driver can wait, usually for an additional fee, and drive you back to Baan Sammi. However, if you don't just want to shop at the market, but also want to go to Lotus's, 7eleven, banks and other shops, and explore the area, you'd better come back by GrabCar.
3.8.3 — Semi-public transportation by Grab
All about Grab is dealt in Chapter 2. Note that a ride with Grab is only possible via the mobile app and requires Internet access.
3.8.4 — Private transportation by bicycle, motorbike/scooter, car
Google Maps can show the route from Baan Sammi to Doi Saket and do the navigation. However, if you are traveling by bike, motorbike, or scooter and want to avoid driving on the busy main roads, Google does not offer the most preferred routes. Suitable routes can be found in a special Maps Album, where the routes are displayed and, if you click on the info, commented on.
4 — Vehicles for Public Transportation
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| Bus (white), for the route B2: Airport – Three Kings Monument – Arcade Bus Station (left) — Red song-thaeo, waiting for passengers, hence not serving a fixed route (right) |
There are two modes of public transportation for local traffic in Chiang Mai and its surroundings (adjacent districts):
- Shared passenger transportation on regular routes (with regular or irregular stops) with a fixed fare depending on the distance or distance range, and
- Individual passenger transportation on prior-agreed starting point and destination, with a prior-negotiated fare for hiring the vehicle with the driver.
These two modes of transportation are provided with the following vehicles:
- The shared mode of transportation for the general public is by (white) bus, and by song-thaeo (red in the city, other colors for distant routes). The bus is accessible at regular, signed bus stops, and serves 2 routes (B1: Arcade – Zoo – Arcade, and B2: Arcade – Airport – Arcade). The song-thaeos are accessible from any point they pass by, you need to give the driver a sign to stop (to get in, or to get out of the vehicle). There is neither a tram nor a subway in Chiang Mai.
- Individual mode of public transportation is by taxicab (with a taximeter), taxi van (usually without a taximeter), red-colored song-thaeo, tuk-tuk, saleng, tricycle, and motorbike taxi.
The names of the vehicles in English, Thai (with transcription *), and German are as follows:
- Bus, city bus — รถบัส (rot bat), รถประจำทาง (rot pracham thang), รถโดยสารประจำทาง (rot doi san pracham thang) — Bus, Stadtbus, Linienbus
- Song-thaeo, songthaew, share taxi — สองแถว (song thaeo), รถสองแถว (rot song thaeo) — Sammeltaxi
- Taxicab, taxi — รถแท็กซี่ (rot taeksi) — Taxi
- Taxi van, van, minivan — รถตู้ (rot tu) — Taxi-Van, Taxi-Minibus
- Tuk-tuk — ตุ๊ก ๆ (tuk-tuk), สามล้อเครื่อง (sam lo khrueang), สามล้อ (sam lo) — Tuk-Tuk, Motor-Rikscha
- Saleng, three-wheel motorbike taxi — ซาเล้ง (saleng), รถพ่วงรับจ้าง (rot phuang rap chang) — Motorrad-Taxi mit Beiwagen
- Tricycle, rickshaw, cycle rickshaw, samlor — สามล้อ (sam lo) — Velotaxi, Fahrrad-Rikscha
- Motorbike taxi, motorcycle taxi — รถมอเตอร์ไซค์รับจ้าง (rot motoesai rap chang) — Motorrad-Taxi
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* Transcriptions follow the rules of the Royal Thai General System of Transcription
Availability and transport capacity of the vehicles
- Bus: There is a bus in white color operating on several routes daily from the morning to the evening. Passengers with a lot of luggage can be transported. The fare is low. One of the main routes, which might be helpful to guests of Baan Sammi, is B2: Airport – City – Arcade Bus Station, and back.
- Song-thaeo:
(1) There are 11 fixed routes for red song-thaeos in the city, and they operate daily from 5 a.m. to 8 (9) p.m. The destinations are NOT written on the body of the vehicle, and the routes are no longer as fixed as they were in the past, the driver may deviate from a certain route. Passengers with a lot of luggage should preferably use this transport service out of rush traffic hours, best between about 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The fare is low, between 5 and 30 Baht (pre-Corona Pandemic fares). On the body of some red song-thaeos is written in large Thai letters: "อัตราค่าโดยสารไม่เกิน 30 บาท/คน" (atra raka doi san mai koen 30 bat to kon), this is translated "The fare is not more than (is up to) 30 Baht per person". Because a foreigner is usually able to read the English text only, "30 Baht/Person", thus he will be misguided to pay 30 Baht independent of the distance.
