Make day trips less stressful and hire a private driver in Chiang Mai
(Disclosure: when booking through links on this page we may take a small commission.)
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How to find and hire a private driver in Chiang Mai
Hiring your own driver is a much more flexible option for any group of travelers or families. Go where you want to go. Go at your own pace. Spend as long as you want on your adventure.
With private hires, we’ve found that the vehicles are often newer models and can accommodate large families in the same vehicle. For a family or a group larger than 4 people, make sure you get a mini-van to get around Chiang Mai. The daily rate will be a bit more, but totally worth it!
Recommendations
Thai Lady Driver
Thai Lady Driver is a locally run business that provides private drivers. The drivers are all qualified and offer some of the best rates in Chiang Mai! They will be sure to get you where you want to go! Reach out to Thai Lady Driver now to hire your very own driver.
Klook
Klook largely operates in South East Asia and offers everything from private drivers, to tours, to train tickets, to accommodation. We use them quite a lot for amazing discounts on attractions and have used them in the past for private driver hire.
Klook is a growing and popular tour guide agency operating in Asia. They have a choice of vehicles to choose from, car seats are free (1 per car hire), and you can request a driver who speaks English or Chinese. If you get the Klook app, you’ll qualify for an instant discount!
Get Your Guide
You could also hire a private driver through Get Your Guide which offers 24/7 support and has a good cancellation policy. They also offer deals on local Chiang Mai attractions and are worth investigating for both private drivers and tickets to tourist destinations.
Alternatively, you should easily be able to arrange a private car through your hotel or guesthouse. Most have drivers that they always work with and have a good reputation already. You can also look on tripadvisor for recommendations.
Hire a taxi for the day
Usually you just take a taxi from A to B. Here in Thailand, you can rent a taxi for an entire day for a flat rate*. Through the most popular metered taxi services, Chiang Mai Taxi, or Taxi Kingdom you can easily find a driver to take you where you wish to go anywhere in Chiang Mai. All of their websites provide rates for the most popular destinations. Use these as a handy guideline if you plan on hiring a private taxi to take your family to a different place.
Where to hire a private car and driver in Chiang Mai
The easiest way to find a driver* is through your hotel or guesthouse as they have great connections. While convenient, they will likely charge a surcharge. If you’re family is travelling on a budget, here are some local operators that you could try to bargain with!
As mentioned above, Thai Lady Driver is a local private car hire service that will make all arrangements and take good care of you. Their rates are also very reasonable and drivers are professional.
North Wheels is a car and van rental company that offers to rent with a driver. Drivers cost an additional 500 baht per day and can serve you between 8 am – 7 pm.
Alternatively choose a driver who makes people pleasing his thing. Mister A who operates through Chiang Mai Driver has quite a fan base! He has some recommended tours, but encourages that you make your own decisions and can help design a personalized tour just for you and your family! Costs depend on trip destination and length.
You could also arrange your family’s day out with Mr. Sutthi (Sue-tee) who runs Chiang Mai Driver Guide. He also has raving testimonials and he and his driving staff have over 15 years experience. Everyone speaks English proficiently. On offer are numerous tours, but he also inspires to accommodate customer desires through customized family tours.
Recommended by TheBlondeTravels, Take Me Tour is not your typical organised tour and you will get a first hand experience from someone who lives and works in Chiang Mai. They also offer tour packages if that’s preferred.
Is it safe to hire a private driver or taxi?
Now you may be wondering; is it safe to hire a driver? In general, yes. Obviously go with your gut and make sure someone else has your contact details and knows your travel plans. We’ve never heard of nor encountered issues with drivers in the past and hope your experience is just wonderful as ours have been.
When considering hiring a taxi for the day, Chiang Mai’s taxis are driven carefully and drivers take care of their vehicles. However, the government recognizes passenger safety remains an issue. Thailand’s Department of Land Transport have proposed a solution. All taxi service providers will be required to install GPS Tracking, driver identification, CCTV, and an emergency button that links to the network centre. Drivers will also be issued a TAXI OK sticker. To report a complaint about public transport in Chiang Mai, call 1584. Make sure to tell your place of stay who you have hired and take a photo of their identification just to be on the safe side.
When hiring a private driver, keep your family safe by only choosing recommended operators or those with a great reputation. Always tell someone who you are with and where you plan to go for the day. Before you get in the car or mini-van reconfirm your plans with the driver and set your own ground rules. With some operators you can even request a car seat.
*When hiring a driver for the day, it is customary to tip!
Maybe you’d rather rent a car in Chiang Mai instead?
Places to go with a private driver in Chiang Mai!
Maybe you’ve already got a place in mind, hence the need for a private driver, or you’re looking for places to go that would require a driver.
You’ll want to check out our explore page and day trips page for ideas of great places to see around Chiang Mai.