Bkk To Chaing Mai Jan 1St To 5Th - Advice Please

[TravelerEastWest]

BKK to Chaing Mai Jan 1st to 5th - advice please

Traveling to Chaing Mai with my wife and two small kids from Bangkok to look the area over for a possible move in June.

A friend suggested Nok air and one other airline whose name I have forgotten.

I am looking for suggestions:

1) Airline

2) Clean safe family hotels - luxury not needed. 5 days 4 nights

3) I will be looking at 3 or 4 schools for the kids so should i rent a taxi for the day? Where and how much would this cost? I also will want to look at housing rentals somewhere near the school we pick.

I am excited about this trip we have lived in Bangkok for a number of years and it is time for this move....

I will be very thankful for any suggestions.

[naboo]

1) Bangkok Air for the flights - by far the best airline BKK to Chiang Mai.

2) Lai Thai or Top North Guesthouse both have pools and both come in at under 1000Baht a room (I assume that's what you meant by not needing luxury).

3) It depends on which schools you're visiting. American Pacific and Prem (sorry, can never remember its new name) are both a long way out of town in opposite directions. If these are on the list, a lot more expensive, if not, then a passing Song Taew would come in under 1000B. Personally, I'd rent a car and find my way around. Air Conditioned taxis in Chiang Mai are very expensive. There are a few ads on ThaiVisa classifieds that advertise daily rates plus fuel with a driver.

Best of luck!

[TravelerEastWest]

1) Bangkok Air for the flights - by far the best airline BKK to Chiang Mai.

2) Lai Thai or Top North Guesthouse both have pools and both come in at under 1000Baht a room (I assume that's what you meant by not needing luxury).

3) It depends on which schools you're visiting. American Pacific and Prem (sorry, can never remember its new name) are both a long way out of town in opposite directions. If these are on the list, a lot more expensive, if not, then a passing Song Taew would come in under 1000B. Personally, I'd rent a car and find my way around. Air Conditioned taxis in Chiang Mai are very expensive. There are a few ads on ThaiVisa classifieds that advertise daily rates plus fuel with a driver.

Best of luck!

Naboo,

Thank you - I will take a look at the two guest houses. I meant whatever is clean and safe with two large beds in a room.

PTIS (Prem) looks like a very nice school but too far out. We have a small craft business with workers who need to have apartments and a Big C and market etc nearby as well as lots of songtaews and small Thai schools for their kids.

American Pacific has a kindergarten campus which is not as far out i think that looks very nice.

[tommytouch]

Regarding flights:

Thai Air and Bangkok Air are unnecessarily expensive, which leaves Nok Air, Air Asia and Orient Thai.

Both Nok and AA are decent but Orient Thai isn't so popular, possibly because they crashed a few years back.

I like Nok because their website is pretty straight forward with no hidden charges plus you can choose to pay at an ATM or 7/11 which I find very convenient. Also they fly out of Don Muang airport (or sould be again by January) which means no crowds and queues, delays etc.

[asanee]

I like Nok because their website is pretty straight forward with no hidden charges plus you can choose to pay at an ATM or 7/11 which I find very convenient. Also they fly out of Don Muang airport (or sould be again by January) which means no crowds and queues, delays etc.

Move back to DMK certainly not before late jan/around 1/2-not for 1/1. Expect heavy demand for fligts early jan so book NOW and just take what you can.. There is also AirAsia. Delays at BKK/Swampy are the same=not that many, as from DMK-this is just the tipical TV-blouch.

Rahter as hiring a taximeter for the day (these are still quite rare in CM) organise a car+driver for the day-around the 1000 thb. Ask at much friendlier and knowledgeable CM-forumpart for more as here.

[naboo]

Airlines:

Is it just me, or is the leg room on Nok Air much less than other airlines? I've flown with them twice, once 4 years ago and found it amusing that my knees were touching the seat infront for the duration of the flight, then a second time last year, when I decided that the extra couple of hundred Baht for being able to get my legs in was worthwhile.

Air Asia - I feel like the entire time I'm flying with them, I've got to dodge the extra charges

Orient Thai - I like, but would hate to recommend them and have a whole family fall out of the sky

Thai Air - not bad when they recently had the 1890B promotion, but no better than Bangkok Air and generally more expensive.

Bangkok Air - have their own lounges at your departure terminal and treat you like a living organism. That itself is worth a couple of hundred Baht more.

My mother flew with Bangkok Air last month. She had booked separate tickets (cheaper than booking on one ticket) from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, then with Etihad to Birmingham. Despite being on separate bookings, Bangkok Air still checked her baggage right through to Birmingham and issued her boarding passes all the way home. Can anyone imagine Air Asia offering this service without a fee? They charge you a fee, then the staf are there to make sure you are as happy as can be. With Air Asia, the staff are there to take as much money from you as possible, with little or no regard for customer service. The other airlines are somewhere in between.

[autan]

The other poster have answered your questions better than I, however if you are looking for a good school, google "Lanna International Chiang Mai".

[Briggsy]

Chiang Mai will be packed out on those days. Book your flight, hotel and transport well in advance.

[TravelerEastWest]

Interestingly Bangkok Air was the least expensive as they had discounted rates for kids.

Now I am looking for a good driver/car so far I have found one for 1800 per day that speaks English 8-6pm anywhere gas included.

I wonder if all things being equal that is a bit high or normal?