(2) In addition, there are red song-thaeos that can be hired with the driver to reach a certain destination during the day and night; commonly, their drivers wait for tourists at the train station, and the Arcade and Chang Phueak Bus Stations. The fare is negotiable.
(3) Song-thaeos in other colors than red operate on fixed routes to suburban areas from the early morning to the evening. The destinations are written on the body of the vehicle, and the driver will not deviate from a certain route. Two examples: Chiang Mai – San Sai Noi – Doi Saket, and back, by yellow song-thaeos; Chiang Mai – Bo Sang – Doi Saket, and back, by white song-thaeos. Out of rush traffic hours, their drivers allow you to carry a lot of luggage, even a bicycle. The fare is fixed and low, e.g., about 25 Baht for a single passenger from Chiang Mai via San Sai Noi to Ban Choeng Doi (the center of Doi Saket district), and 20 Baht from Chiang Mai to Ban Nam Phrae of the same district (Aug. 2023).
(4) A few exceptions exist: There are red song-thaeos on fixed routes to distant areas e.g., to Doi Suthep – Ban Doi Pui (to the highest mountains near Chiang Mai), at fares markedly higher than 30 Baht. The destinations are written on the body of the vehicle.
- Taxicab: Several taxi companies offer passenger transport services in Chiang Mai, and their fares are different. Taxis with a taximeter are obliged to use them and base their fare on the taximeter within the city area of Chiang Mai. Some companies have a fixed fare for any destination within the old city. Taxicabs can transport 1–3 (4) passengers.
- Taxi van: The transport for a group of more than 3(4) passengers, or a few passengers with a lot of luggage, can best be done by a van.
- Tuk-tuk: Usually, tuk-tuks are roaming around the city or wait at train and bus stations or other places of tourist importance, and their drivers look out for tourists. They operate during the day and night, and usually accept to drive to suburban areas and farther. The fare is negotiable. There is space for 1 passenger with a lot of luggage or 2 passengers with little or moderate luggage.
- Saleng: These three-wheel motorbike taxis are usually roofed and can transport 1–2 (3) passengers, or 1 passenger with a lot of luggage. Drivers of salengs offer their service at major song-thaeo stops, mainly in suburban areas, and drive within local distances only, usually not farther than 10 km. They operate from the morning to the evening and can be called by phone to a certain location to pick up passengers. Fare is about 10 Baht per kilometer (pre-Corona Pandemic fare), and the drivers often have fixed fares to certain destinations.
- Tricycle: Rarely observed in traffic are tricycles, which are occasionally seen in Chinatown of Chiang Mai, in markets, and at train and bus stations. They can carry 1–2 passengers for short distances. Often, hotels do organize city tours with a throng of tricycles for their guests.
- Motorbike taxi: Drivers of motorbikes offering transport service are rarely seen, too. They usually wait at suburban stops and terminals of song-thaeos for passengers, who need a ride to more or less remote destinations. Motorbike taxis are waiting at the song-thaeo terminal in Ban Choeng Doi, which is the center of Doi Saket district, during the daytime, usually from the afternoon to the evening. Fares are negotiable. Capacity is 1 passenger with little luggage.
5 — Your Private Means of Transportation
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| Thai boys sharing a motorbike, photo source: flickr: foutriqu1's photostream Courtesy by Romain |
5.1 — Suggestions for Having Your Own Vehicle in Chiang Mai
Public transportation (bus, taxi, song-thaeo, tuk-tuk) in Chiang Mai has been and still is in an awful state. Whether you are a resident, an expat, or a tourist, you might wish to have your own car or motorbike/scooter, mainly by hiring a car or motorbike/scooter to reach destinations in the vicinity far off main roads, or to travel around. Briefly described below are your options to hire a car, motorbike/scooter, or bicycle by day, week, or longer. A car can be hired with or without a chauffeur.
5.2 — Hire a car through an international car rental company
Many internationally operating and well-known car rental companies offer services in/for Chiang Mai: Argus, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Holiday Cars, National, Sixt, and a few others. They offer a variety of car types, car availability at Chiang Mai International Airport, full insurance, and many other services, sometimes also a chauffeur. Perhaps you could get a better car rental rate if you book the car online, several months in advance, or even before your arrival in Thailand.
If you prefer to hire a car upon your arrival at the Chiang Mai Airport, you will find their presence in the Domestic Arrival Lounge of the Domestic Passenger Terminal, and the International Arrival Lounge of the International Passenger Terminal. Sixt, Budget, Avis, ThaiRent a car, Chic Car Rent, Hertz, and Asap have their counter in the Domestic Arrival Lounge, National Car Rental, and Avis in the International Arrival Lounge (29 Aug. 2018).
