Thailand Guide
The north
Accommodation
1 
Baan Kaew Guest House 142 Thanon Charoen Prathet 
053 271606 
www.baankaew-guesthouse.com Set back from the road in a quiet, pretty garden, this attractive modern building has large, simple but well-equipped and maintained rooms with hot water and air-con. Price: B600
2 Baan Orapin 150 Thanon Charoenrat 053 243677 www.baanorapin.com Delightful compound overshadowed by tall longan trees on trendy Thanon Charoenrat, offering just fifteen big, comfy and characterful rooms with teak and rattan furnishings and wooden floors. Some rooms come with four poster beds and balconies. Price: B2000
3 The Chedi 123 Thanon Charoen Prathet 053 253333 www.ghmhotels.com Occupying a prime riverside site, this ultra-luxury place offers high-concept minimalist design in its spacious rooms, along with balconies and river views. There's a good-looking spa and swimming pool, while the renovated teak bar-restaurant – formerly the British Consulate, built in 1905 – dishes up excellent Indian, Thai and Western food. Price: B10,000
4 Chiang Mai Gate Hotel 11/10 Thanon Suriyawong 053 279085 www.chiangmai-online.com/cmgate/ Located just to the south of the old city, this place has well-equipped rooms with Lanna touches in the design, plus a swimming pool and helpful staff. Price: B500–1000
5 Chiang Mai Youth Hostel 54 Thanon Papraw; about 1500m south of the night bazaar 053 276737 www.chiangmaiyha.org Very clean, quiet and reliable; rooms have en-suite hot showers, cable TV and fans or air-con. Big discounts for HI members or for internet booking. Free internet access and wi-fi. Call for free pick-up (daytime). Price: B350
6 D2 Hotel 100 Chang Klan 053 999999 www.d2hotels.com With its muted orange theme and flat screen TVs, plus stunning lighting and minimalist furnishings, this place in the heart of the night bazaar is one of the city's trendiest places to stay. Two restaurants, a spa, fitness centre and rooftop pool are among the amenities. Price: B4000
7 Dhara Devi 51/4 Thanon Chiang Mai-Sankamphaeng, a few kilometres east of the city centre 053 888888 www.mandarinoriental.com Occupying 60 acres, the Dhara Devi transports its guests into another era – the heyday of the Lanna Kingdom, with traditional Lanna architecture complemented by modern touches such as air-con, dimmer switches and cable TV. The pavilions, villas and suites are equipped with every conceivable comfort and look out over rice fields and vegetable gardens. With its own breathtaking spa (modelled on the Royal Palace of Mandalay), craft village, shopping centre, swimming pools, tennis courts and three restaurants, guests need never leave the premises. Price: B20,000
8 Downtown Inn 172/1–11 Thanon Loi Khro 053 270662 www.empresshotels.com Western-style comforts like mini-bars and TVs without the extras of the big luxury hotels; quiet considering its central location near the night bazaar. Price: B1000
9 Eagle House 1 16 Soi 3, Thanon Chang Moi Kao 053 235387 www.eaglehouse.com Run by an Irishwoman and her Thai husband who are keen to promote ethical eco-tourism, this friendly, well-maintained guest house offers a spacious garden terrace area, a good café and well-organized treks, as well as Thai cookery courses. It has a wide variety of en-suite rooms of different sizes, some with hot water (though all have access to a shared hot shower), some with air-con, plus a dorm. Phone for a free pick-up. Price: B80
10 Elliebum 114/3–4 Thanon Ratchamanka 053 814723 or 085 018 7400 www.elliebum.com Sociable, homely and very helpful, a great first port-of-call in Chiang Mai. Two huge, fresh, modern rooms (big enough for a family) with air-con, hot water, TV and DVD, above a gift shop and café that serves lunches and excellent coffee, plus a wider choice of rooms in a second branch 50m away. Free wi-fi and internet, and free cooking classes if you stay five days. Wide choice of tasty breakfasts included. Price: B900
11 Empress 199 Thanon Chang Klan 053 270240 www.empresshotels.com Grand international-class hotel with pool, sauna and health centre conveniently placed on the south side of town: within walking distance of the night bazaar, yet far enough removed to get some peace and quiet. Price: B3000
12 Galare Guest House 7 Soi 2, Thanon Charoen Prathet; near Narawat Bridge 053 818887 or 053 821011 www.galare.com . A long-standing, well-run upmarket guest house that's justly popular. Air-con rooms, each with hot-water bathroom, TV and internet access, overlook a shady lawn that gives way to a riverside terrace. Price: B1000
