Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai (เชียงราย) is the capital of Chiang Rai Province, Northern Thailand.

Understand
The town proper has a population of around 62,000. It is the commercial centre of the Golden Triangle border region of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. It is an excellent base for exploring the region. Chiang Rai is essentially a service city for the surrounding province. The greater area has a relatively small population of 200,000 people, but also has a respected university and other civic facilities.

The character is distinctly Northern and is distinct from Chiang Mai to the south in various ways. The food is spicier and the ethnic composition includes a good percentage of hill tribes and Burmese exiles.

By plane


A new bus service, started on October 2018, is now connecting the airport to central city. An airconditioned bus runs every 20-40 minutes and costs 20 baht per ride.

Car rental is available on arrival from Avis, Hertz, Sixt and Thai Rent A Car.

At a desk in the airport you can hire a pre-paid taxi. The prices are on display. It will take you to your hotel, or the driver will find you one if you give him the price range you want to pay.

Metered taxis are no cheaper than the pre-paid taxis. The meter-taxis refuse to use the meter, covering it up with tape, so the pre-paid taxis are the best option.

By boat
You can travel up the Kok River via Ban Ruam Mit to Thaton (Thailand). For details see Thaton / Get in.

By bus
There are two bus stations in Chiang Rai. The old bus station and new bus station. There is a songthaew (officially a "minibus") connecting the two bus terminals. It takes 15 minutes. Some drivers ask you to pay more if there are fewer than 10 passengers, despite what the official price list posted inside the songthaew says. You can just wait for the next.



From Chiang Khong (Thai town to Laos border)
Local (red) buses leave every hour or so and have the destination clearly marked. The journey takes 2½ hours and costs 60 baht. You can hop on/off anywhere along the bus route.

From Chiang Mai
Operated by Greenbus, departs Chiang Mai Arcade Terminal 3 on a regular basis. Green bus stops at both Chiang Rai terminals. As May 2017, there are three types of bus:
 * V-Class Bus (VIP): 24 or 30 seat bus, air-con, toilet on board, free water, nuts and hand-towel. Travelling time 3 hours. 258 baht
 * X-Class Bus (1st class): 40-seat bus, air-con, toilet on board. Travelling time 3 hours 20 minutes. 166 baht
 * A-Class Bus (2nd class): 48-seat bus, air-con, no toilet. Travelling time 3 hours 30 minutes. 129 baht

Different class buses leave at different times. Make sure to check the timetable.

From Houayxay, Laos
Most accomodations in Houayxay offer a Minivan service to Chiang Rai. 300,000 Kip per person, including the shuttle bus across the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge (December 2022). Minibus leaves at 7:30am in Houayxay and arrives in Chiang Rai approximately at 11:30am. At the border you have to change to the shuttle bus across the bridge and then to another minibus on the Thai side.

By train
The nearest train station is in Chiang Mai.

By car
Chiang Rai is about 820 km north of Bangkok and is easily accessible from Bangkok via Hwy 1, Hwy 32, and from Chiang Mai via Hwy 118.

By shared shuttle
Along with the Greenbus coach, there is a shared shuttle service operated by Daytrip that offers direct shuttle buses to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai a few times a day. They depart from Chiang Mai Tha Phae Gate, Chiang Mai International Airport, or custom pickup locations either in the morning (7:45AM) or afternoon (2:00 PM). Passengers can choose to get off at either White Temple, Chiang Rai downtown, or the airport. Prices start at $17, and tickets can be booked in advance to guarantee a seat.

Get around
Public transport consists mainly of tuk-tuks and songthaews, plus a smaller number of taxis. The city itself can be explored on foot, but for trips into the province consider renting a car or a motorbike. Budget and Avis have offices in Chiang Rai and there are several local agencies. If you don't feel up to driving in what may be a very different environment, then consider hiring a car with driver. It doesn't cost much more. Rental bicycles are difficult to find.

Chiang Rai has a few cyclo-rickshaws, which can be a pleasant way to see the main sights if you want a fairly quick tour.

By motorcycle
A motorbike is a good way to see these parts; there are several trails and a 250 cc dirt bike is a great way to see the countryside.


 * ST Motorcycle is in the centre of town. It has most brands of motorbike.
 * Soon's is another place that delivers motorcycles to some guest houses and may have a pick-up location.
 * Chiang Rai Big Bikes is near the Clocktower. Scooters start at 250 baht/day with 5000 baht deposit.

Itinerary
For a suggested itinerary, see Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai in 3 days

Sacred places


















Other














Do

 * [[Image:Chiang-Rai-Beach.JPG|thumb|Chiang Rai Beach]]
 * [[Image:Chiang-Rai-Beach.JPG|thumb|Chiang Rai Beach]]
 * [[Image:Chiang-Rai-Beach.JPG|thumb|Chiang Rai Beach]]
 * [[Image:Chiang-Rai-Beach.JPG|thumb|Chiang Rai Beach]]

Buy
The north of Thailand has its own distinctive art and crafts including bronze casting, carving, mulberry paper, Buddha images, and sign painting. Local handmade items popular with tourists are clay charcoal stoves, tea sets, brooms and dust pans, and umbrellas for shade and decoration.



Eat


The staple diet of local people consists of sticky rice (glutinous rice) which is rolled into balls and served in small handmade bamboo containers. The rice is served steamed and some add sweeteners for a dessert rice. Typical main dishes in the area are dishes of curried chicken or shrimp and particularly kaeng khanun (spicy jackfruit curry), kaeng yuak (banana stalk curry), sai ua (grilled pork sausage), and Yunnan cuisine and Burmese rice noodles. Khao soi is a noodle dish with chicken stock and chicken that is also popular. Nam ngiao is a traditional noodle dish with chicken or pork.

There is lots of good food in Chiang Rai, but most tourists seem to end up eating at the Night Bazaar. There are two separate places to eat here: "Centrepoint", run by a single restaurant with a Western-Thai menu and comparatively high prices, and then the "actual" night bazaar food court. Both have free music and dance performances almost nightly. Centrepoint has comfortable wooden furniture while the food court uses rather ugly yellow metal tables and chairs. While there are over 50 food stalls to choose from, the fare on offer is mostly quite touristy, with food toned down for the farang palate. About half the stalls seem to be devoted to selling deep-fried stuff (fritters, French fries, tempura) to accompany beer. There are also a few non-Thai stalls, offering Italian, Indian, German, plus the obligatory insect stall for creepy-crawly cravings.

Elsewhere




Coffee






Drinking water
It is possible to refill your empty water bottles with drinking water using these blue vending machines. One baht refills approximately one liter. Using one saves money and a lot of plastic waste.







Hospitals

 * Overbrook Hospital (semi-private) Founded in 1903 by Dr. William A. Briggs, as a missionary hospital.
 * Kasemrad Sriburin General Hospital, Private hospital.
 * Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital, Public hospital.
 * Fort Mengraimaharaj Hospital, Military public hospital.
 * Chiang Rai Inter Hospital, Private hospital.
 * Bangkok Hospital - Chiang Rai, Private hospital by BDMS chain.

Go next

 * The royal villas and mountaintop temple views at Doi Tung, you can hire a car with driver for about 1,600 baht for the day, plus fuel, and you go where you want to go.
 * Visit Thailand's northernmost town at Mae Sai and pop across the border to Tachileik, Myanmar (no visa needed)
 * The remnants of China's Kuomintang army, who now peddle tea instead of opium at Mae Salong
 * Go northeast to the Golden Triangle, where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet, and formerly a major opium-growing region
 * Go east to Chiang Khong and cross the Mekong to Huay Xai, Laos
 * Go south to Chiang Mai