Upon arrival in Chiang mai - whether by bus, plane or train, tuk-tuk, Taxi - you will quite likely be crowded by touts trying to get you to a particular hotel or gusethouse.
As elsewhere in Thailand the touts get a commission from every prospective guest they bring to a guesthouse, hotel.
Even the airport touts get commissions from the large tourist hotels : the commission is ofter added to your room rate (ie., walk-ins or booking tour agent get a lower rate than those guests brought by touts).
At the railway station, ignore the official looking table with uniformed attendants who will try to funnel you into hotels and guesthouses paying commissions - they' ll say that anything not on their list is either full, dirty, or closed.
Another scam to be aware of is the bus or minivan services from Khao San road in Bangkok, which ofter advertise a free night's accommodation in Chiang Mai if you buy a Bangkok-Chiang Mai ticket. what usually happens on arrival is that the "free" guesthouse demands you sign up for one of the hill treks immediately: if you don't , the guesthouse is suddenly "full".
Sometimes they levy a charge for electricity or hot water. Guesthouses involved in the arrangement may also give you the big boot if you don't eat at their restaurant.
The saving usually don't justify the hassle; the buses are often late and substandard vehicles may be substituted for the shiny ones shown in photos on the travel agency walls.
Better guesthouses, some travel agency, the touts don't play this game. Nothing free this way.
Kobby,
http://www.k-trekking.com,
Cell phone: +66-819938320.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
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