Samoeng

Samoeng (สะเมิง) is in Chiang Mai Province, about 50 km west-northwest of Chiang Mai. Its claims to fame are its delicious strawberries, and the so-called Samoeng Loop, a 100-km circuit through the mountains from Chiang Mai, appropriate for cyclists and motorcyclists. The town is about as Thai as possible, with only the occasional Westerner in sight.

Understand
Samoeng is a small farming community of perhaps 5,000 inhabitants. It lies in a lovely valley with the valley floor at an elevation of about 550 m.

Samoeng itself contains little of interest (aside from its authenticity) for the tourist with little time to spare. Overwhelmingly, Western visitors come here on their orbit around the Samoeng Loop. Five kilometres off the loop, it is roughly the halfway point, thus a good spot to rest, refuel, and relax for an hour.

Get in
With rare exceptions, you will drive into Samoeng on Rte 1269, one of three ways into the town. At the bottom of a long grade, you will come to the valley floor and a T-junction. This junction serves as a navigational reference point. You can go left or you can go right from this point. Either direction will allow you to make a 5 km circuit of the town along a road that skirts the mountains that frame the valley floor.

Turning to the left:


 * ...and continuing straight: will lead you to the 7-Eleven (ATM), Bangkok Bank (ATM); Thailand Post; and the (no name) Bed and Breakfast (500 m), and gasoline (1.5 km). Beyond this, the road continues until it devolves into an unmarked dirt road (4.5 km) that is best left to the locals.
 * ...and making an almost immediate right (25 m): the town market will be on your left. Straight will take you to the BAAC Bank (ATM) (200 m from the T-junction); gasoline vending machine (300 m on the right); Internet cafe (400 m on the right); Samoeng Guesthouse (900 m on the left); Forest Guesthouse (1.8 km on the left); and Samoeng Resort (2.6 km on the left). At the Samoeng Resort there is a junction with 3 forks. Taking the first right will take you back to Samoeng.

Turning to the right: this direction is signposted Rte 1349 to Pai (170 km). It will lead you to the police station (200 m on the right); Samoeng Massage (600 m on the left); Strawberry Samoeng Farm (1.7 km on the left); PT Gas Station (2.2 km on the left); road junction where Rte 1349 diverges (2.4 km). At this crossroads, Samoeng Resort (2.5 km) is directly in front of you. Turn left at this junction to continue back to Samoeng. The Forest Guesthouse will be on your right at 3.3 km; the Samoeng Guesthouse at 4.2 km. Signposts there will indicate that Rte 1349 (to Pai, 170 km) is to the right.

A yellow songthaew from Chiang Mai (Chang Phuak Bus Station) costs 60 baht and will take roughly 90 minutes to reach Samoeng. You can catch the songthaew Chiang Mai-Samoeng from Chang Phuak Bus Station at 09:00, 10:25, 11:50, 13:15, 14:30, and 16:00. Yellow songthaews to Samoeng also depart from Warorot Market.

Get around
You must rely on your own transport in Samoeng. Although there is songthaew service to neighbouring communities it is difficult to figure out.

Buy

 * ATMs. There are 4 ATMs in town:
 * Bangkok Bank (main street, across from 7-Eleven)
 * Government Savings Bank (at 7-Eleven, across from Bangkok Bank)
 * BAAC (left at T-junction, first right turn, on right 100 m)
 * Krung Thai Bank (right at T-junction, sign 25 m on right. Machine in front of district office).


 * Numerous small shops—look for them on the right as you enter town—sell products made in Samoeng. These include everything strawberry: wine, brandy, jam, dried fruit, and, of course, fresh strawberries in season. There is also a banana chip enterprise in town that makes barbeque banana chips, sweet banana chips, and more flavours.

Eat
There are many small restaurants in Samoeng. Entering town, take a left at the T-junction and go about 100 m. Here you will find the fresh market (talat sot), open daily, selling prepared foods, fruits and vegetables, and the like. In the vicinity of the market there are several small restaurants.



Drink
There are no bars per se in Samoeng. Drinking takes place in restaurants, at home, or at some karaoke joints, location unknown.



Gasoline/petrol
There are at least 4 places to buy gas in Samoeng, and probably more. Prices are in excess of 50 baht per litre:


 * 1) Station coming into town on Rte 1269, on the left, approximately km3.
 * 2) Gas vending machine on first secondary road heading west from main street.
 * 3) Station on left of Rte 1349 towards Pai. At the T-junction, turn right, travel ~1.5 km.
 * 4) Hand-pumped gas about 1.5 km down the high street on your right after turning left at the T-junction.

Go next
Pai—Via Rte 1349. This road leads to Pai, although the road is terrible. Locals almost never take this route to Pai. They backtrack to Mae Rim and proceed from there. If you are intrepid, plan on a full, long day.