Driver in Chiang Mai for several days
FR

Translated into English.

Original post
MA
Hi there, I can’t seem to find a car rental with a driver for several days in Chiang Mai to explore the surrounding areas, preferably in the countryside/mountains, villages, etc. Would anyone have a driver to recommend? Thanks
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
QU Quensol ·
Hi there, We used Mr. Boon for 5 days—he speaks English and a few words of French. He’s pleasant and a good driver. If you search for him on Google, you’ll find him. I messaged him on Facebook Messenger. But you’re traveling in peak season... Cheers,
JO Jojoone1 Globetrotter ·
Make sure to emphasize that you're hiring them for several days to lower the package price during negotiations.

Don’t forget to ask them to accompany you to the waterfall farthest from Doi Inthanon Park’s entrance, or else carefully note the route on your way there. It’s only a 10-minute walk from the parking lot, but after a while, there aren’t many signs. On the way back, I wouldn’t have been able to find the path, and even our driver started heading in the wrong direction.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
Hi again Joël, I still need to find a driver first!!! This isn’t looking good. My hotel is great, but they’re not helpful AT ALL. I’ve already asked for several things, and every time it’s: I don’t know. They’re nice and smiley, but it’s basically "figure it out yourself, just look online." I think I’ll do what you told me in private: I’ll take a songthaew to the airport and try to flag down a taxi there...
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/15imAxD82n/?mibextid=K35XfP

There’s a Chiang Mai-specific French-speaking Facebook group. You might find what you’re looking for there!
"Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux." Marcel Proust
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
Hello and thank you so much for the thought! But I don’t have a Facebook account...
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
Hello and thank you so much for the thought! But I don’t have a Facebook account...

Well, here’s a great chance to open one! ;) Only fools never change their minds—it’s always been my idea
"Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux." Marcel Proust
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
I may have found a driver. A taxi card I got from the hotel. He seems serious and looks like he needs clients. We're meeting the day after tomorrow in the morning to figure out what I want to do together. So I need to present him with a solid plan so he sees this is MY project. I need to review your advice and suggestions to sort out what can be done in the same geographic area in one day without rushing...
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
Only fools never change their minds, that’s always been my take

So I must be a huge one because I hate Facebook. Sorry [;]
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
Only fools never change their minds, it’s always been my motto 😏

Well, I must be a huge one then because I hate Facebook. Sorry 😉

No worries, it was just a joke 😉 I’m not a shareholder 🤪 Happy searching and safe travels !
"Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux." Marcel Proust
JO Jojoone1 Globetrotter ·
I’ve sorted things out for you. Email’s sent, but you’re already asleep and will find it when you wake up.

I didn’t mention the massage parlors, but once you’ve had your legs and feet massaged and you’re walking out feeling like you’re gliding and floating in your shoes, there’s just this sense of well-being in the air! !
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
I sorted things out for you. Email sent, but you were already asleep and will discover it when you wake up.

I didn’t mention the massage parlors, but once you’ve had your legs and feet massaged and you’re gliding and floating in your shoes, there’s a real sense of well-being in the air!

Thanks Joël, I got your email. I’m not sure if I’ll do all of it—I’ll narrow it down. I’ve thought about massages too, but there are so many that I don’t know which one to choose! ;)
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
JO Jojoone1 Globetrotter ·
I feel relieved now—I was worried I hadn’t planned enough to fill all those days!

No matter which massage parlor; we just went to the first one we found once our feet were screaming for help. As a precaution, don’t let them touch your back or neck, and ask them to go easy on your legs. Thai massages are often a little… intense.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
GA Garcinlazare Regular ·
Hi, You also have the Grab, Bolt, and InDrive apps that could help with your search
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
I may have found a driver. A taxi card I got at the hotel. He seems serious and looks like he needs clients. We’re meeting the day after tomorrow to go over what I want to do. So I need to present him with a solid plan so he sees it’s MY project. I need to review your tips and suggestions to sort out what can be done in the same area in one day without rushing...

I’d heard the rate was between 2,000 and 2,500 THB per day. 3,000 THB for Doi Inthanon... The driver I found gave me different prices depending on the destinations: 5,000 THB for the waterfalls in Doi Inthanon National Park, which I negotiated down to 4,000. Then 2,000 for Lamphun, 3,000 for another day, and two days at 3,500 each for two other itineraries I presented. In total, 16,000 THB, which I negotiated down to 14,000. I’m wondering if I got a bad deal on this rate... Since I’m planning two more outings, I’d like to have a solid baseline for negotiating...

I’m in the middle of peak season, and everything’s gone up considerably in Thailand. So I don’t want to make a faux pas by pointing out he overcharged me if that’s not the case...
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
Hi Jean-Marie, I have little expertise on this country—my last trip there was almost 20 years ago… But since your question intrigued me, I took a look at the Facebook page and found this:



It’s worth what it’s worth… Happy searching!
"Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux." Marcel Proust
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
Hi Jean-Marie, I have little expertise on this country—my last trip there was almost 20 years ago... But since your question piqued my curiosity, I took a look at the Facebook page and found this:



It’s worth what it’s worth... Happy searching!

