Local knowledge

Taxis

There are plenty of taxis at Chiang Rai airport. Negotiate a fixed fee at the registered office – easy to spot in the arrival/departure hall – although you can expect to pay about THB250 for a trip into the city. Once in Chiang Rai, it’s fun to hop on a pedicab (about THB40 to ride around the city), tuk-tuk (THB80–100 per journey) or one of the communal songtaews for a budget THB15 per trip.

Tipping culture

Tips aren’t expected, but since salaries are low and everything is so cheap so you might want to round up taxi fares and food bills. Established restaurants usually add a 10 per cent service charge.

Siesta and fiesta

Most shops and restaurants open seven days a week from morning through to evening. Local shops close at 6pm, but department and convenience stores often stay open until 10pm. Banks open weekdays between 8.30am and 3pm, but times vary according to individual branches. Thais tend to eat early – lunchtime is usually at noon and dinner about 6 or 7pm. Bars close at midnight or 1am.

Packing tips

Chiang Rai is rustic, rural and all about adventure, so save your labels for Bangkok. Pack a wardrobe that keeps you cool and covered in the blazing sun, warm at night (and in chilly air-con) and dry if you’re visiting during wet season.

Recommended reads

For an insight into northern Thai village life and the culture shock experienced by a young Canadian volunteer, read Touch the Dragon: A Thai Journal, by Karen Connelly. Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap is an illuminating, often funny series of short stories about everyday Thai life.

Cuisine

Northern Thai food is influenced by the cuisines of neighbouring Myanmar and Laos and is dominated by fattier, milder and slightly bitter flavours. You’ll notice there’s a lot of pork: spicy sausages and crispy pork crackling appear on most menus, are for sale everywhere and are typically served with one of the dozens of hot pepper dips called nam prik. Curries have rich, earthy tastes and are often made without coconut milk. Sticky rice is eaten with every meal and as a snack in-between. The traditional way of serving northern Thai food is called khantoke, which is a series of five dishes: pork crackling, a chilli pepper dip, fried vegetables, a meat dish and a curry accompanied by sticky rice and served on a low table called a tok.

Currency

Thai baht (THB)

Time zone

GMT +7 hours

Dialling codes

The country code for Thailand is +66. The area code for Chiang Rai is 053. Drop the ‘0’ when calling from overseas

Do go/don't go

By far the best time to visit is the cool season between November and late February when you can expect aqua blue skies, warm sunny days and cool evenings – temperatures have been known to drop as low as 2°C at night. Late March and April are extremely hot and dry, so it’s challenging to do anything active. Rainy season runs from May to October, but the earlier months are fine for travelling – there’ll be rain, but it’s unlikely to be prohibitive. September and October tend to be the wettest and there is often flooding in the region.