Chiang Mai - Cheaper to pre-book or turnup?

[DarkHorse]

I'm looking to be staying in Chiang Mai around Feb\March next year, as part of a long stay in Thailand.

 

Generally is it cheaper to pre-book accommodation or can you negotiate a better price by waiting until you are there? I want to be fairly flexible with my travel arrangements so would prefer not to be tied down to specific dates unless it will be significantly more expensive.

[FROST MEDIC999]

Hello

 

Lots of Myths around all that you ask, but my experience shows that Pre-Booking is often the cheaper way to go than just turning up.

This is based on over 30Yrs of Travelling to Thailand and just my findings.

 

Now before you think all may be lost, it is worth remembering that if you have access to a Computer you could pick out the hotel you eyeball check what Rate is being offered then walk in to the hotel and ask about Price.

 

Should it be Cheaper then that is great for you, if however it is more, then tell the hotel and see if they Price Match. If they do not, get back on the Computer and Book via that, and then return to the hotel. This involves a little pissing about, but if Monies are an issue and you are not sure where, when you are staying, then Why not ? Works for me and I sometimes employ this

method

 

Cheers

 

Ghosty

[dtyolmn]

I have turned up and also pre-booked at the Rux-Thai and it is the same. Very nice place , would'nt stay anywhere else. Very friendly and clean. Lat year I paid 500 bht a day I think. Free wi-fi, A/C, resturant. Just a suggestion.

[DarkHorse]

Ok thanks for the information, sounds like I am best trying to pre-book a few days before I get to Chiang Mai but no need to book way in advance. I normally travel with a netbook so this should not be a problem.

 

The Rux-Thai looks nice, I'll make a note of it, thanks.

[mikeyboy]

Ok thanks for the information, sounds like I am best trying to pre-book a few days before I get to Chiang Mai but no need to book way in advance. I normally travel with a netbook so this should not be a problem.

 

The Rux-Thai looks nice, I'll make a note of it, thanks.

 

I can recommend Top North hotel , good value , central location

 

Mikeyboy

[SLEUTH]

I would book at least one night anywhere, all that arriving in a place and walking around with bags looking for accommodation is for backpackers with rough guides.You would probably lose what you saved with local transport costs and heartache.

[Baloo22]

I'm looking to be staying in Chiang Mai around Feb\March next year, as part of a long stay in Thailand. ....

 

I don't know how locked in you are to the Feb/March time-frame, but you might consider moving your Chiang Mai visit earlier by several months or else arrive after the end of March. They have a big problem with smoke pollution up here during February and March. The farmers burn off their fields, mushroom gatherers burn the forest undergrowth (apparently it helps the mushrooms grow after the rains start), and everybody else is burning leaves, trash, and whatever else they want to burn.

 

I arrived here in Chiang Mai early March this year and many days you could barely see the sun. Some days were so bad my eyes would be burning after a short time outside. And it was even worse further north in Chiang Rai. They had multiple airline flights into Chiang Rai cancelled because of the smoke "haze". It started to clear up the first part of April. I know I am not going to be spending next Feb and Mar here. I'll take a three-month "vacation" somewhere else.

[mikeyboy]

I don't know how locked in you are to the Feb/March time-frame, but you might consider moving your Chiang Mai visit earlier by several months or else arrive after the end of March. They have a big problem with smoke pollution up here during February and March. The farmers burn off their fields, mushroom gatherers burn the forest undergrowth (apparently it helps the mushrooms grow after the rains start), and everybody else is burning leaves, trash, and whatever else they want to burn.

 

I arrived here in Chiang Mai early March this year and many days you could barely see the sun. Some days were so bad my eyes would be burning after a short time outside. And it was even worse further north in Chiang Rai. They had multiple airline flights into Chiang Rai cancelled because of the smoke "haze". It started to clear up the first part of April. I know I am not going to be spending next Feb and Mar here. I'll take a three-month "vacation" somewhere else.

 

Interesting , havn't come across this before in my visits to Chiang Mai . Guess iv'e been lucky with my timing .

 

Will bear in mind for future trips. thanks

 

Mikeyboy

[Baloo22]

Here are a few news articles on this year's smoke season in Northern Thailand. The Nation, Thailand Business News and MCOT News

There's more out on the internet if you want to do some google. From talking to some other falang that have lived up here for some years, this is a yearly event. It was just especially bad this year.

 

The government officials and Thai police were, of course, as useful as tits on a boar hog. Often they just wanted to blame the Burmese across the border for starting forest fires. In the neighborhood were I'm now living there are several signs with pictures of the PM and some other useless character saying "Don't Burn" in english and thai. Absolutely nobody payed the slightest attention to them. I personally witnessed, in Chiang Mai city itself, many people raking leaves into piles and then burning them. I probably could have tried explaining to them that it was not a good idea but I suspect I would have better luck explaining algebra to a squirrel.

 

Some of the other solutions proposed by government officials were really comical. A good one was "The authorities in Chiang Rai plan to dispatch workers to spray water into the air to ease the dust particle level". Sounds like something my 3-year old grandson would suggest. But then my 5-year old granddaughter would reply "That's silly. It will only clean a tiny area!" But for Thai government officials it all makes sense.

 

Finally, some April rain showers came and cleaned the air some. Since then there has been many nightly thunderstorms and heavier rains that have kept the fires down. So now for the government it's "Smoke problem? What smoke problem?" Till next year. That's why I'm definitely going to plan a trip somewhere else for February and March next year.

 

P.S. This morning we are having a nice steady rain all morning here in Chiang Mai. Nice and cool!!!

[mikeyboy]

 

Always enjoy the winter climate in Chiang Mai , shorts daytime , jeans or trousers in the evening .

 

Perfect for me . Cleaner /clearer air too .

 

Thanks for the links Baloo22 ,

 

Mikeyboy