Chiang Mai is a city with beautiful shopping and entertainment centers and luxury hotels. There are many business centers, huge sports grounds, restaurants, cafes and other places for recreation and entertainment. But do not forget that just a couple of centuries ago it was the developing state of Lanna.
From November to February, it is quite cool here at night. If you plan to go to the mountains during this period, you should definitely wear warm clothes: a jacket, warm pants, a scarf, a hat and comfortable shoes. But not all tourists are ready to carry such a supply of things with them for the sake of one trip. It's not a problem! There are many second-hand stores everywhere where you can buy clothes in good condition at a nice price.
In public institutions, for example, in the Royal Park Rajapruek or other museums, it is possible to purchase a ticket at a price for residents of Thailand. This will only work if you have a Thai driver's license, student visa or work permit. Only in Doi Inthanon National Park you will have to pay the full price of the ticket.
If you live in a wonderful hotel that you don’t want to leave at all, a great option for lunch or dinner is food delivery. Here it is very convenient and inexpensive. Your best bet is to download the Grab or FoodPanda app. These are the most popular food delivery services. In the first application, delivery will be cheaper, but there is also a significant disadvantage - you will not be able to pay for the order with a card from another country or with PayPal.
Thailand itself is pretty safe. The crime rate here is much lower than in any country in Europe. In the city you can safely walk even at night. The chances of meeting a criminal here are extremely small.
Security principles are no different from other countries. Try to avoid poorly lit streets. Keep an eye on your valuables, and it is better to leave them in the room. Most often, bags are stolen here, so keep everything with you in crowded places. Also, be careful around the roads. The most popular way to steal a handbag is the theft on a motorcycle. Transport rushes at breakneck speed, and the driver snatches a bag or backpack from his hands. Everything is pretty simple. For this reason, you need to take care of your bags, especially at night.
Local rules of conduct and customs should be observed, so be sure to watch the locals. Particular attention should be paid to clothing: it should be quite simple and modest. Girls are advised to cover their chest and shoulders. No short shorts - it is better to wear trousers and long skirts. Also try not to wear precious jewelry and hide the contents of your wallet. If you do not follow these rules, then your actions and behavior can provoke a criminal.
Unfortunately, some criminal gangs began to move here from the capital of Thailand. Now in Chiang Mai, too, you can encounter fraud. Precious stones are especially popular. Thais offer tourists to buy them at a high price. At the same time, such a serious purchase clearly does not fit into your list of expenses, and the stones, it’s easy to guess, are fake.
The second scam is related to the most popular public transport - the tuk-tuk. The driver will definitely say that the place you are planning to visit is closed today. He will offer you to see another attraction for the same 30 baht. It’s not even worth mentioning that the driver can give you completely different numbers at the end of the trip. These scammers will not organize a tour for you. The trip will turn into a boring tour of local souvenir shops. Sometimes scammers can unite: one takes tourists shopping with souvenirs, while others offer to buy "precious stones" there.
A few words should also be said about water. Don't drink tap water. Better to buy bottled. It is sold on almost every corner. You can also buy water from one of the city vending machines. A liter of water costs only one baht. The ice used in cafes and other establishments is also safe. It is supplied by local companies. During production, employees observe all degrees of filtration and water purification.
Chiang Mai has a problem that is unique to this region - smoke. Often the level of smoke becomes dangerous for humans. As a rule, it appears during the cleaning of rice fields. All residues are disposed of on the spot. They are simply burned. There are quite a lot of fields, so the smoke absorbs the whole city. Due to the large amount of carbon monoxide, cases of poisoning are becoming more frequent. Most of the locals leave the city during this period.
In 2007, 58 people died due to the cleaning of rice fields. Smoke levels here rise closer to summer, so it is best to fly to Thailand between January and March. Be sure to check the gas level first.
Wireless Internet, in other words Wi-Fi, is very popular here. This is one of the highest priority services in hotels, hotels, cafes and other establishments. There are two options: either Wi-Fi is already included in the price, or you will have to pay extra for it. The cost of using the Internet is low.
Also in Chiang Mai there are many Internet cafes that used to be popular with us. In the center you can easily find a bunch of establishments of a similar plan. Prices are different everywhere. In one institution, the cost of an hour will be 20 baht, and in another, you will be required to pay 80 baht for this. Tariffs also differ from each other. Some places even have payment by the minute.
The most budget options are Internet cafes, which are located near the local university. The employees of the institution will provide you not only with good Internet, but also with headphones, a webcam, video calls, etc. For an hour you will have to pay 20 - 25 baht.
GPRS/EDGE is widespread among cellular network operators. This is the most budget option for those who have issued a local SIM card.
