Send flowers to Chiang Mai เชียงใหม่

A square city inside a moat

Chiang Mai sits in a broad basin at roughly 300 metres, about 700 km north of Bangkok. Its historic centre is a square about one mile on each side, bordered by old brick walls and a moat. Most of the major temples stand inside it. The Ping River runs along the east of the centre, and to the west the hills rise towards Doi Suthep, around 1,600 metres.

This shape makes the first question simple: is your recipient inside the moat or outside it? Inside, streets are narrow, lanes run off in a grid, and a guesthouse may stand behind a temple wall. Outside, the roads are wider, with condos, offices and malls. A driver can find a landmark such as Tha Phae Gate quickly, so use one.

Writing the address in the Old City and beyond

Thai addresses go from house number and หมู่ (moo) to ซอย (soi) and ถนน (thanon), then tambon, amphoe and province with a postcode. In the Old City, many small hotels and cafés are named on the soi and not on the main road. Give the soi and the venue name. For the trendy university area west of the moat, around Nimmanhaemin Road, the sois branch off the main road with numbers and half-numbers, and it is common to find a place on "Soi 9" that is accessed from a side lane. Ask the recipient which soi, and ask for a photo of the entrance if the building is hard to spot.

On the outskirts, a villa or a house in a new housing project (a moo baan) may sit behind a guard post. Write the name of the project and the house number, and add a phone number so the guard can ring through.

Yi Peng and Loy Krathong

In November the northern city lights up. Loy Krathong is the national festival of floating offerings on the night of the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, and in the north it coincides with Yi Peng, the Lanna festival of lanterns. In 2026, the Chiang Mai celebrations run from 23 to 25 November, with the main nights on 24 and 25 November. Gatherings happen around Tha Phae Gate, along the Ping River near Nawarat Bridge and at temples inside the Old City.

A krathong is a small floating vessel, traditionally made from a banana trunk, folded banana leaf, flowers, incense and a candle. That is why flower arrangements are loved at this time of year: they are part of the festival itself. At the same time, crowds, closed lanes and heavy traffic around the river can make a delivery difficult on those evenings. If you want flowers to arrive for a person in Chiang Mai, choose a date before the festival week or the morning after, and tell the florist the recipient's full address with the soi.

Cool season, hot season, hill roads

The cool season in Chiang Mai runs roughly from November to February and is the time many visitors plan trips around. In March the air is often poor because of smoke from regional fires, which is why many people plan trips outside it.

If your recipient lives on the slopes towards Doi Suthep, the road curves and climbs. A precise address and a phone number help most. The Pattaya page and others cover very different geography if you are comparing places.

Temples, gifts and manners

Because so much of the city is a temple area, flowers are often meant for a monk, a shrine or an elder. Clothing for a temple visit should cover shoulders and knees. If you are not sure whether a bouquet suits the occasion, read Thai flower etiquette before you choose a colour.

Do not try to send flowers directly to a monk without checking with the recipient. A temple office or a family member can say what is appropriate.