Looking to find the highest area around Chiang Mai and within an hour's drive. Smoke seemed to be not as bad up around Mon Cham last March, but wondering if there are areas even higher. I know Doi Inthanon is highest in Thailand, but looking for areas closer than that.

Doi Pui overlooking the city would be a start. Keep going up past The Phuping Palace to the check point below the summit. That at around 1540m I think. Mon Jam is about 1300m.

To the east, head out past Mae Kamphong to the top of the road before it drops down towards Jae Son (or Chae Son) NP. Highest point on the road about 1500m.

In the same area, hwy 1252 reaches around 1500m.

Edited December 29, 201213 yr by MESmith

Airport. 10 minutes from most places in town.

(Because I'm not at all sure the air would be significantly clearer up there, for the March-type haze. I base this on the readings of the PCD measuring station at the Royal Palace on Doi Pui, which is up pretty high. It shows somewhat lower levels, but still pretty yuck; you'd be healthier indoors with an air filter going.)

Edited December 29, 201213 yr by WinnieTheKhwai

Airport. 10 minutes from most places in town.

(Because I'm not at all sure the air would be significantly clearer up there, for the March-type haze. I base this on the readings of the PCD measuring station at the Royal Palace on Doi Pui, which is up pretty high. It shows somewhat lower levels, but still pretty yuck; you'd be healthier indoors with an air filter going.)

Does a air con not filter the smoke and what not also?

Airport. 10 minutes from most places in town.

(Because I'm not at all sure the air would be significantly clearer up there, for the March-type haze. I base this on the readings of the PCD measuring station at the Royal Palace on Doi Pui, which is up pretty high. It shows somewhat lower levels, but still pretty yuck; you'd be healthier indoors with an air filter going.)

Does a air con not filter the smoke and what not also?

Standard aircon filters don't filter small particles, however you can get the 3M filter material at places like Home Pro that does a much better job; you attach that to the regular filter. They also sell dedicated air filter appliances of course.

Here is my Garmin info with elevation profiles on the bottom of the page above my heart rate info. Looks like the highest point around Doi Pui is about 5,400 feet.(1645 meters). Did the same ride yesterday and coughing up gunk today. Still a nice ride but what a shame.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/253476762

Here is my Garmin info with elevation profiles on the bottom of the page above my heart rate info. Looks like the highest point around Doi Pui is about 5,400 feet.(1645 meters). Did the same ride yesterday and coughing up gunk today. Still a nice ride but what a shame.

http://connect.garmi...ivity/253476762

I ride up Doi Suthep a few times a week but I usually stop at the helicopter landing or in the summer baan phu ping when the days are longer. I have a road bike and after that point the roads start getting bad but I see you passed all the way over the peak and down the other side (I think that's what the map shows). How are the roads for biking?

To the east, head out past Mae Kamphong to the top of the road before it drops down towards Jae Son (or Chae Son) NP. Highest point on the road about 1500m.

Where is this exactly? The only high points I know out east are the road out to Wiang Pa Pao but I didn't think that was that high.

I should clarify I'm hoping to find the highest elevation that has accommodation--to try and escape the worst of burning season for a week or so. It seems like the seasons lasts longer than a month but the worst of it is the last week or ten days of march if I remember correctly. Mon Cham has some guest houses up by the royal project. Chiang Dao is higher but not sure if any of the rentals are up that high.

Airport. 10 minutes from most places in town.

(Because I'm not at all sure the air would be significantly clearer up there, for the March-type haze. I base this on the readings of the PCD measuring station at the Royal Palace on Doi Pui, which is up pretty high. It shows somewhat lower levels, but still pretty yuck; you'd be healthier indoors with an air filter going.)

Do you have a recommendation for a high quality filter that's available in cm? Best if the replacement parts/service is also local. Thanks.

Here.

http://goo.gl/maps/VdciW

Just keep going past Mae Kampong. (Where Flight of the Gibbon is).

It's a very nice trip any time of the year actually, just quite cold right now in the mornings. There is a resort before Mae Kampong where they have okay food and cakes.

Airport. 10 minutes from most places in town.

(Because I'm not at all sure the air would be significantly clearer up there, for the March-type haze. I base this on the readings of the PCD measuring station at the Royal Palace on Doi Pui, which is up pretty high. It shows somewhat lower levels, but still pretty yuck; you'd be healthier indoors with an air filter going.)

Do you have a recommendation for a high quality filter that's available in cm? Best if the replacement parts/service is also local. Thanks.

Ask mod McGriffith, I believe he has one.

Airport. 10 minutes from most places in town.

(Because I'm not at all sure the air would be significantly clearer up there, for the March-type haze. I base this on the readings of the PCD measuring station at the Royal Palace on Doi Pui, which is up pretty high. It shows somewhat lower levels, but still pretty yuck; you'd be healthier indoors with an air filter going.)

Does a air con not filter the smoke and what not also?

Standard aircon filters don't filter small particles, however you can get the 3M filter material at places like Home Pro that does a much better job; you attach that to the regular filter. They also sell dedicated air filter appliances of course.

How much loss of efficiency is there if an extra filter is fitted?

