angelal

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go. Farewell, Chiang Mai!

I just moved into the Wat Gate area. One of the attractions was the peace and quiet. Not any more. Suddenly there's some kind of loud live Thai pop music playing most nights.

No idea, but I sure do feel your pain! For the 9 months I've been here, I've lived two doors down from a night club that supplies loud, booming music from 9pm to 2:30-ish am every single night. And on alternate weekends, we're blessed with a neighbor's in-home, off-key Karaoke extravaganza. Ear plugs are my friend.

I've posted it before but I have nothing but praise for Sopa. She should be able to do you a decent job for your budget.

Sopa is awesome! She does great work at very reasonable prices.

The NGJC played at the U.S. Consulate's 4th of July party and was well received by everyone. Did a great job; well worth going to see and hear.

I think that was the New City Gurus.

How oddly coincidental: I was just - this morning! - thinking about the music at the July 4th bash, and wondering who that group was. Thanks for the timely info!

doi inthatnon.......you need to at least accomplish the hightest point in Thailand....you should do it on a big motorbike aswell alot more FUN and great way to see the scenic view!.....on the way check out the water falls and stop half way to have a BBQ chicken with rice....ooooo aroi mak!

Can a foreigner without an international driver's license rent a motorbike here? I mean, I imagine it can be done, but is it legal?

Thanks for all the suggestions, even the ones that don't interest me. (Yes, I'm talking to you, Dave2 and Chiangmai2. ) I am still considering Doi Inthanon, Pai, Mae Hong Son, et al, but at this point I'm particularly looking for suggestions IN Chiang Mai. Places I can get to via a not-unreasonably-long tuktuk ride.

Oh, and I've been to Tuskers. Tuskers is awesome!

WTK

And you need to visit Sayuri Entertainment Complex, quite obviously .

Or Pandoras ..... same same area and cheaper

Opens at 3 30 every afternoon.

Enjoy ; ) ..... dave2

what if the OP is a female? i have a strange feeling its a she!

Good intuition. I am a she (hence the "Angela" in my name). I don't know what Sayuri Entertainment Complex or Pandoras are, but given YOUR reply, tigerbeer, I have a strong suspicion. And if I'm correct...I have no interest.

And ChiangMai2, I'll leave all the pre-ops for you.

I've been here in Chiang Mai since mid-March, teaching at one of the universities. My flight back home leaves next Wednesday. Today's my last day of work, so I'll have about a week off before I leave town.

Since I know I'll never be back, I want to make sure I haven't overlooked any of the important things to do here in CM. What are the must-sees and must-dos here? I've been to Doi Suthep, of course. I've done the Night Bazzar. Sunday Walking Street. Local markets. Elephants. Tigers. Snakes. (Oh, my!) Monkeys. Cooking. Massages. Lots of Thai food. Tailor-made clothing.

What am I forgetting? I don't want to get back home and kick myself for not doing the fantastically important _________ while here.

Suggestions? Thanks!

I use my real first name on most forums (Angela, for those who couldn't figure it out). My avatar is - hopefully obviously - not a picture of me. It's Skipton Castle.

Came to Chiang Mai in mid-November to live as retiree. Stayed at the Viangbua Mansion while looking for long term place to live. While here in 2006, saw a building across the street undergoing renovation and was completed on this visit. The name of the place is Spirit House. It is run by an American named Steve along with his Thai partner. The atmosphere is laid back with classical music playing and a large number of Thai antiques on display. The menu is handwritten on a spiral notebook and consists of both Thai and Western food. Steve comes by and discusses what is on the menu and any special requirements you might have. He has parking in back of the place. Prices are very reasonable.

I've been there several times. Steve's a nice guy. The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere and great food. I wish it was closer to where I live!

Somewhere between 2,000 and 3,500 baht should do it. But I think you'd be better of renting a Toyota Vios or small Honda sedan for the day and drive yourself. There is a place right next door to the Maddog. You'll get one for about 1,000 baht or less for the day. They will supply a driver for an additional fee if you'd prefer not to drive.