13 Gap's House 3 Soi 4, Thanon Ratchdamnoen 053 278140 www.gaps-house.com Set around a relaxing, leafy compound strewn with antiques, a wide variety of plush air-con rooms with hot showers. The room price includes a simple cooked breakfast, there's free internet access and wi-fi, and a vegetarian buffet is served in the evening (not Sun); one- or two-day cookery courses available. No reservations are taken, though you can call on your proposed arrival date to check availability. Decent rates for singles. Price: B400
14 Hollanda Montri 365 Thanon Charoenrat; north of the centre by Rama IX Bridge 053 242450 www.hollandamontri.com In a modern building by the river, this Dutch-Thai guest house has large, comfortable and attractive fan or air-con rooms with hot-water bathrooms and cheerful staff. A very pleasant, terraced riverside bar-restaurant offers a long menu of Thai and European dishes. Free internet and wifi, and free daytime bicycles. Price: B350
15 Karinthip Village 50/2 Thanon Chang Moi Kao 053 235414–8 www.karinthipvillage.com Peaceful compound located just east of the old city, with 62 rooms set around a decent-sized swimming pool, all nicely decorated in Lanna style and some with four-poster beds. Price: B2500
16 Kavil Guest House 10/1 Soi 5, Thanon Ratchdamnoen 053 224740 or 089 852 1875 Friendly place in a modern four-storey building on a quiet soi. All twelve rooms have en-suite hot-water bathrooms; the rooms with fans are small, plain and clean, while those with air-con are pleasantly decorated and more spacious (the air-con can be switched off to turn these into fan rooms). The downstairs café is at the front, which means there's no noisy courtyard effect. Price: B200
17 Libra House 28 Soi 9, Thanon Moonmuang 053 210687 www.libraguesthouse.com Excellent, family-run, trekking oriented guest house with keen, helpful service and 24hr check-in. Forty large, plain but well-maintained rooms, spread across five buildings with some quiet sitting areas, are en suite and wifi-enabled, some with hot water. Internet access. Call for free pick-up. Price: B200
18 Nice Apartment 15 Soi 1, Thanon Ratchdamnoen 053 210552 
053 419150 In a quiet lane in the old town, this is an excellent, popular choice for a longer stay, with weekly and monthly rates; for longer stays, you pay their daily rate minus B20. All rooms have hot showers, fridge and cable TV, and towels are supplied; there's a choice of air-con or fan. Very friendly. Price: B250
19 People Place 9 Soi 8, Thanon Charoen Prathet 053 270060 www.people.infothai.com Two compact modern buildings, just a few steps from the night bazaar, whose spacious, comfy rooms come with en-suite hot-water bathrooms and air-con. Price: B600
20 Pha Thai House 48/1 Thanon Ratchaphakinai 053 278013 or 081 998 6933 www.phathai.th.gs Wide variety of rooms, all with hot showers en suite, in a leafy, garden setting: some boast balconies, colourful décor, fridges and antique-style furniture, while plainer rooms at the front of the compound by the road are much cheaper. Family rooms and a plunge pool for the hot season are available. Price: B250
21 Portico 21 7 Soi 1 Thanon Kotchasarn 053 278378 www.portico21.com Sleek, contemporary digs, with air-con, hot showers, TVs and fridges, right at the heart of the matter, but set well back from the busy roads. Free wi-fi and continental breakfast. Decent rates for singles. Price: B1400
22 Pun Pun Guest House 321 Thanon Charoenrat 053 243362 
punpungh@gmail.com This friendly, well-informed place has some of the cheapest riverside rooms in town. Though slightly more expensive, the decent-sized rooms in a wooden house with mosquito screens and en-suite bathrooms offer better value than the small bamboo and wood huts (no mosquito nets) with shared bath. Hot water throughout, restaurant and riverside terrace. Price: B250
23 Rachamankha 6 Soi 9, Thanon Ratchamanka 053 904111 www.rachamankha.com Looking more like a temple than a hotel, this spacious, architect-owned property with just 24 elegant rooms is hidden in the quiet backstreets of the old city. There's a lovely, large pool, an excellent restaurant, a well-stocked library with sherry laid out for browsers, and even a small museum of lacquerware and silver. Free wi-fi and internet; breakfast included. Price: B7000
