I'm not so sure about the goodness of public transportation in Bangkok. There's a few trains, one metro and a completely chaotic bus system. Take a taxi and you

I'm not so sure about the goodness of public transportation in Bangkok. There's a few trains, one metro and a completely chaotic bus system. Take a taxi and you'll be ripped off because you're a farang. Chiang Mai is almost as chaotic, but in a smaller scale. Still you really can't walk everywhere as easily as in a big european city. My advice for people going to Thailand would be to go to the north, small towns like Mae Hong Son are amazing places. Rent a motorbike and drive around the mountain villages. It's much cheaper than in the south and people are way more friendlier. The other option is to go to the southern islands. Koh Samui is the most expensive place, made for couples and families. Koh Phangan is the party island where you can buy some marijuana and end up spending 20 years in a Thai jail. There's some nice hidden places in that island with less drug tourism. Most of the locals really despise tourists though and I can really understand that. Koh Tao is the diver's island, but my friend who was there when we were in Phangan told us, that it's getting more touristy and turning into another Phangan with young and recless party people. The best islands I visited were in the Andaman sea. Koh Lanta, Koh Ngai... Much more relaxed places and the locals really are more friendlier there because the party tourism is missing. I was there for six weeks and I'd go again anytime.