Chiang Mai 2026, Thailand

In this post, I’ll share images taken in Chiang Mai over a four night trip in late June, 2026. I’ve visited Chiang Mai several times before and shared information on its history and the touristic places to visit. You can read about that here and here. Therefore, I’ll focus this post on new information and images.

Since spending US$200 on obtaining a Platinum Elite Ambassador membership with IHG Hotels and Resorts, I try my best to stay at their hotels to get something back for the small investment. My brother swears by this program and thinks it’s the best money spent. Until this trip, I had my doubts if it was worth it because hotels like the Intercontinental Grand Parnas in Seoul didn’t provide any value for this level of membership.

Intercontinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping

This all changed when checking into the Intercontinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping. Not only did they acknowledge the status, they provided a totally different experience. We got a special check-in process in a different building, welcome drinks and would have received a room upgrade if the hotel had more suites available. We were already booked in a fairly high standard room, the Premium King Mountain View with Lounge Access room.

As you’ve seen on this blog, I prefer to save money on material things and spend that money on experiences. This includes paying a bit more for a nicer hotel or splurging for Business Class seats. The Mae Ping cost TBH 49,000 for four nights or US$360/night. It was money well spent! The hotel was gorgeous, the service absolutely impeccable, and the food (with the exception of breakfast) fantastic. The only area of improvement would be to provide more a la carte choices for breakfast as I never did find a dish that I truly loved.

The location of the hotel was ideal, right in the middle of the city, with convenient walking access to the old town, night markets, plenty of restaurants, bars, and if you so desire, the underworld. That was perhaps the only negative with the location; there were prostitutes down the road that we had to dodge every night when going out.

Of all the IHG hotels I’ve stayed at around the world, I think The Mae Ping demonstrated the best service experienced thus far, and that says a lot because we’ve had great service from the likes of the Kimpton Maa Lai in Bangkok. Every single person at The Mae Ping engaged in some interaction with us during our stay. Most importantly, those interactions were warm, sincere and caring. For example, everytime we walked by a housekeeping person, they’d say a warm “hello”, but if they picked up even a hint that something was off, they’d immediately ask if we needed anything.

I found the hotel’s team had great instincts. They somehow knew exactly what we wanted before we even knew we wanted it. Several team members provided us impromptu suggestions. For example, we were enjoying the happy hour when Tristan in the lounge asked if we’d seen sunset yet from the Sky Bar. We hadn’t, but what’s more important is that he raised this topic because the weather forecast was showing tonight being the only clear night for the remainder of our stay. He suggested we go up around 6:30 to watch the sunset and arranged the reservation for us. The images below were due to his intuition and foresight. We experienced this kind of intuitive service throughout our stay and from every member of the Mae Ping team. Truly exceptional!

The hotel has something very unique and special for Asian customers. A very famous Taiwanese pop singer and actress, Teresa Teng, tragically passed away in the hotel from a severe asthma attack in May 1995. To honour her legacy and provide a place for her fans to say goodbye, the hotel very tastefully retained the suite she was staying in and kept it exactly as it was in the 1990’s. The memorial is accessible via the Hongs Chinese Restaurant on the 16th floor. I recommend booking afternoon tea and spending some time in the memorial suite.

Thai Temples (Wats)

Even though I’ve visited these temples several times before on previous trips, it’s always worthwhile to revisit them. They’re gorgeous and Chiang Mai has my favourite Thai temple of all time, the Wat Sri Suphan, often known as the Silver Temple.

Another favourite is the Wat Phra Singh, especially the recently restored Viharn Lai Kham wooden, Lanna style assembly hall.

Night Markets

No trip to Thailand would be complete without visiting numerous night markets. Within walking distance of the hotel were several including the Pavilion Bazaar, where we ate amazing Khao Soi (there’s only one stand selling it there).

On other nights, we made our way over to the larger night food market at the Tha Phae Walking Street. While a bit older, the selection here was much larger and more authentic. We saw a lot of local Thai people eating here, whereas we only saw foreigners eating at the Pavilion.

Drag Shows

No trip to Thailand would be complete without seeing a drag show and Ram Bar did not disappoint. What did disappoint however was how few people were there this time. In previous visits, this bar was rammed full of people. I spoke to some locals who said that tourism in Chiang Mai is going through a severe low point without any explanation why. Perhaps the ever-changing immigration rules could be impacting it. However, Bangkok and Pattaya were chock full of tourists the last time I went, so it’s a bit bizarre.

Conclusion

Chiang Mai has always been and continues to be an excellent tourism destination with loads of food, coffee, drinking and relaxation choices. This is not the place to go for shopping, but if you want to wind down and relax, Chiang Mai makes for a great destination.