24 Raming Lodge 17–19 Thanon Loi Kroh 053 271777 www.raminglodge.com Right in the heart of the downtown action, this red-brick, 6-storey place offers tasteful, well-equipped air-con rooms with desks, cable TV and wi-fi. Facilities include a spa and swimming pool. Price: B1400
25 Riverside House 101 Thanon Chiang Mai-Lamphun 053 241860 www.norththaitour.com Welcoming place just east of the river, though just a short walk from the night bazaar, with small but clean and cosy air-con rooms with cable TV, and breakfast included. Price: B350
26 Roong Ruang Hotel 398 Thanon Tha Pae 053 232017–8 roongruanghotel@yahoo.com Tucked away off the main road near Tha Pae Gate, this good-value place has plain rooms, some with air-con and fridge, all with hot water and TV, snuggled around a pretty courtyard. Price: B350
27 Royal Princess 111 Thanon Chang Klan 053 253900 www.dusit.com Tidy, centrally located hotel close to the night bazaar, with elegant rooms, a swimming pool and fitness centre, fine restaurants and impeccable service. Price: B2500
28 Sabai Garden 36 Thanon Ratchaphakinai 053 208921sabaigarden_vicky@yahoo.com Homestay-style accommodation in an airy, traditional wooden house on stilts, set in a large, pretty garden where Thai food is served. Rooms sport lovely teak floorboards, old wooden furniture, cable TVs (some with DVDs) and nice touches like bathrobes and bedside books; hot showers are shared. Massages, cookery classes and bicycles are available. Price: B400
29 SK House 30 Soi 9, Thanon Moonmuang 053 210690 www.sk-riverview.com Efficient, brick-built high-rise with a ground-floor café and Internet access, a small, shaded swimming pool and a slightly institutional feel. Fan rooms come with hot-water bathrooms, while the air-con rooms are much more colourful and attractive, with cable TV. Price: B250
30 Supreme Guest House 44/1 Soi 9, Thanon Moonmuang 053 222480 Friendly Scottish-run guest house in a modern concrete block with a pleasant roof veranda. The rooms are comfortable and have fans and solar-heated showers. Price: B200
31 3 Sis 1 Soi 8 Thanon Phra Pokklao 053 273243 www.the3sis.com Genteel B&B with lots of attractive open-plan public areas to loll about in. Rooms in the new building have wooden floors and tasteful furnishings that also feature a lot of dark wood, while those in the original building are equally spacious but a little less stylish; all have air-con, hot water and fridges. Free internet and wi-fi. Breakfast included. Price: B1400
32 Tamarind Village 50/1 Thanon Ratchadamnoen 053 418896–9 www.tamarindvillage.com Named for a huge, 200-year-old tamarind tree that shades the compound, this small, tranquil boutique resort in the heart of Chiang Mai's old city is designed in Lanna style, though the extremely comfortable rooms, which all enjoy lovely garden views, have modern touches. Good-sized pool, attractive spa and excellent restaurant too.Price: B4000
33 Tri Yaan Na Ros 156 Thanon Wualai, to the south of the old city centre 053 273174 www.triyaannaros.com This renovated colonial building oozes atmosphere, from the four-poster beds to the photos of ancient Lanna on the walls. A small library, Internet access and free bicycle use for guests. Price: B3000
34 U Chiang Mai 70 Thanon Ratchdamnoen 053 327000 www.uchiangmai.com Go-ahead hotel with lots of innovative ideas: 24hr use of room, heritage talks and walks, breakfast (included) available in your bedroom until 5pm, free bikes and wi-fi. The reading room and spa occupy the hundred-year-old former governor's residence, while some of the rooms – decorated in contemporary Thai style, with daybeds on the balconies, rain showers and iPods – give straight onto the small, black swimming pool. Price: B4500
35 Your House 8 Soi 2, Thanon Ratchawithi 053 217492 www.yourhouseguesthouse.com Very welcoming, old-town atmosphere (though some rooms get a bit of noise from nearby bars) and a wide choice of accommodation: in the attractive, original teak house, six airy rooms share four bathrooms (two with hot showers); the two modern annexes across the lane, both with hot water en suite, include lovely, big, new rooms with polished teak floors, small balconies, well-equipped bathrooms and internet access. Optional air-con in most rooms. The restaurant serves good Thai and French food, with buffalo steak and chips a speciality. Good for treks, day-trips and train, plane and bus tickets. Call for free pick-up. Discounts for singles. Price: B250