Getting Around Without a Car

Where the lodge is, and what that means for transport

This is written for older men thinking about a long stay in Chiang Mai who would rather not ride a scooter through city traffic. Baanpong Lodge is in the San Kamphaeng / Mae On (Ontai) area, about 25–30 km east of the old city: roughly 20–25 minutes from Chiang Mai International Airport and 30–45 minutes from the old city, depending on traffic.

Being that far out means quiet nights, but it also means every trip into town needs arranging. After more than ten years living up here, and helping a fair few older Western friends settle in, this is how I would do it.

From the airport

• Private transfer. The lodge can book one in advance: you are met at arrivals with a name sign, your bags are carried, and you are driven straight out in an air-conditioned car. About 800–1,200 THB depending on the vehicle. No queue and no haggling.
• Grab (the local equivalent of Uber). Usually 400–700 THB to the San Kamphaeng / Mae On area, more at peak times or with an airport surcharge. Install the app before you fly and link a card or pay cash. Some drivers prefer to leave airport pickups to the official taxi queue, so it is not guaranteed.
• Official airport taxi. Flat-rate, about 600–900 THB out to this area. Ignore the touts outside the terminal; they charge more.

Whichever you choose, send the lodge a WhatsApp message when you land so someone knows you are on the way.

Into the city from the lodge

• Grab or Bolt. One way to Tha Phae Gate or the Night Bazaar is typically 250–450 THB, air-conditioned, with the price shown before you book. Bolt is often slightly cheaper.
• Private taxi or driver booked through the lodge: 500–800 THB one way, door to door. If you are making several trips in a day, hiring a driver for the whole day usually works out better.
• Songthaews (the shared red pickups). Catch one on the main road near the lodge towards San Kamphaeng, then change for the city. Often 30–100 THB a leg, but you wait, you share with other passengers and their shopping, and there is a high step up into the back. Fine now and then; tiresome with bags or when you are tired.
• Tuk-tuks. Not for the run in from here. They are noisy, open to the weather and drivers tend to overcharge older foreigners. Keep them for short hops in the old city, if at all.

Inside the city

The old city and Nimman are walkable for short distances; the temples, markets and cafés are close together inside the moat. Go slowly and carry water.

For anything further, or in the heat, a Grab inside the city is usually 60–150 THB. Red songthaews run everywhere: flag one down, say where you are going, and if the driver is heading that way it is a flat 30 THB per person.

If you are making several stops, a private driver who will wait while you look round a temple or have lunch is good value. Plenty of the regulars at the lodge have one driver they use every time.

Day trips

The lodge is already on the eastern side of Chiang Mai, so San Kamphaeng hot springs, the silk-weaving villages and Mae Kampong waterfall are all close. Further out, with a private driver and van:

• Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain: a full day usually costs 3,000–4,000 THB for the vehicle, including fuel, tolls and waiting time.
• Ethical elephant sanctuaries: around 3,500–5,000 THB for the car, depending on group size and distance.
• The Golden Triangle or Chiang Rai: too far for a day; do it as an overnight or longer trip with a driver you trust.

The lodge staff know the operators and can book these. Leave after breakfast, go at your own pace rather than a tour group’s, and be back for dinner and a dip in the pool.

Practical points

• Install Grab, Google Translate and Google Maps before you arrive, and buy a local SIM at the airport for data. It is cheap.
• Do day trips in the morning, before the heat, and the night markets in the early evening. Avoid the rush hours, 7–9am and 4–6pm, where you can.
• Use licensed transport, don’t carry large amounts of cash on show, and at night take a Grab or a lodge-booked driver rather than walking any distance alone.
• A regular driver for the day, or the week, costs more than Grab but deals with parking, knows the short cuts, and can take you to the restaurants where locals actually eat.

Why not a scooter

I have seen too many older men come off them. The traffic is chaotic, the roads are unforgiving, and the insurance complications after an accident are not worth the money saved. Unless you have ridden in Asia for years, leave it.