Getting Around Chiang Mai: Red Trucks, Grab and Walking the Old City
Key takeaways
- The red-truck songthaews (rot daeng) are Chiang Mai's transport backbone, running flexible routes around the city for a small flat fare, commonly around 30 baht for a shared hop in town.
- Grab works well in Chiang Mai and shows the price up front, which makes it the easy choice for a fixed fare, a longer trip, or a rainy evening.
- The old city is a compact square roughly 1.5 km on each side inside the moat, so walking covers far more than most visitors expect and is often the fastest way between nearby sights.
- For anything beyond the moat, from Nimman to the Sunday market to the airport, a red truck or a Grab bridges the gap cheaply.
- Locals mix all three: walk the old city, flag a red truck for medium hops, and use Grab when they want a set price or it is late.
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Getting around Chiang Mai comes down to three things: walking the compact old city inside the moat, flagging a red-truck songthaew for a small flat fare of around 30 baht for medium hops, and booking a Grab when you want the price fixed or it is late. Chiang Mai is the easiest major Thai city to move around, and after years of using it I still think most visitors overcomplicate it. You do not need a scooter or a plan. You need to know how the red trucks work, when to walk, and when to open the app.
Learn the red trucks first
The red trucks are Chiang Mai’s transport backbone, and understanding them is the key to the whole city. Known as rot daeng, they are shared songthaews, converted pickups with two bench seats in the back that run flexible routes rather than fixed lines, for a small flat fare commonly around 30 baht for a shared hop in town 1. You flag one down, say where you are going, and if it suits the driver’s direction you climb in the back and press the buzzer when you want out.
The etiquette that trips people up is the fare: agree it before or as you get in, especially for a longer or private run, because there is no meter. Have small notes ready. I got this wrong on my first trip and paid a private charter price for what should have been a shared seat, purely because I did not ask first. If you want the full mechanics of flagging, sharing and paying, I have written them up in songthaews explained.
Use Grab when you want a fixed price
Grab works smoothly in Chiang Mai and is the easy choice whenever you want certainty, because the fare is shown up front before you book and there is nothing to negotiate 2. It is my default for a longer trip across town, a late night when the red trucks thin out, or heavy rain when standing at the roadside flagging a truck loses its charm.
The trade-off is simple: Grab is usually a little dearer than a shared red truck for a short hop, and cheaper on stress. Most locals and long-stay visitors carry both in their heads, reaching for the truck when it is cheap and casual and the app when they want a set price or comfort. If a driver ever behaves badly, the Department of Land Transport complaint line is 1584 and Tourist Police are on 1155. I have covered how the app dispatches cars and picks you up in Grab in Thailand.
Just walk the old city
For anything inside the moat, the best transport is often your own feet, because the old city is a compact square roughly 1.5 km on each side 1. Most temples, cafes and guesthouses within it are ten to twenty minutes apart, which means waiting for a ride can genuinely be slower than walking. It is also how you stumble on the quiet wats and lanes that make Chiang Mai what it is.
I walk the old city almost entirely and only reach for a truck or Grab to cross town or head out to Nimman, the night bazaar or the airport. The one caveat is the roads themselves: crossing the moat road and the busier junctions needs care, and Thai traffic does not defer to pedestrians the way you might expect at home. Official travel advice is candid about road conditions, and it is worth a glance before you assume a crossing is safe 3.
Bridge the gaps beyond the moat
For everywhere beyond the old city, from Nimman to the Sunday walking street to the airport, a red truck or a Grab bridges the gap cheaply and easily. The city is small enough that these trips are short, and either option handles them without fuss: a red truck for a shared, low fare, or a Grab for a fixed one. This is how locals actually move around, mixing all three modes by distance, weather and hour rather than committing to one.
The airport run is the most common of these, and Chiang Mai makes it painless, which I have set out in Chiang Mai airport transfer. The only mode I am cautious about recommending is a self-ridden scooter for the hill trips, because Thailand has around 32 road deaths per 100,000 people a year, with motorcyclists about three-quarters of them 4. For Doi Suthep and the countryside, a chartered red truck or driver reaches the same places without putting you on a bike in traffic you do not know.
Fares and routes in Chiang Mai vary and change over time, so treat the figures here as a rough guide and agree the price with the driver or check the app before you travel.
References
- Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourism Authority of Thailand. ↩
- Department of Land Transport, Department of Land Transport. ↩
- Thailand travel advice, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. ↩
- Global status report on road safety, World Health Organization. ↩
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to get around Chiang Mai?
A mix works best. Inside the old city, walking is often quickest because the moat encloses a compact square only about 1.5 km on a side. For trips out to Nimman, the markets or the airport, flag a red-truck songthaew for a small shared fare, or book a Grab if you want the price fixed in advance. Locals switch between all three depending on distance, weather and time of day rather than relying on one.
How do the red trucks in Chiang Mai work?
The red trucks (rot daeng) are shared songthaews, converted pickups with two bench seats in the back that run flexible routes rather than fixed lines. You flag one down, tell the driver where you are going, and if it fits their direction they nod you in. You pay a small flat fare, commonly around 30 baht for a shared hop in town, agreed before or as you get in. For a longer or private trip you agree a higher flat fare first.
How much is a red truck in Chiang Mai?
A shared hop within the town is commonly around 30 baht, agreed before you get in, though it varies with distance and whether you are sharing or chartering the truck privately. Longer trips or a private run to the airport cost more and should be agreed up front. Fares drift over time, so confirm the price with the driver rather than assuming, and have small notes ready.
Is Grab good in Chiang Mai?
Yes, Grab works smoothly in Chiang Mai and is a reliable way to get a car with the fare shown up front, which removes any haggling. It is my choice for a longer trip, a late night, or heavy rain, when flagging a red truck is less appealing. The red trucks are usually cheaper for short shared hops, so most people use both: Grab for certainty, red trucks for cheap and casual.
Can you walk around Chiang Mai old city?
Yes, and you should. The old city inside the moat is a compact square roughly 1.5 km on each side, so most temples, cafes and guesthouses within it are ten to twenty minutes apart on foot. Walking is frequently faster than waiting for a ride for these short distances, and it is how you actually see the place. Save the red trucks and Grab for trips beyond the moat.
Do I need to rent a scooter in Chiang Mai?
Not for the old city and the central areas, which are well covered by walking, red trucks and Grab. A scooter helps for day trips into the hills or out to Doi Suthep, but it carries real risk: Thailand has one of the world's highest road-death rates, with motorcyclists the large majority. If you are not a confident rider, a red truck or a chartered driver reaches the same places without you taking on that risk.
Written by Jon Ferris. Checked by Wichai Thongchai, 20+ years professional driver, Bangkok.
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