Independent hotels in Chang Phueak

Chang Phueak is a sub-district containing five villages located north of Chiang Mai's Old City and its surrounding walls. Many of Chiang Mai's largest green spaces are located in this picturesque district, including the city's golf course and the spectacular Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. This national park named after the famous Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple also includes the winter residence of Thailand's royal family.

No Chiang Mai visit would be complete without making the trek to Doi Suthep–Pui National Park. This park shares its name with the Doi Suthep peak and the sacred Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple which stands close to the summit of this granite mountain. Visitors must climb 306 steps to reach the temple and some of Chiang Mai's most outstanding views.

Doi Suthep–Pui National Park also contains Phra Tamnak Phu Phing, the palace where Thailand's royal family spend their winters, and a second granite mountain peak called Doi Pui. Doi Pui stands higher than Doi Suthep and is home to a Hmong hill-tribe village named Ban Doi Pui.

Chang Phueak visitors can learn even more about the hill tribes who live in this relaxing part of northern Thailand at the ethnographic Tribal Museum. This museum contains jewellery and clothing exhibits on the inside as well as a garden filled with reconstructed tribal huts.

Chang Phueak ranks among Chiang Mai's best places to sample authentic northern Thai street food. Pratu Chang Phueak, situated across from the north wall of Chiang Mai's Old City, becomes especially lively after the sun sets. Two dishes worth sampling are a stewed pork leg called khao kha moo and a Thai version of sukiyaki known as suki koka. The MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Center’s fourth floor is filled with fast food chains, coffee shops, Japanese restaurants, and even bakeries.

One of Chiang Mai's most modern shopping centres, MAYA Lifestyle, is located in Chang Phueak. This six-floor structure would not look out of place in Singapore or Bangkok. The fifth floor of MAYA Lifestyle contains a cinema, the fourth floor includes a food court, and most of the shops on the third floor sell mobile phones and other electronics. The MAYA Lifestyle basement includes a grocery shop, while the top floor features an observation sky deck overlooking the city.