5.3 — Hire a car through a local/nationwide car rental company
There are many locally operating car rental companies in town with their offices and agents (travel shops) in the city e.g., Asap, North Wheels, The Best Travel, Chiang Mai Car Rent, Bee Rent a Car, Mr. Mechanic. Some offer services similar to international car rental companies. Carefully read their terms for insurance. Some require the deposit of your passport!
5.4 — When and how to hire a car?
If your stay falls into the high season period (November to April), it is strongly recommended to book a car online prior to that season, or several weeks in advance within this season, otherwise, there is a high risk of not getting a car at all, or not at the wanted dates, or not a certain type of car. Most often, all small cars, hence cars lower in the rental price, are already booked out during the high season, and only the bigger and more expensive cars will be available then.
You can hire or reserve a car online, in person at the Chiang Mai office of the car rental company, or by phone call, and you can decide if you want to get access to the car at the company's location, at the Chiang Mai airport, or if the car should be transferred to Baan Sammi. For a car transfer to a destination in or out of the city, the companies usually charge an extra fee e.g., Budget charges 321 Baht within the city, and 535 Bath in the vicinity of the city (prices as of Sep. 2017).
We at Baan Sammi can also arrange a reservation for a car rental on your behalf (currently only with Budget). For a reservation, we need precise data that are required by the car rental company: Pick-up location (Chiang Mai Airport, or Baan Sammi), return location (e.g., Chiang Mai Airport), pick-up date and time, return date and time, and car type, and your personal data (full name, email address and phone number), a copy of your passport (picture page) and a copy of your international driving license (a foreign national driving license is not sufficient). Neither a deposit nor full advance payment is required. Booking needs to be done by yourself upon handing over the car and signing the contract at the pick-up location. Payment is cash or by credit card. For security in favor of the car rental company, you need to leave your credit card details (not the card itself) with the car rental company. Further, you need to show your original passport and original international driving license.
5.5 — Hire a car with an English-speaking chauffeur from small enterprises based in Chiang Mai
A few advertisements for this type of service can be found in Chiang Mai magazines, which are in English and available free of charge through the premises of the magazines' advertising clientele (e.g., hotels, guesthouses, tourist inns, restaurants, travel shops). Here is a selection (pre-Corona Pandemic dated):
Mr. Mike, Taxi Service and Tour Guide, crocodilemike8@yahoo.com, 087-1802455, cars: Volvo 940 and van.
WowEasy Taxi Service, woweasy@hotmail.com, 089-8519697.
Mr. Dani, Taxi Service, indydear@hotmail.com, 081-3221303.
An alternative is GrabRent: Find it through the Grab App for mobile phones. In 2018, this GrabRent service was announced to be available in Chiang Mai but was not mentioned on Grab's website during the same year. Now, during post-Corona Pandemic times in 2022, this service appears on mobile phones on the Grab App under "Hire a driver by the hour" (15 Oct. 2022).
5.6 — Hire a song-thaeo or tuk-tuk short-term (with a chauffeur)
Many drivers of a red-colored song-thaeo in the city, or a tuk-tuk, won't mind being hired right away and for a while, if the destination area and distance are within their expectations, as the rental price (always subject to negotiation) has to be.
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| Tuk-tuk (left), red song-thaeo (right) |
5.7 — Call a taxi
Taximeter taxis can be called under the numbers 053-279291, 019-520900, 019-616006 (Source: Citylife Chiang Mai).
For trips to and from Baan Sammi, we recommend you consider Grab or Bolt; see Chapter 2 for details.
5.8 — Hire a motorbike/scooter in the city
There are many motorbike rental shops near Tha Phae Gate in the old city, mainly on the roads along the moat north and south of Tha Phae Gate, and within the easternmost area of the old city. Rental rates start from 99 Baht per day (this price was offered for a 105 cm³ scooter in July 2016), and possibly all shops offer special prices for a week or month hire. You can rent nearly every type of motorbike. Most often offered, and most suitable for the city as well as countryside, even for dirt roads, is a 100–125 cm³ motorbike like Honda Dream or Honda Wave, or a scooter with automatic gears and a platform frame that allows riders to comfortably place their feet on. Riding a scooter is as easy as riding a bicycle without pedals and without gear shift. Helmets should be provided for both, the driver and passenger. Carefully read the company's terms for insurance. If insurance is offered through a registered insurance company, the driver needs to show his national or international driving license when signing the rental contract at the shop. Most shops require the deposit of your passport, or both, cash deposit and deposit of your passport! You should have two or more sets of photocopies of every page of your passport before you leave your passport with a rental company. Some companies have a website in English (e.g., North Wheels, Mr. Mechanic). You may contact these companies prior to your arrival in Thailand, inquire and ask for discounts and reservations for a certain type of motorbike. Especially during high season, it is recommended to book a motorbike in advance. For more detailed information on hiring a motorbike, please, read the information from Chiang Mai Buddy.