That's an interesting suggestion. Since I don't have an international driver's license, and my only experience driving on the left side of the road was 2 weeks I spent in the UK back in '03, I wouldn't want to drive myself, but I'll look into the idea of hiring a driver.

Thanks for the info!

A bit longer than that.

Ok, so, for "a bit longer than that," how much should I expect to pay for a taxi? B800? B2,000? B10,000? (Really hope it's not anywhere near B10,000, or I'll have to cancel this plan.)

Is it possible to hire a taxi (a real taxi, not songtaew or tuktuk) from the Night Bazaar to go to Doi Inthanon?

Yes.

If so, how much should I expect it to cost?

Depends how long you want it for.

Thanks!

You're welcome

Alright, how about half a day? Go up, look around, come back? What's that take, 4 hours tops? (I really don't know how much time to allocate to a trip to DI. Obviously.)

Is it possible to hire a taxi (a real taxi, not songtaew or tuktuk) from the Night Bazaar to go to Doi Inthanon? If so, how much should I expect it to cost?

Thanks!

solution .... MOVE .... Problem solved !

That's my solution! I'm moving back to the States in 3 weeks. (I'm actually moving back because my contract here was for just 9 months, so this was the plan all along.)

In the morning: Loads of vehicles, those unbelievably annoying announcement trucks, roosters, etc.

From 9pm - 2am: Booming music and screaming drunk people. Every. Single. Night. The joy of living next to a night club.

Out of curiosity I checked on flightstats.com. It was KE668 departing 48 minutes late for Seoul. This is listed as a scheduled flight on Korean Airlines web site, departing at 01:55 Wed and Sun.

Hey, that's going to be my flight in a few weeks! I am very glad to know it's operational. Thank you.

Not sure exactly where it was going, but I definitely saw a Korean Air plane in the air over T. Chang Phuak leaving Chiang Mai at about 2:30 am today. Planes in the sky are so rare this week I had to look up to see which airline had managed to fly somewhere.

Good news. Thanks!

Does the Korean Airlines website have an option where you can enter a record locater and display that itinerary?

Yes, but that only seems to apply to tickets purchased directly from KA. My ticket was purchased by my employer's travel department, and I don't think they went directly through KA. My husband's ticket (same flights, same dates) was purchased via Orbitz. Orbitz hasn't sent me any updates regarding Korean Air. I'll keep digging.

Thanks for the suggestions, all!

The plot thickens: Round-trip non-stop flights from Seoul to Chiang Mai can still be purchased via the Korean Air website, as long as the trip originates in Seoul. So aparently I will be able to use the second half of my ticket to get out of here next month. They must be using a partner carrier, if Korean Air hasn't been at CNX since September. Any idea which other carrier they'd be using?

it puzzles me how you got the ticket for a non-existant flight in the first place.

It's the return portion of a round-trip flight that was booked back in February.

According to web site of Korean Air, there are no flights from CNX to Seoul !

I'd rather believe Korean Air then Orbitz, when it comes to flights with Korean Air.

When I tried to check the Korean Air website earlier, it was down for maintenance; that's why I checked Orbitz. Now I can access KA's site and see that they no longer offer flights from CNX. So the question becomes, will they honor my existing ticket? If not, will I be put on another carrier, free of additional charge? Will I actually be able to escape this country as planned? I suppose I have to call them and find out. This is making me a little nervous....

Korean Airlines ceased their flights to ICN (Seoul, Korea)

Uhhhh...as of when? I'm supposed to be on that flight next month.

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Since posting this, I just did a quick search on Orbitz. Korean Air is still offering flights from CNX to ICN, but not back. That's just fine by me.

When I leave in 26 days (yes, I'm counting!), I'm flying direct from CNX to Seoul on Korean Air, then from Seoul to Chicago.

Anyone know where I can find mint-chocolate-chip ice cream in Chiang Mai? Thanks!