CFW

We are going to Thailand end of January/early February, and am thinking about car & driver for Chiang Mai. Have hear so much about Ratt & now her sister in Chiang Mai. Understand we should book her early, because her time is filling up. Will we need a car & driver to get to some of these things we want to do -- orchid gardens, hilltribe museum, elephant conservation center, the hilltop wat, shopping at the craft shops slightly outside of town, an afternoon at the Four Seasons spa. I think we'd be spending a lot of time once we get to these places -- what does the driver do during all the "down time" while we are shopping, site seeing, having spa treatments? What is the cost and is it worthwhile, or are we better off considering some other method of transportation to get to the various activities we want to do? Also, any other Chiang Mai tips & suggestions are much appreciated.

Craig

You could probably just hire one of the drivers hanging outside your hotel to drive you to the things you listed. Just make sure that your driver has a vehicle with a/c (not a tuk-tuk) and that he has a reasonable understanding of the English language. I am not sure what the going rate is but I'm thinking $15 - $20 for a day. The driver will wait for you during "down time" - they are happy to do this. In Chiang Mai it is necessary to have a car and driver as it is really the only way to accomplish what you want to accomplish. If your driver offers to take you to the "snake farm" (near the orchid gardens) don't waste your time and money on this.

rhkkmk

i have had drivers in CM on each of my trips but not for the whole time....
each of the places you list requires transportation to get there...i find that you can accomplish much more by having a driver as you can move quickly from one spot to another and they drop you off right in front in most cases and collect you at the same point if prearranged...very easy..

be organized and have a list of what you want to do on any day or series of days and the driver will make helpful suggestions about when and how to accomplish it...

i think craig's cost estimate may be quite low, perhaps double that amount, but i am not sure of current pricing...ratt, for instance, charges 220B ($5.50) per hour in bangkok so 8 hours would be $44....plus tip...
the driver hangs out while waiting for you, has a meal, talks to the other drivers...etc...if you have his cell number you can summon him at any time to leave early...while shopping they just hang around and in some cases inspect the merchandise with you, may even carry your purchases, etc...remember most are looking for their commissions as well and need to be seen by the vendor...

i would never do without a driver on future trips to asia...they are so cheap, so convenient, so reliable, so friendly....it's a luxuary that you can't be without....
the only time i question you're having a driver is while you are having spa treatments at the regent...that seems a complete waste....they may collect you and return you to the spa...just ask them or take a taxi....

luvtotravel

My friend and I had a car/driver for two days while in Chiang Mai in Dec. 2002. It was a great decision as it was inexpensive (by our standards) and he took us wherever we wanted to go. He spoke excellent English too. You can get information about our driver and our visit to Bangkok and Chiang Mai at my website:

www.travelswithdiane.com.

Click on the gold buddha. By the way, we had lunch at the Regent in Chiang Mai -- it was fabulous.

CFW

Thanks, Diane. Enjoyed your website. Your driver seemed to be for guests at the B& B which looked lovely, but I think we would rather stay in town. Anyone else have names of good English-speaking drivers for Chiang Mai?

glorialf

One place I would strongly recommend is the Queen's botanical gardens. It is truly spectacular. It's a bit of a trip outside of the city but well worth it.

Nancy Chandlers map of Chiang Mai is fabulous for giving you ideas of things to do and see.

luvtotravel

Our driver is based in town and is not limited to the B&B. He maintains the website for the B&B as the owner is a friend of his. I'm not trying to push him on anyone. I just thought he was an excellent driver/guide and charged us a fair price.

CFW

Diane, how can I contact Joe, your driver? E-mail him at the B & B or do you have another e-mail address for him?

rhkkmk

twice i have used Manop Noomsri...his cell is: 01-9527501...he has good english...he is in space #11 at the chiang mai airport parking lot..
he may have e-mail but it is not on his card...

also has anyone mentioned ratt's sister?? do a search here for ratt and she will assist you...it may also be rat....

luvtotravel

The way we contacted Joe was through the B&B website. Joe maintains it and gets all the emails. At least he did when I was there. He always responded quickly.