I would like to try using a GPS navigation system for driving around Chiang Mai and perhaps elsewhere. It woud need to give directions in English. Unfortunalely I dont know anything about these gadgets. Can anyone suggest a store which can demonstrate their use and have reasonable prices for purchase. A specific brand and model would be useful.

Would a GPS system be actually helpful here or is this just a pipedream?

May be fractionally more expensive than some but the besa GPS Learner 3 has a pretty recent Speed Navi software and also has a set of dictionaries including one which unlike most ca speak thai....and chinese and several other language. It has Chinese and ENglish language tutorials too.

I am fairly pleased with mine. It has only sent me the wrong way a couple of times and that was in Bangkok because new buildings had been built. It costs about 8000 baht.

I have been using my Nokia phone and it works quite well.

Go see Eagle GPS in Panthip Plaza and talk to the staff.I've found them pretty helpful in general, though it pays to have an idea of what you want.

I've been using a Garmin Nuvi for more than a year now (including some extensive touring in the CM area - as well as driving there/back from Phuket). Good piece of kit, and though more expensive here than in western Countries, still worthwhile. Sure you'll be able to get it in any major retailer in CM.

Garmin is the way to go. I have a Magellan, and in their great wisdom, Magellan doesn't realize that Asia is part of the world and don't have any maps for anywhere but North America and parts of Europe. All they have is a general map of Thailand, but no detail. All I get is a big blank screen with a marker.

However, a Thai lady friend has a Garmin with Thailand maps loaded onto a chip and it's quite accurate.

As someone already mentioned, GPS units are more expensive here in Thailand than they are in North America... by about almost double in price. But, if you want to do any traveling they are VERY helpful; and especially if you can't read Thai road signs.

There is a whole forum on thaivisa devoted to GPS units.