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| Motorbikes offered for rent |
5.9 — Hire a motorbike/scooter online, with the delivery of the vehicle to a location in the city
A few motorbike rental shops, with an Internet presence, do offer a delivery service within the city e.g., to the Chiang Mai Airport upon your arrival by flight, to the Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Terminal upon your arrival by bus from Bangkok, to the Chiang Mai train station upon your arrival by train from Bangkok, or to a hotel or guesthouse in Chiang Mai. Such a delivery service can save you some money and time. You need to book in advance by email or phone call, at least one day in advance by phone call. This delivery service is suitable if you have luggage in size and quantity that can be easily loaded and fastened on your rented vehicle. When booking the vehicle, ask also for supplying some tension straps to fix your luggage, and during the rainy season ask for a raincoat. One such bike rental company is Chiang Mai Scooter Rental, but there are other reliable companies, too.
5.10 — Hire a motorbike/scooter by phone call, with the delivery of the vehicle to Baan Sammi
If you want to rent a motorbike or scooter with the delivery of the vehicle to Baan Sammi, then this is possible on a rental contract with Bikky. Terms are as follows: Motorbike or scooter, 125 cm³ or bigger, minimum rental period 1 month with minimum rental price 5,000 Baht, plus a delivery charge of 500 Baht (pre-Corona Pandemic prices). Contact Ms. Tonson (ต้นสน), by phone at 084-1773577, or by voice call and messenger via LINE ID: @bikkychiangmai . Upon delivery and signing the contract, you need to hand over a photocopy of your passport (picture page), show your passport and driving license, and pay cash the full rental amount and the security deposit.
5.11 — Hire a 3-wheel motorbike taxi (with a chauffeur) for the vicinity of Baan Sammi
You, or Khun Sam on your behalf, can call for a 3-wheel motorbike taxi or saleng. The next taxi terminal is located in บ้านน้ำแพร่ (Ban Nam Phrae), which is the village on the highway (#118, Chiang Mai – Doi Saket), 3.7 km distant from Baan Sammi. There is currently only one taxi enterprise located: คุณฮวั้ (Khun Hua), mobile phone 086-9129466. The chauffeur of the motorbike taxi will pick you up at Baan Sammi, and take you to any destination located within a reasonable distance, perhaps some 15 kilometers, or to farther destinations known by the driver, but this can become expensive. This motorbike taxi is good for 2 passengers with luggage. The fare is low for short distances e.g., 40 Baht/person from Baan Sammi to Highway #118 at Ban Nam Phrae (Aug. 2023). This is the only route that is recommended, and the service can be used during the daytime only, from the morning to the early evening. You may use this service as a shuttle to the highway (to continue your ride with a regular song-thaeo towards Chiang Mai, or, if you come from Chiang Mai). If you want to visit one of the nearby markets, you should continue your trip by the regular song-thaeo e.g., from Ban Nam Phrae to the Doi Saket, a 5 km distance, or, in opposite direction, from Ban Nam Phrae to markets beyond Bo Hin, a 7–8 km distance.
5.12 — Hire a bicycle from a shop in the City
There are quite a lot of bicycle rental shops near Tha Phae Gate, mainly within the easternmost area of the old city. Commonly offered are city bicycles or utility bicycles, usually for 50 Baht per day (July 2016). Hard to find are touring bicycles and mountain bicycles.
In order to get you together with the bicycle to Baan Sammi, you may choose from the following three options:
- You can bike along Highway (#118) to บ้านน้ำแพร่ (Ban Nam Phrae), then continue on country roads to Baan Sammi (follow the route from our route descriptions and maps) — this option is not really recommended as of much traffic on the highway, especially during rush hours.
- From Super Highway (#11) you can bike along a network of country roads to Baan Sammi — recommended only if you are traffic-averse and if you are experienced using continuously Google Maps during the ride (we will supply a route recommendation on Google Maps).
- From late morning to early afternoon, you can get your bike carried on the roof of a regular yellow song-thaeo from the city. Departure is on the street between ตลาดต้นลำใย (Talat Ton Lamyai = Ton Lamyai Market), next to better-known ตลาดวโรรส (Talat Warorot = Warorot Market), and the Ping River. The destination is บ้านน้ำแพร่ (Ban Nam Phrae), where you get off with your bicycle. From there, you can bike 3.8 km on country roads to Baan Sammi.
https://www.thailandnomads.com/bicycle-shops-chiang-mai/
5.13 — Hire a Mobike at key locations in the City
"Chiang Mai has launched MOBIKE IN – a bike sharing project that will bring 500 smart bikes to Chiang Mai that both locals and tourists can use. ... Users will have to download the MOBIKE application which is available on App Store and Google Play store. After registration and payment is made, the app will provide a QR code to unlock the bike." (CityNews, 19 Jan. 2018).