Yes, of course, thanks, but that’s mostly about guides... And since we’re in February 2025, prices may have changed. But thanks anyway for the info
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
Did you see that the Great Know-It-All-Who-Knows-Better-Than-Everyone-Else-And-What-I-Need-Myself, who conveniently steers people in private messages toward another travel forum that competes with VF—and basically promotes it to our favorite forum’s members 😉—got really upset that I followed other advice—including yours—rather than his!!!

By the way, I’ll say it again: I’m so glad I chose to stay in Chiang Mai for 3 weeks instead of wandering around an unfamiliar region where locals don’t speak English or even—very often—Thai, but their own dialect. I’m also glad I picked a fantastic, comfortable hotel—at a more than reasonable price despite its quality—rather than some cheap accommodation, so I could visit all the magical places you shared in your travel journals and mentioned in your last email. Go check out my WhatsApp status, and you’ll see if I’m unhappy here...

And I’d add: Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you can’t look at the menu.
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
SO Songsam Veteran ·
Short memory?

By the way, I’ll say it again—I’m so glad I decided to stay in Chiang Mai for 3 weeks

Chiang Mai... I’ve been here for two days, and if Booking.com hadn’t charged my card for my 20-night stay, I’d be thinking about getting out of here fast.
QU Quensol ·
Hi there, Looks like 3,500 baht for Doi Inthanon, Including the waterfall, Hmong market, Ang Ka trail, Karen village. Given the price in the Facebook group I shared with you, it’s a couple looking for 2 people to join the trip with the driver I mentioned. Cheers,
JO Jojoone1 Globetrotter ·
For the "grand Manitou," I’m not sure who exactly, but I’d say we all tend to be one because we automatically think that what applies to us applies to everyone.

Yet none of us travels the country every day in every province with every driver to know exactly what the perfect average or the right price is at any given time for any given place. Our first and only trip to Thailand was in the winter of 2007. So I’d stuck with 1600 to 2500 baht for July, a quieter season, depending on the length of the workday, the type of vehicle, the distance traveled, and possibly the elevation gain. Not to mention who you end up with and how successful the negotiation goes.

I checked with a local today who’s more up-to-date than I am, and considering the different factors, the peak season, and the fact that there’s less competition because few drivers are available right now, the daily price average you got isn’t outrageous. Okay, you’re a bit above the best price you could’ve gotten.

From experience, I’ve noticed that if you push the price to the max, there’s often a knock-on effect on the quality of the service, and you might end up losing out without even realizing it.

Just make sure to reassure me once you’re certain you’ve found someone reliable...
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
JO Jojoone1 Globetrotter ·
Yes, but how many waterfalls in the park at that price?
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
QU Quensol ·
Worth noting: Wat Rong Khun, the waterfalls...

Françoise
JO Jojoone1 Globetrotter ·
Jean-Marie’s itinerary is way more extensive than that, and you’ll cover a much greater distance in the national park, with some extra elevation changes. It’s not the same service at all.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
From experience, I’ve found that if you push the price to the absolute limit, there’s often a knock-on effect on the quality of the service, and you can end up losing out without even realizing it.

I totally agree with you on that. I’ve got a lot of experience with this, having used drivers many times during my early trips to India. Back then, I was working and could afford that "luxury." More than once, I thought I’d negotiated a great deal, only to end up disappointed because the driver—who’d had to seriously lower his price—made me "pay" for it, either through bad attitude, sulking all day, or cutting the itinerary short, etc. Not to mention the rock-bottom prices where you end up with a clunker that breaks down after an hour, can’t handle hills, or has busted seats... On the other hand, some drivers with rates that seemed high to me provided extraordinary service—great skills, good attitude, professionalism—throughout the day or even multiple days...
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
MA Marien33 Veteran ·
I was thinking of you today. I bought myself two nice shirts from two different shops. Negotiated the price really well. I’m great when it comes to clothes, an object, or any other "souvenir" where I can estimate the market value. But for car rental and my first trip to Thailand, I had no idea about basic rates, fuel prices, etc., which would’ve let me negotiate with confidence when faced with arguments I couldn’t counter—high mileage, fuel costs, time spent driving and visiting, etc.

I also didn’t know the standard of living for a driver, whether they’re self-employed, own their own vehicle, or work for a "boss" who exploits them (as is often the case in India, which is my only reference point).
Je rencontrai sur mon chemin tant de difficultés Qu’elles furent toutes surmontées MIRZA GHALIB poète urdu (1796 -1869) https://www.telling-india-pictures.com https://youpic.com/marien
JO Jojoone1 Globetrotter ·
There are many who don’t own the vehicle—the others often bought it on credit.

When they categorically refuse to continue bargaining, it’s because it’s been pushed too far. On the other hand, you should be wary of the arguments they use. While they may be valid in principle, they’re sometimes used to inflate prices.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood

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