We'll be in Chiang Mai this January and are planning on renting a car for five days to do the Mae Hong Song loop. We'll be driving ourselves - not hiring a driver. Question: Does it make more sense to make car rental arrangements here or simply rent a car after we get to Chiang Mai? While traveling in Europe and South America, we've always rented in advance. However, Thailand sounds like a much more informal/ad hoc kind of place and we're considering just renting through our hotel or rental agencies after we're there. Any opinions/recommendations? Thanks! GT

i always rent in advance... budget is one of the main players in thailand....

you can check after you get there and see if it is cheaper, and if so cancel your reservation...

cars with drivers are often about the same price as a car itself, fyi

Prabably best to book in advance if you want a particular type of car plus, they will have the car ready and waiting for you rather than have to waste time searching around for a rental company on arrival when you could be off on your trip. We have used Budget a couple of times in CM and found them to be very helpful. Hertz are also good.
You have probably found this already but here is a link to a good guide/map of the loop:

http://www.budget.co.th/images/world...ss_mae_eng.pdf

Thanks for the advice! Looks like we'll proceed with booking stateside, then check rates when we arrive in Chiang Mai. GT

Driving yourself in Thailand IMHO is dangerous. I would get a driver.