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Rent a motorbike
Chiang Mai’s city center is so small that you really don’t need a motorbike to get around. The red “hop on - hop off” trucks, known as songthaews, will take you anywhere in the city for 30 THB. You can also use Bolt or Grab to get to many places for around 100 THB. Traffic here is pretty crazy, and there are few traffic lights where you can easily turn right or left: if you want to turn right, you often have to look for a U-turn first, move into the right lane, do a 180-degree turn, and then turn left. And the eternal question: who has the right of way — the vehicle on the right, the one on the left, or just whoever arrived first?
Of course, everyone has their own preference, but exploring the area by motorbike is a lot of fun. You often have to ride about half an hour before you’re really “out of town,” but the roads there are usually nice and well maintained. Renting a motorbike in Chiang Mai isn’t very expensive — depending on the bike’s age and whether it’s high or low season, expect to pay between 200 and 300 THB per day. For that, you’ll get a bike like a Honda Click or Yamaha Grand Filano.
Check the reviews on Google Maps to see if a rental place is reliable; nowadays, it’s rare to get scammed over scratches that were already there. A 2,000 THB deposit and a passport copy should be enough. The bike you get is a 125 cc, which officially counts as a motorcycle, not a moped.
Here’s the catch: if you don’t have a valid motorcycle license, you’re technically riding illegally. Does anyone care? Well, the Chiang Mai police have turned this into a revenue stream: they set up traffic checkpoints across main roads, especially during high season, and stop tourists. If you don’t have an international driving permit with an A-stamp (“gray book”), you get fined 500 THB — payable within 24 hours at the police station by the river. Keep your ticket; if you get stopped again the next day, just show it and say “I already have a ticket,” and you can go on your way.
The other catch is insurance: if you have an accident, you’re basically uninsured — both for damages to yourself or your bike, and for damages to others. Traffic in Thailand is more hectic than in the Netherlands. Be careful: after dark, many people still drive with a drink in their system, and traffic lights are sometimes ignored. So don’t get overconfident in the evening.
Always wear a helmet — no exceptions.