Some of the key locations: Three Kings Monument (พระบรมราชานุสาวรีย์สามกษัตริย์), Nong Buak Hat Public Park (Nong Buak Hard Public Park, สวนสาธารณะหนองบวกหาด), Tha Phae Gate (Tha Pae Gate, ประตูท่าแพ).
5.13 — Hire a Mobike at key locations in the City
"Chiang Mai has launched MOBIKE IN – a bike sharing project that will bring 500 smart bikes to Chiang Mai that both locals and tourists can use. ... Users will have to download the MOBIKE application which is available on App Store and Google Play store. After registration and payment is made, the app will provide a QR code to unlock the bike." (CityNews, 19 Jan. 2018).
Some of the key locations: Three Kings Monument (พระบรมราชานุสาวรีย์สามกษัตริย์), Nong Buak Hat Public Park (Nong Buak Hard Public Park, สวนสาธารณะหนองบวกหาด), Tha Phae Gate (Tha Pae Gate, ประตูท่าแพ).
UPDATE 15 Oct. 2022, 18 July 2023: This service has been abandoned soon after launch. A similar service initiated after the Corona Pandemic is not (yet) known.
5.14 — E-bikes
Electric bicycles (e-bikes) were not available for purchase or rent in Chiang Mai in 2017. A Google search up to Sept. 2017 was unsuccessful, except for a company in Mae Rim offering organized e-bike trips with a tour guide for one or more days.
In 2022, a Google search revealed several e-bike shop locations in Chiang Mai. Apparently, the e-bikes from these shops were offered for sale only, not for rent. However, as early as 2022, foreigners were seen in the city of Chiang Mai riding small two-wheel e-scooters and unicycle e-scooters. Therefore, one can assume that these vehicles are already offered for rent.
5.14 — E-bikes
Electric bicycles (e-bikes) were not available for purchase or rent in Chiang Mai in 2017. A Google search up to Sept. 2017 was unsuccessful, except for a company in Mae Rim offering organized e-bike trips with a tour guide for one or more days.
In 2022, a Google search revealed several e-bike shop locations in Chiang Mai. Apparently, the e-bikes from these shops were offered for sale only, not for rent. However, as early as 2022, foreigners were seen in the city of Chiang Mai riding small two-wheel e-scooters and unicycle e-scooters. Therefore, one can assume that these vehicles are already offered for rent.
6 — Routes for Private Transportation
6.1 — State of the roads with regard to their passability and usability
All roads in the Chiang Mai area from the rank of a highway to a village connecting road are sealed roads (with bitumen or concrete). Even smaller roads are usually sealed. Unsealed roads like dirt roads are mostly dead ends in and outside of villages. Unsealed road sections should be expected on road construction sites.
The maintenance of the roads is mostly good, but you should expect occasional potholes, mainly on roads of subordinate rank. Driving on such roads at night, which one has not gotten to know during the day, can be dangerous, especially to motorcyclists and bicyclists.
Flooding during the rainy season of certain, mostly short sections of roads of all ranks is possible but very rare. In the area of Baan Sammi, floods are extremely rare, and the main road connections from Baan Sammi to Chiang Mai have never been flooded in the past 3 decades.
6.2 — Highway route from Chiang Mai Airport to Baan Sammi
From the Airport, there are many routes possible to drive by car (or motorbike), but for cars, the easiest and less stressful highway route is #1141 – #1317 – #121 – #118, then continue on country roads as described and mapped in "How to find Baan Sammi". More detailed:
Exit Chiang Mai Airport by turning right onto a wide, busy main road. At the next intersection with traffic lights, go straight ahead, and again in about 100 m, at the next intersection with traffic lights, go straight ahead, then you are on Highway #1141. Stay on this highway and take all overpasses, then, at the next intersection with traffic lights, go straight ahead, then you are on Highway #1317. Stay on this highway, and at the next intersection with traffic lights, turn left. Then you are on Highway #121. Stay on this highway, and at the next intersection with traffic lights (intersection with #1006), go straight ahead, take the next overpass (intersection with #3013), and continue to go straight ahead. At the next big interchange (without traffic lights), follow the direction to Doi Saket or Chiang Rai. Then you are on Highway #118. Go straight ahead, pass Horizon, take the next U-turn, exit at Ban Nam Phrae, and continue on country roads as described and mapped in "How to find Baan Sammi".
