Countryside Weekend Trips

[earlofwindermere]

Can anyone comment on the air quality of places like Doi Inthanon or other locations around Chiang Mai? Is it just as bad or worth the trip for cleaner air? Thanks

Edited March 7, 2007 by earlofwindermere

[chanchao]

It is everywhere in the North. This is NOT localized pollution in / caused by the city.

I ESPECIALLY advise against Doi Inthanon in the dry season. It seems to get even dryer than other places which means virtually no water at the waterfalls, dead looking nature and with the same crap air: not much in the way of views.

Getting out of just the Chiang Mai valley also doesn't help: neighbouring Lampang has exactly the same air at the moment.

I think this is a good time for that cheapo Air Asia flight to Suwannabhumi, then grab a bus or taxi to Pattaya or Rayong (Ko Samet). Pattaya actually has some nice beaches nearby like Wong Amat, back side of Pratamnak Hill, Samae beach on Ko Larn, then Had Sai Khao inside the Navy Base a bit further off highway 3 to Sattahip, and then Ko Samet of course.

For the absolute rock-bottom cheapest way to get to the sea, not to mention more environmentally sustainable, either grab the direct Nakhon Chai Air bus to Pattaya or Rayong, or do it with a transfer at the Northern Bangkok Bus terminal which is actually faster and a bit cheaper. Another advantage of the overnight bus is that you arrive actually earlier than you would when flying in the morning. This because the bus gets into Bangkok as such an ungawdly hour, then transfer to Patters or Ko Samet and you're on the beach pretty much the same time when that Air Asia flight is only just departing at 8:20am.

Cheers,

Chanchao

Edited March 7, 2007 by chanchao

[earlofwindermere]

Thanks for the info chanchao. I haven't tried the direct Nakhon Chai bus before. I'll have to give it a try.

Earl

[chanchao]

Keep in mind that while it is 'direct' in that you don't have to change buses, it DOES however stop in a lot of provinces along the way. It takes the older route 11 down, then stops in a bunch of central Thai provinces (Singburi, Nakon Nayok, etc, etc before finally hitting Pattaya and then Rayong). (Ask this, it's been a while since I was last on that bus.)

For example:

Bus Type  	        Departure  	        Arrival                 Fare  	
VIP Special Coach 	Chiang Mai 	13:15 	Phattaya 	02:50 	710 	-
VIP Special Coach 	Chiang Mai 	16:10 	Phattaya 	05:45 	710 	-
VIP Special Coach 	Chiang Mai 	17:45 	Phattaya 	07:20 	710 	-
VIP Special Coach 	Chiang Mai 	18:30 	Phattaya 	08:05 	710 	-

So that's a looong way... 13.5 hours and I have the feeling that's a 'best case'.

So I do advise this bus to people who worry about transferring at a big bus terminal, but when I would take the bus by myself I would most certainly grab one of the buses to Bangkok, then just walk over to the departure building (follow the crowd past the toilets) and then get a Pattaya or Rayong bus. (For the Rayong bus especially, make sure you get the Motorway Bus, for the Pattaya bus it matters less.) Those booths are on the ground floor, to your right when walking into the main departure terminal building, on the side of the building closest to the parking lot (so the side where you got in).

[ThaiPauly]

Don't go anywhere near Chiang Rai,,,a freind of mine (TV Mod) has just been there and cut his trip short becuase of the bad air quailty..appparantly its worse than here!!!

[davidgtr]

Don't go anywhere near Chiang Rai,,,a freind of mine (TV Mod) has just been there and cut his trip short becuase of the bad air quailty..appparantly its worse than here!!!

Not really sure about that. Are we talking about chiangrai city or chiang rai province?

Ive been sitting here in chiang khong for 2 days & the air is a lot better than chiang mai city.

There's smoke everywhere right now & no escaping it.

