TotallyOz Posted December 4, 2008 Posted December 4, 2008 I had to be in Chiang Mai next week and wanted to come early to enjoy some of the guys here. So, I jumped into a van and had him drive me to Chiang Mai from Pattaya. There were no airports open and I was told the train was a pain so i just hired a van. He arrived on time at 8:30 AM and I got my things into the van and off we went. I tried to lay down and take a nap but he was all over the roads. He was going over 150. I grunted every time we hit a bump but he didn't get the message. So, I asked him nicely to slow down. He did until I closed my eyes and off he went again. We played this game for a long time until I gave up. Unfortunately, he had no seat belts in the back so I would have been thrown to Burma if we had an accident. Luckily, I made it here fine. My back aches from the up and down speed bumps and the road was not as good as I hoped. I did get to see some beautiful temples from the roadway but we didn't stop for any. We ate at a Big C on the way and low and behold I was walking in when the first boy I ever offed from a bar in Thailand said HI. He worked at future boys back then and now I guess he is retired. He was 29 back then and that was 5 years ago. He still looked great and it was so nice to see him. He was with his family and he introduced them to me. He spoke in Thai so I think he said, "this is the sucker who hired a van to drive from Pattaya to Chiang Mai" or something along those lines. Once inside the city, the driver had a hard time finding my hotel. It took over an hour once we were here as he kept stopping and talking to food cart vendors to get directions. At least that is what I think he was doing. I called the hotel on my phone and he spoke to the lady for directions. We did this 5 times before he found the hotel. It is one of the larger ones in the city so I am not sure why no one knew where it was or if it was just him that was lost over and over again. I bought him M150 a few times as that is what he requested when we stopped for a toilet break. Do you think they affected his mind so that he didn't know he was going too fast? 12 hours Quote
Guest shockdevil Posted December 4, 2008 Posted December 4, 2008 I had to be in Chiang Mai next week and wanted to come early to enjoy some of the guys here. So, I jumped into a van and had him drive me to Chiang Mai from Pattaya. There were no airports open and I was told the train was a pain so i just hired a van. GT: Twice I have used the overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai and then flown back to BKK. Although the 1st Class Sleeper compartment was not as luxurious as those in the UK or USA, it was very comfortable, private, air-conditioned and nice size. I really do not think I could have handled a 12 hours ride in a van. Over-all, the overnight train was not a bad experience and I believe it cost me less than $25. Quote
Guest Posted December 4, 2008 Posted December 4, 2008 GT: Twice I have used the overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai and then flown back to BKK. Although the 1st Class Sleeper compartment was not as luxurious as those in the UK or USA, it was very comfortable, private, air-conditioned and nice size. I really do not think I could have handled a 12 hours ride in a van. Over-all, the overnight train was not a bad experience and I believe it cost me less than $25. Thanks. I appreciate that. I talked to a friend 2 days ago that said the cabin he was in had roaches. I was planning on the train but when I heard that I bolted. It would have been s more economical move for me to stick with the train and honestly, with all the bumps, my back and touch would be better than they are now. I need a good massage. I will try the train next time as I have always like traveling by train. When I lived in NYC, I would take the train from NYC to Montreal about once a month and loved it. I found it peaceful and relaxing. Quote
Guest shockdevil Posted December 4, 2008 Posted December 4, 2008 Thanks. I appreciate that. I talked to a friend 2 days ago that said the cabin he was in had roaches. I was planning on the train but when I heard that I bolted. It would have been s more economical move for me to stick with the train and honestly, with all the bumps, my back and touch would be better than they are now. I need a good massage. I will try the train next time as I have always like traveling by train. When I lived in NYC, I would take the train from NYC to Montreal about once a month and loved it. I found it peaceful and relaxing. GT: I love travel by train. I usually take the sleeper train from Miami, Florida USA to Philadelphia, PA, after an exciting stay South Beach. As far as the overnight train to Chiang Mai earlier this year (February 2008), I did not see the roaches. In fact, there were four (4) of us traveling and we had connecting rooms with made the trip even more fun. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the ride but agreed that one-way was more than enough for this trip. My boyfriend recommended we take the sleeper train because he said it was more affordable for him when he travels to see his family there. I must say, ONLY TAKE THE 1ST CLASS ROOM when traveling on the overnight train. I walked through and had a look at each class of seats and there were a lot of foreigners in the 2nd Class section, which looked like a bunch of bunk beds with over head fans. The lounge car was turned into rowdy nightclub with many foreigners singing and drinking liquor. Quote
Guest laurence Posted December 4, 2008 Posted December 4, 2008 I also have taken the overnight train to Chiang Mai and had connecting rooms in the sleeper car. All food and drink was brought to the car which was the last car in the train. I never did make it to the lounge car and did not even know there was one. It was a worthwhile experience and we did do a round trip. Quote
Guest Geezer Posted December 4, 2008 Posted December 4, 2008 I’ve had a bedroom BKK - CM about eight times. Never have seen the first bug. Quote
KhorTose Posted December 5, 2008 Posted December 5, 2008 I am kind of curious why the owner of a message board would not ask his contributors what is the best way to get to Chiang Mai without flying. Twelve hours is not that bad of a time for driving, but (as you now know) not a good idea. If you had asked I have the feeling that you would have tried the overnight train. Just a thought, and I hope the hotel you picked worked out. You may be surprised to find out that some of the many 5 star hotels in CM are not that good a deal. Quote
Guest Posted December 5, 2008 Posted December 5, 2008 I am kind of curious why the owner of a message board would not ask his contributors what is the best way to get to Chiang Mai without flying. Twelve hours is not that bad of a time for driving, but (as you now know) not a good idea. If you had asked I have the feeling that you would have tried the overnight train. Just a thought, and I hope the hotel you picked worked out. You may be surprised to find out that some of the many 5 star hotels in CM are not that good a deal. Honestly, it was a last minute decision. I knew I needed to be in Chiang Mai but was planning on taking a plane. Then, when the airport seizure came through I was up in the air as to what to do. I had planned on taking the train as I always wanted to try it. Then, at the last minute, I was told of the cockroaches and booked the van the night before I was to leave. I don't often plan things far in advance. When I get tired of something I just move on. I am planning my next trip in advance. At least those are my plans for now. Quote