6.3 — Highway Route from the city of Chiang Mai to Baan Sammi
The easiest, fastest, and less stressful highway route is as follows. Having rented a motorbike or car in the city, leave the city and eastern downtown by trying to reach at any point on the ถนนแก้วนวรัฐ (Kaeo Nawarat Road = Kaew Nawarat Road), which extends into Highway #118, and is also called Chiang Mai – Doi Saket Road, or Chiang Mai – Chiang Rai Road. Then, after some 10 km, pass Horizon, take the next U-turn, exit at Ban Nam Phrae, and continue on country roads as described and mapped in "How to find Baan Sammi".
6.4 — Routes and distances (in minutes) from Baan Sammi to reach the City of Chiang Mai
- From Baan Sammi to Highway (#118) at Ban Nam Phrae: 8 min by car, 10 min by motorbike or saleng, 15–20 min by bicycle, and half an hour on foot.
- From Highway (#118) to Super Highway (#11), or the city limit of Chiang Mai: 16 min by car, 20–25 min by motorbike, and 20–35 min by fixed-route song-thaeo.
6.5 — Routes and distances (in kilometers and miles) from Baan Sammi to selected destinations towards Chiang Mai
- Super Highway (#11), intersection 'San Dek': 14.5 km or 9.0 mi.
- Center of Chiang Mai (Tha Phae Gate, wall and moat of the old city center): 18.5 km or 11.5 mi; opposite direction (Baan Sammi to Tha Phae Gate): 19.6 km or 12.2 mi.
- Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX): 23.5 km or 16.9 mi.
- Chiang Mai train station: 16.8 km or 10.5 mi.
- Arcade bus station: 15.4 km or 9.6 mi.
- Central Festival (shopping mall, department store, supermarket): 14.9 km or 9.3 mi.
- BigC Extra, former Carrefour (department store and supermarket): 15.1 km or 9.4 mi.
- Rim Ping (supermarket): 16.0 km or 9.9 mi.
- Lotus's, former TescoLotus (department store and supermarket): 16.1 km or 10.0 mi.
- Theppanaya Hospital: 16.6 km or 10.3 mi.
- McCormick Hospital: 15.5 km or 9.6 mi.
- Bangkok Hospital: 16.3 km or 10.1 mi.
- Immigration (Airport): 25 km or 16 mi.
6.6 — Routes and distances (in kilometers and miles) from Baan Sammi to selected destinations in the nearby or wider surrounding area
- Chiang Mai - Doi Saket Highway (#118), exit 'Nam Phrae': 3.8 km or 2.3 mi.
- Village Ban Pa Yang Poi (restaurant): 0.05 km or 0.03 mi.
- Village Ban Pa Yang Poi (shop): 0.2 km or 0.2 mi.
- Village Ban Pa Yang Poi (bar): 0.3 km or 0.2 mi.
- Village Ban Pa Tio (shop, 2 food stalls, petrol station): 0.4–1.6 km or 0.3–1.0 mi.
- Village Ban Pa Lan (shops, food stalls, motorbike repair shop): 1.1–1.3 km or 0.7–0.8 mi.
- Village Ban Pa Du (shops, food stalls, restaurants, medical care): 1.7–2.2 km or 1.0–1.4 mi.
- Village Ban Nam Phrae (shops, food stalls, restaurants, massage parlor, tailoring, song-thaeo stop to Chiang Mai, barber, internet shop, 3-wheel motorbike taxi station, motorbike repair shop, cafe & coffee shop): 2.4–3.8 km or 1.5–2.4 mi.
- Village Ban Rong Khilek (restaurants, song-thaeo stop from Chiang Mai, and to Doi Saket): 3.9 km or 2.4 mi.
- Village Ban Pa Pong (small market, shops, restaurants, motorbike repair shop, police booth): 3.4–3.8 km or 2.1–2.4 mi.
- Village Ban Yang Thong (water filling station): 3.5 km or 2.2 mi.
- District village of Doi Saket (market, several banks, supermarket TescoLotus Express, 7‑Eleven, post office, hospital, petrol stations, beverage market, many shops and restaurants): 5.2–7.2 km or 3.2–4.5 mi.
- Village Ban Bo Hin (2 markets, supermarket TescoLotus Express, 7‑Eleven, post office, petrol stations, many shops, and restaurants): 6.1–7.2 km or 3.8–4.5 mi.
- Tao Garden (Spa): 10.5 km or 6.5 miles.
- Subdistrict San Sai Luang (Supermarket TescoLotus, Rim Ping supermarket, home market HomePro): 11.8–12.1 km or 7.3–7.5 mi.
