Getting around Thailand

Even for anyone without their own mode of transportation, travel in Thailand is quite easy. For large distances, all of the traditional options are available: air, train, and bus. Of course, air and train options are somewhat limited. Thailand has a government-run bus system, like Greyhound, but many other bus companies compete for travellers as well, especially along the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route. Busses offer different classes of service, depending on the bus mainly. My experience relates to an air-conditioned trip with movie. I was surprised to be offered a small snack box and a glass of cola. It turns out that the bus system has some equivalent of flight attendants: people to help you out with minor services during the trip.

When in a local area, the traveller can make use of local buses (although this is not efficient for those of us with time constraints) or taxis. Generally in Chiang Mai, there are two types of taxi: swangthaews and tuk-tuks.

Swangthaews are basically a pickup truck that has been outfitted with a somewhat enclosed rear and seats in the cargo area. (In Thai, swangthaew translates into 'two rows' as in two rows of seats along the two sides of the cargo area.) You flag one down, state your destination, and if the driver agrees to take you, you negotiate the fare. In Chiang Mai, anything more than 15-20 baht is generally a rip off, except for trips that cross between two outer depths of the city, or the trip from the zoo to Doi Suthep. I have found that negotiating in Thai (and using polite phrasing like '20 baht, is that ok sir?') is better than negotiating in English. The drivers will try to swindle you if you're not careful, and even though it's an insignificant amount in USD, it's important to play the game and talk the price down. On my trip from the city center to the bus terminal today, I was originally quoted 50 baht and insisted right away on the legitimate fare: 20 baht.

Tuk-tuks are like a miniaturized and open-air version of a London taxi or a PT Cruiser in that they have a narrow front and wider back end. Generally fares on tuk-tuks are higher due to the novelty factor I suppose. They are quick to get you to a destination though, and especially pleasant during the hot part of the day due to their open-air nature.

A meter-taxi company just started up in Chiang Mai as well, but there are not very many taxis, so if you really wanted to use this option, you'd have to call ahead to schedule it I suppose. The swangthaew drivers have been doing their best to shut this down apparently.