Northern Thailand - Thailand - page 579

TRANSPORT IN THE NORTH

Public Transport
Going by train is the most comfortable way to get up north, although there's only one main northern line and it is
comparatively quite slow. Just about everywhere in the region is accessible by bus and increasingly minivan, ex-
cept among the communities along the Myanmar border, where the sorng·taa·ou (pasenger pick-up truck, also
spelt songthaew ) is the transport of choice.

Car & Motorcycle
An increasingly popular way of exploring northern Thailand is from a hired vehicle. Despite the obvious risks of
driving in Thailand, hiring is the best way to explore the countryside at your own pace, and provides the oppor-
tunity to leave the beaten track at any moment. Car and motorcycle hire are available at most urban centres.
For motorcycle hire, unless you're intending to go off-road or plan on crossing unpaved roads during the wet
season, it's highly unlikely you'll need one of the large dirt bikes you'll see for rent in Chiang Mai. The automatic
transmission 110cc to 150cc scooterlike motorcycles found across Thailand are fast and powerful enough for
most roads. If you want something a bit larger and more comfortable on those long straight-ways, an alternative is
the 200cc Honda Phantom, a Thai-made chopper wannabe. For general hire information and safety considera-
tions, Click here .
A good introduction to motorcycle touring in northern Thailand is the 100km Samoeng loop, which can be
tackled in half a day. The route extends north from Chiang Mai and follows Rtes 107, 1096 and 1269, passing
through excellent scenery and ample curves, and providing a taste of what a longer ride up north will be like. The
470km Chiang Rai loop, which passes through scenic Fang and Tha Ton along Rtes 107, 1089 and 118, is another
popular ride that can be broken up with a stay in Chiang Rai. The classic northern route is the Mae Hong Son
loop, a 600km ride that begins in Chiang Mai and takes in Rte 1095's 1864 curves with possible stays in Pai, Mae
Hong Son and Mae Sariang, before looping back to Chiang Mai via Rte 108. A lesser known but equally fun ride
is to follow Rtes 1155 and 1093 from Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai Province to the little-visited city of Phayao, a
day trip that passes through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the country.
The best source of information on motorcycle touring in the north is Golden Triangle Rider (GT Rider;
www.gt-rider.com ) . Publishers of a series of terrific motorcycle touring-based maps, their website includes heaps
of information on hiring bikes (including recommended hire shops in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai) and bike in-
surance, plus a variety of suggested tours with maps and an interactive forum.

Air
For those in a hurry, northern Thailand's air links are surprisingly good. At research time, Nok Air ( 1318;
www.nokair.co.th ) , a subsidiary of THAI, had the most expansive network, with flights connecting several pro-
vincial capitals in the region with Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Other domestic airlines that cover the north include
Bangkok Airways (

1771; www.bangkokair.com ) , Kan Air ( 0 2551 6111; www.kanairlines.com ) and

THAI ( 0 2356 1111; www.thaiair.com ) .

Getting There & Away

Frequent blue sŏrng·tăa·ou (passenger pick-up trucks) and purple buses bound for
Lamphun leave Chiang Mai from Chiang Mai's Chang Pheuak terminal, from a stop on
Th Praisani in front of Talat Warorot, and from another stop on the east side of the river