6.7 — Routes on country roads
Bicyclists and motorcyclists may choose to drive preferably on country roads with little traffic. This is possible, though these routes are not easy to find and follow. Currently, there are a few maps available that are based on Google Maps, and if equipped with a mobile phone (with active GPS locating), the routes can be easily traced and tracked by the driver:
7 — Miscellaneous about Transportation
Caltex: Gasoline octane-91 costs 23.4 Baht per liter, octane-95 23.9 Baht, E20 21.5 Baht, and diesel 20.4 Baht (for Chiang Mai, as of 30 Jan. 2016).
Shell: Gasoline octane-91 costs 24.7 Baht per liter, octane-95 29.0 Baht, E20 22.6 Baht, and diesel 25.3 Baht (for Chiang Mai, as of 20 June 2016).
In December 2017, prices of gasoline octane-91 ("Gasohol 91") are nearly the same as those of octane-95 ("Gasohol 95"), and it was announced that "Gasohol 91" will soon be taken off the market throughout Thailand. However, in October 2022 it was still on the market.
From early July to mid-October 2022, the average gasoline price per liter in Thailand, for octane-95, was approx. 45 Baht, with a minimum of 41.55 Baht and a maximum of 52.65 Baht (GlobalPetrolPrices.com).
The fuel consumption for a 100 cm³ scooter is about 3–4 liters per 100 km.
7.2 — Some driving recommendations
Although traffic seems to be freestyle and not controlled by any rules in Thailand, drivers follow most often informal rules that should be attentively perceived and adopted to a certain degree by the inexperienced foreign driver. Don't stick to the rules you learned in the West. Do expect unexpected driving behavior at all times, and drive slowly and smoothly and never jerky. The following is just to mention some informal rules that most likely could bring you into dangerous situations if unaware by the inexperienced or if being ignored.
The fuel consumption for a 100 cm³ scooter is about 3–4 liters per 100 km.
7.2 — Some driving recommendations
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| Right turn: The standard turn and box turn — images based on commuteorlando.com |
Do not expect your blinker signal will be paid attention to (e.g., when turning right), and do not expect drivers will pay attention to lane markings, red traffic lights, and traffic behind them. Watch carefully vehicles that might enter from the left into the (main) road, do not expect their drivers will notice you. Do expect that drivers will cut blind corners and curves, warning you or not by a horn signal. At an intersection with a red traffic light, don't hinder traffic behind you from turning left. Pedestrians who want to cross a zebra crossing are not given priority per se by motorists. At pedestrian crosswalks with traffic lights (which are usually zebra crossings with traffic lights), motorists will usually stop, often bevor but sometimes after the light has turned red, and only if a pedestrian is actually crossing the crosswalk, and motorists start driving as early as one or all pedestrians have passed by. Crossing highways and turning right on busy main roads is risky for bicyclists and motorcyclists. Often, it is recommended to choose a box turn instead of a standard turn.
A very detailed account of Traffic Rules in Thailand and How to Avoid Traffic Accidents was published by Kenny Wong in Chiang Mai Locator, on 25 July 2016. It is a must-read, even if you spend your time in traffic merely as a pedestrian and use public transport.
7.3 — Some recommendations for geographic orientation
If you are not map-averse, you should get a city or regional map that meets your specific requirements for easier orientation in Chiang Mai and around (at Baan Sammi, there are different maps at your disposal). Orientation within the wall and moat of the square-shaped old city is quite easy, however in downtown and beyond, and in the countryside might become troublesome. Asking locals for help to find an address, can easily lead to confusion, as many Thais have little sense for geographic orientation, are not familiar with maps, do not know their farther surroundings well, and a few even cannot read (Thai script) at all. This also applies to drivers. Destinations can easiest be identified and found if you have an address, or, even better, a route description in addition, but must be in Thai script. In many advertisements in printed magazines, and on business cards, these pieces of information are given, hidden most often in the text that follows the phrase "for taxi".
7.4 — Using Google Maps
If you have a smartphone or similar device and wish to use Google Maps, be aware of some deficiencies that still persist (March 2016), mainly the following:
(1) Find provinces of Thailand by searching like "Chiang Mai Province".
(2) Find cities by searching like "Mueang Chiang Mai".
(3) Find districts by searching like "Doi Saket District", or like "Amphoe Doi Saket".
(4) Find subdistricts by searching like "Tambon Pa Lan".
(5) Village names are usually not recorded and cannot be found. Sometimes, you can indirectly locate a village by searching for the school (โรงเรียน rong rian) or the temple (วัด wat) of the village, like "Ban Choeng Doi School" (instead of Ban Choeng Doi), "Wat Pa Lan" (instead of Ban Pa Lan).
