Thailand · airport pick-up
Airport car rental in Chiang Mai
Pick up a rental car at Chiang Mai's airport terminals. Expedia Cars covers every major counter on arrivals — collect your key minutes after baggage claim, drop off at the same gate, no shuttle hassle.
- ✓On-airport counters at every Chiang Mai terminal
- ✓No off-site shuttles for the major brands
- ✓Flexible fare options shown per flight
- ✓One-way drop-off available · Powered by Expedia Cars
What first-timers get wrong in Chiang Mai
Red songthaew trucks are the local bus: flag one, name your destination, and pay 30 to 50 baht per person on arrival rather than chartering the vehicle. Settle the price first if the driver hesitates. The moat road runs one-way in opposite directions on each side, which confuses drivers constantly. Temples require covered shoulders and knees, and Doi Suthep enforces it. There is no rail transit at all.
What things cost in Chiang Mai
Khao soi from a shophouse is 50 to 70 baht and rarely more anywhere in the city. A songthaew hop across town is 30 to 50 baht a person. Doi Suthep charges foreigners a small entry fee at the top, in the region of 30 baht. A full-day cooking course with market tour runs roughly 1,000 to 1,500. Monthly apartment rents in Nimman cost what a Bangkok week does.
Chiang Mai with kids, realistically
Elephant Nature Park at Mae Taeng is a rescue centre with no riding and limited bathing, and it books out weeks ahead; the surrounding valley holds dozens of imitators of varying honesty. Chiang Mai Zoo keeps pandas and sprawls uphill steeply, so take the internal tram. The old city is walkable and low-traffic compared with anywhere else in Thailand, which makes it unusually easy with young children.
What to eat in Chiang Mai
Khao soi, curried broth over soft egg noodles with crisp ones piled on top, is the northern dish, and Khao Soi Khun Yai near Wat Ket serves it until the pot empties around lunchtime. Sai ua, the herb-packed grilled sausage, is sold by weight at Warorot Market. The stall known as the Cowboy Hat Lady at Chang Phueak gate does stewed pork leg over rice from evening until late.
Chiang Mai after dark
This is a small-city night. Nimmanhaemin near the university carries the cocktail bars and the laptop crowd, Zoe in Yellow inside the old city is the backpacker courtyard everybody ends up in, and the Riverside on Charoenrat has had live bands since the 1980s. Most places close around midnight. The Night Bazaar on Chang Klan is nightly shopping rather than drinking, opening from six.
When to go to Chiang Mai
| Best months for airport-cars | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| December | 28°C / 82°F | 2 days |
| January | 28°C / 82°F | 3 days |
| February | 30°C / 86°F | 2 days |
The month to avoid is May — around 34°C (93°F) with roughly 21 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: December is the sweet spot, May the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, High-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses, and a refillable water bottle, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.