Depending on the day & prevailing winds, some places might be worse or better than others. It really is just the luck of the game. But there's no doubt the pollution is worse in chiang mai city, although lampang might be worse (somehow), from what I can gather.

If you drive up what I noticed is that the air was less smoky in the mountains where it is less civilised / developed. As soon as you hit any cultivated or farmed areas the smoke really hits home.

The big advantage in Chiang Khong is the cool "fresh" breeze coming of the Mekong. Whilst it is still smoky, the air IMHO actually smells a lot better & cleaner than Chiang Mai city! So CK aint a bad place to hang out in for a few days rest. We came here to rest the singer g/f tonsils, as she, like many other singers/ musos in Cnx right now has been suffering with throat / chest complaints for 4-6 weeks. Should be back in Cnx tomorrow, with a rejuvenated g/f singer.

[CM-Joe]

I have been to Doi Inthanon just one week ago and it was fantastic: Cool (17 Celsius) and good air. It is realy a good trip to get some fresh air away from Chiang Mai. The last 5 days I travelled to Nong Kai and would say that 50km outside of Chiang Mai the air is getting better and better. Go and visit one of the many nice national parks in the north, you can even camp there for almost nothing. If you have a Thai driving licence you only pay 20 THB instead of 400 THB.

[ThaiPauly]

Don't go anywhere near Chiang Rai,,,a freind of mine (TV Mod) has just been there and cut his trip short becuase of the bad air quailty..appparantly its worse than here!!!

Not really sure about that. Are we talking about chiangrai city or chiang rai province?

I don't know..I am only reporting what I have been told from someone that went there

[Goshawk]

I have been to Doi Inthanon just one week ago and it was fantastic: Cool (17 Celsius) and good air. It is realy a good trip to get some fresh air away from Chiang Mai. The last 5 days I travelled to Nong Kai and would say that 50km outside of Chiang Mai the air is getting better and better. Go and visit one of the many nice national parks in the north, you can even camp there for almost nothing. If you have a Thai driving licence you only pay 20 THB instead of 400 THB.

Yep.. i agree..!!

was at D.I. myself last week and breathed in some of the cleanest air i've ever gulped.

spectacular views as always..

and as for 'dead looking nature' as someone said earlier... poppycock.!!! The mountain is, as is usual at this time of the year, positively alive with over 260 species of Thailand's magnificent avifauna both resident / breeding / and winter visiting

Doi Inthanon is definately a must right now...

As for Chiang Rai, well i'll be there tomorrow so we'll see about that...

[Blinky Bill]

Can anyone comment on the air quality of places like Doi Inthanon or other locations around Chiang Mai? Is it just as bad or worth the trip for cleaner air? Thanks

The inversion layer throughout northern Thailand is at somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000 feet ASL this time of the year. This inversion has the effect of compressing all the crap in the air. Once you get above the inversion it is like looking at a huge flat snowfield with the higher hilltops exposed and almost no sight of the ground below. Although I haven't been up Doi Intanon this year I am certain the air will be clean, fresh and cool.

[cloudhopper]

Check out Wieng Heng (northwest of Chiang Dao) then continue the back way into Doi Ang Kang.

[chanchao]

> and as for 'dead looking nature' as someone said earlier... poppycock.!!! The mountain is,

> as is usual at this time of the year, positively alive with over 260 species of Thailand's

> magnificent avifauna both resident / breeding / and winter visiting

I get plenty avifauna at KFC.

Anyway, be careful when you say 'one week ago'. "One week ago", the air quality also in Chiang Mai city was VERY GOOD, check the site, it was at 63 which is excellent. Keep in mind it varies greatly from one day to the next, you can't even be in Chiang Mai one day, then go to place xyz the next day and say "Ah, it's better/worse here." because Chiang Mai will/may have changed, too.

What I will admit to in hindsight actually is that the top part of Doi Inthanon may be above the air-soup. I notice this when flying out, as the plane climbs you see the top of Doi Inthanon above any clouds/crap.