(6) Private streets e.g., streets in a gated residential compound, are not recognizable as private, hence indistinguishable from public streets.
(7) Directions, shown from a starting point to a destination, are often not the best routes for driving or walking. Streets may be unsealed and impassable during the rainy season, or the road width may be too narrow for cars thus not pleasing the driver.
If you would like to use Google Maps on your mobile phone while driving a car, motorbike, scooter, or bicycle, we recommend that you attach the phone with a holder. You can buy a holder from shops at Computer City Center. There are at least two shops that offer a variety of mobile phone holders at prices between 150 and 350 Baht.
7.5 — Navigation using Google Maps
There are several options for navigation:
(1) You can upload any route (the links of the routes listed in the previous chapters) to your Google Drive account on your mobile phone, and then view the map with the route using Google Maps. With GPS enabled on your mobile phone, you can easily track the route while driving. If you drive alone, then it would be best to attach a mobile phone holder to your vehicle and secure your phone to the holder.
(2) You can also use the navigation tools ("Start driving" or "Go") on Google Maps with your mobile phone. This is easier than downloading a special route map as described above. In this case, however, Google decides which route should be chosen. You can set only 1 destination, no intermediate destinations.
(3) You can get directions ("Directions") on Google Maps with your personal computer. You can set a destination, plus up to 8 further, consecutive destinations, and send these directions to your mobile phone.
A very detailed account of Traffic Rules in Thailand and How to Avoid Traffic Accidents was published by Kenny Wong in Chiang Mai Locator, on 25 July 2016. It is a must-read, even if you spend your time in traffic merely as a pedestrian and use public transport.
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| The text เมาขับช้าฯ (mao khap cha cha) on the red sign translates: If drunk, drive slowly. Photo from Wochenblitz, 30 Dec. 2019 |
7.3 — Some recommendations for geographic orientation
If you are not map-averse, you should get a city or regional map that meets your specific requirements for easier orientation in Chiang Mai and around (at Baan Sammi, there are different maps at your disposal). Orientation within the wall and moat of the square-shaped old city is quite easy, however in downtown and beyond, and in the countryside might become troublesome. Asking locals for help to find an address, can easily lead to confusion, as many Thais have little sense for geographic orientation, are not familiar with maps, do not know their farther surroundings well, and a few even cannot read (Thai script) at all. This also applies to drivers. Destinations can easiest be identified and found if you have an address, or, even better, a route description in addition, but must be in Thai script. In many advertisements in printed magazines, and on business cards, these pieces of information are given, hidden most often in the text that follows the phrase "for taxi".
7.4 — Using Google Maps
If you have a smartphone or similar device and wish to use Google Maps, be aware of some deficiencies that still persist (March 2016), mainly the following:
(1) Find provinces of Thailand by searching like "Chiang Mai Province".
(2) Find cities by searching like "Mueang Chiang Mai".
(3) Find districts by searching like "Doi Saket District", or like "Amphoe Doi Saket".
(4) Find subdistricts by searching like "Tambon Pa Lan".
(5) Village names are usually not recorded and cannot be found. Sometimes, you can indirectly locate a village by searching for the school (โรงเรียน rong rian) or the temple (วัด wat) of the village, like "Ban Choeng Doi School" (instead of Ban Choeng Doi), "Wat Pa Lan" (instead of Ban Pa Lan).
(6) Private streets e.g., streets in a gated residential compound, are not recognizable as private, hence indistinguishable from public streets.
(7) Directions, shown from a starting point to a destination, are often not the best routes for driving or walking. Streets may be unsealed and impassable during the rainy season, or the road width may be too narrow for cars thus not pleasing the driver.
If you would like to use Google Maps on your mobile phone while driving a car, motorbike, scooter, or bicycle, we recommend that you attach the phone with a holder. You can buy a holder from shops at Computer City Center. There are at least two shops that offer a variety of mobile phone holders at prices between 150 and 350 Baht.
 |
| Mobile phone holder |
7.5 — Navigation using Google Maps
There are several options for navigation:
(1) You can upload any route (the links of the routes listed in the previous chapters) to your Google Drive account on your mobile phone, and then view the map with the route using Google Maps. With GPS enabled on your mobile phone, you can easily track the route while driving. If you drive alone, then it would be best to attach a mobile phone holder to your vehicle and secure your phone to the holder.
(2) You can also use the navigation tools ("Start driving" or "Go") on Google Maps with your mobile phone. This is easier than downloading a special route map as described above. In this case, however, Google decides which route should be chosen. You can set only 1 destination, no intermediate destinations.
(3) You can get directions ("Directions") on Google Maps with your personal computer. You can set a destination, plus up to 8 further, consecutive destinations, and send these directions to your mobile phone.
