Working in Chiang Mai Thailand
The largest city in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is also one of the busiest in Thailand for the tourism industry. The city has a population of 150,000 in its central area and close to 1 million throughout its greater metropolitan area.
Chiang Mai features great natural beauty and attracts many tourists with it being one of the cultural centres of the country. The city experiences a hot and dry tropical climate with temperatures averaging higher than 30°C throughout the year.
- Airport
- Railway Station
- Transportation
- Cost of Living
- Accommodation
- Shopping
- Emergency
- Insurance and Healthcare
Location
Tourism Video
Airport
Chiang Mai International Airport
The major gateway to northern Thailand, Chiang Mai International Airport is currently the third busiest airport in the country. Close to 20 airlines operate services and more than 3 million passengers and 5,000 flights are handled by the facility each year. In 2011, the airport became a secondary hub for Thai AirAsia.
Railway Station
Chiang Mai Railway Station
The main railway station in Chiang Mai Province, Chiang Mai Railway Station is located in east bank of Ping River in the city of Chiang Mai. The station serves almost 1 million passengers each year and also serves as a key bus depot.
Transportation
Chiang Mai offers a unique transportation experience compared to western countries, with the most popular form of travel for visitors being the songthaew and tuk-tuk. The songthaew is a local bus service setup for tourists to quickly move people throughout the city. The tuk-tuk is a cheap option, albeit a very noisy one, for travel. Chiang Mai also has a huge number of taxis looking for customers, while the more independent visitor is able to hire a motorbike or car.
Cost of Living
The cost of living in Thailand and its major cities is generally low by western standards and the average monthly wage in Chiang Mai is typically just $350 equivalent. Due to the massive tourism industry in Thailand, costs often vary greatly from area to area depending on the target customer.
According to online cost of living database Numbeo (http://www.numbeo.com/), prices for typical items on current exchange rates (June 2013) are as follows:
| Food | |
| Cheap meal (inexpensive restaurant) | $2.10 |
| Three-course meal for two at mid-range restaurant | $17.30 |
| Domestic beer (500mL) | $2.00 |
| Coke (330mL) | $0.60 |
| Milk (1 litre) | $1.45 |
| Loaf of bread | $1.40 |
| Eggs | $1.45 |
| Transport | |
| One way ticket (local transport) | $0.70 |
| Monthly pass | $23.40 |
| Petrol (1 litre) | $1.25 |
| Rent (monthly) | |
| One bedroom apartment (central area) | $270 approx |
| Three bedroom apartment (central area) | $700 approx |
| Accommodation | |
| Hostel bed (one night) | $20 |
| Five star hotel room (one night) | $120 |
Accommodation
Chiang Mai is blessed with accommodation aimed at tourists from all over the world. Many luxury hotels are conveniently located throughout Chiang Mai and are cheap compared to western standards. For the budget traveler there is also an abundance of cheaper options to choose from. The most popular places to stay are located around Huay Kaew and Chang Phueak Roads.
Here a few options to consider during a visit to Chiang Mai:
Budget
So Hostel
Smile House Boutique
Mid-range
Parasol Inn
Holiday Inn Chiang Mai
High-end
Mandarin Oriental
Shangri-La Hotel
Shopping
Chiang Mai has broad range of shopping facilities, from markets to shopping malls. For a traditional Thai shopping experience, head to the city’s Old Town where many souvenir stores can be found. Chiang Mai’s main shopping malls include Central Plaza and Kad Suan Keaw. The major markets in the city are Night Bazaar and Warorot Market.
Emergency
Tourist emergency telephone services:
Tourist Police 1155
Police (general) 191
Ambulance and Rescue 1554
Fire 199
National Disaster Warning Centre 1860
Crime 1195
Medical Emergency Call 1669
Private Air Ambulance 02 586 7654
Insurance and Healthcare
Thailand, which has a good quality of health care, features public and private sectors in its health system. The public health system in Thailand was established by the government and is funded by taxes. It provides free and low-cost care to Thai citizens and foreigners registered with the Universal Coverage Health system. Expats will need to register and receive a health card to use the public system.
In addition, expats in Thailand can take out private care, with an extensive range of services available. Costs for private health treatment in Thailand compare well with Australian services. Despite a good standard of health facilities in Thailand, DFAT recommends all Australians travelling to the country take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover any overseas costs.