It's hard to say without a particle meter. You just know when you change the filter and it comes out charcoal black, that all of that stuff could have been in your lungs, but isn't. And that the regular aircon filter remains completely clean behind it.

Another cool option to escape the heat and haze is Doi Angkhan. Maybe a bit more than an hour from CM, but plenty of acomodation choices....the best being the cabins inside the park.

Here is my Garmin info with elevation profiles on the bottom of the page above my heart rate info. Looks like the highest point around Doi Pui is about 5,400 feet.(1645 meters). Did the same ride yesterday and coughing up gunk today. Still a nice ride but what a shame.

http://connect.garmi...ivity/253476762

I ride up Doi Suthep a few times a week but I usually stop at the helicopter landing or in the summer baan phu ping when the days are longer. I have a road bike and after that point the roads start getting bad but I see you passed all the way over the peak and down the other side (I think that's what the map shows). How are the roads for biking?

Funny, that was the first leg of the ride. My Garmin battery was on its last bar so I saved what I had and started it up again. Below is the last part. It was scary single single track that would have been fun 15 years ago but not at 45 yo.

http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=1087943

The roads after the campsite above Doi Pui are not going to be fun on a road bike. I had MTB with slicks and have a semi rigid frame and it beat me up. After the village with the school at the highest point in the village, I dropped down "STEEP" single track. I have a messed up heel from running that I think is fractured so it suffices to say the ride sucked.

I'm a runner the last 13 years after a horrendous biking accident. Came up here to run the marathon last week but my feet quit on me 15 days ago and hence the biking. 13 years ago I was able to do the Zoo to Doi Suthep in 36 minutes on my MTB and having fun trying to get back to that point. Still wearing the same bike shoes (1998 model).

Who the heck is that young kid that motors up to the castle without a shirt? I shiver with my thin jacket on the way down. He reminds me of the Kenyans I race with here. Just bones and a little flesh but they can move.

Funny, that was the first leg of the ride. My Garmin battery was on its last bar so I saved what I had and started it up again. Below is the last part. It was scary single single track that would have been fun 15 years ago but not at 45 yo.

http://connect.garmi...ard?cid=1087943

The roads after the campsite above Doi Pui are not going to be fun on a road bike. I had MTB with slicks and have a semi rigid frame and it beat me up. After the village with the school at the highest point in the village, I dropped down "STEEP" single track. I have a messed up heel from running that I think is fractured so it suffices to say the ride sucked.

I'm a runner the last 13 years after a horrendous biking accident. Came up here to run the marathon last week but my feet quit on me 15 days ago and hence the biking. 13 years ago I was able to do the Zoo to Doi Suthep in 36 minutes on my MTB and having fun trying to get back to that point. Still wearing the same bike shoes (1998 model).

Who the heck is that young kid that motors up to the castle without a shirt? I shiver with my thin jacket on the way down. He reminds me of the Kenyans I race with here. Just bones and a little flesh but they can move.

That's what I thought about the road quality.

Small world! That's actually me you're talking about. I get really hot even in winter and most the year it's too hot to think about shirts so I enjoy the nice cool air when I can. Last year I was in Pai for a few months in winter and the road out to Chiang Mai and to Mae Hong Son were pretty cold but I don't think CM ever gets cold at that time of day (in the morning probably though). I'm 30 btw.

Funny, that was the first leg of the ride. My Garmin battery was on its last bar so I saved what I had and started it up again. Below is the last part. It was scary single single track that would have been fun 15 years ago but not at 45 yo.

http://connect.garmi...ard?cid=1087943

The roads after the campsite above Doi Pui are not going to be fun on a road bike. I had MTB with slicks and have a semi rigid frame and it beat me up. After the village with the school at the highest point in the village, I dropped down "STEEP" single track. I have a messed up heel from running that I think is fractured so it suffices to say the ride sucked.

I'm a runner the last 13 years after a horrendous biking accident. Came up here to run the marathon last week but my feet quit on me 15 days ago and hence the biking. 13 years ago I was able to do the Zoo to Doi Suthep in 36 minutes on my MTB and having fun trying to get back to that point. Still wearing the same bike shoes (1998 model).

Who the heck is that young kid that motors up to the castle without a shirt? I shiver with my thin jacket on the way down. He reminds me of the Kenyans I race with here. Just bones and a little flesh but they can move.

That's what I thought about the road quality.

Small world! That's actually me you're talking about. I get really hot even in winter and most the year it's too hot to think about shirts so I enjoy the nice cool air when I can. Last year I was in Pai for a few months in winter and the road out to Chiang Mai and to Mae Hong Son were pretty cold but I don't think CM ever gets cold at that time of day (in the morning probably though). I'm 30 btw.

Hilarious, Just read this post after running into you at Tops supermarket today. Nice ride today. I saw you about 90 secs in front of me heading up the hill(easy to spot a white shirtless guy). Thought I would catch you because I figured you don't go fast every day. Not the case and that was the last I saw you until the rest stop where you stopped and then again when you passed me. I think my bike legs are returning and today wasn't that bad. 38:35 to first parking lot at temple. I think at race effort I could be mid 36. You looked like you were gliding and bet you would be 35ish. Take care and see you on the mountain.