How to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by plane, train, bus and car

Tens of thousands of tourists travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai annually. This is despite the considerable distance between the popular island resorts in the south and the northern border of Thailand. The reason for this is the special position of this city in the social and even sacred hierarchy of the country.

It is considered the northern capital and the main cultural center, it has the largest university in Southeast Asia, and the student town takes up almost a quarter of the city. There are about three hundred Buddhist temples within its boundaries, including Wat Chiang Man, the oldest in the country, founded in the 13th century by the first King Mengrai. Today we will tell you how to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by plane, train, bus or rented car.

Today we will tell you how to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by plane, train, bus or rented car.

Length-travel-between-cities

The distance between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, if measured with a ruler on a map, is approximately 580 kilometers. Accuracy is difficult to achieve as the Thai capital is spread out over a wide swampy plain and has no clear boundaries. The difference between the northern and southern point of measurement can be as much as fifty kilometers.

So the most accurate result is obtained by counting the distances between the airports of the cities. It is 565 kilometers between Bangkok’s old air harbor – Don Muang – and downtown Chiang Mai, while the flight from Suvarnabhumi is about 29 kilometers longer.

From Bangkok to Chiang Mai by plane – where to buy a ticket

If you’re in a hurry and don’t aim to see half the country in passing, it’s most convenient to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by plane. The competition between low-cost companies on domestic flights in Thailand is so great that this method of travel will not seriously damage your budget. Most flights depart from the old air harbor, Don Muang Airport, but you can also fly from Suvarnabhumi. The duration of the flight is almost the same, but the cost is significantly different.

If you’re looking for a popular flight to Don Muang, you’ll be able to find the right one for you.

If you go to the popular online service 12go.asia (read FAQ), you can buy airfare from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for 1,000. or 1,200 baht, but if even this price seems too high to you, try scouring the offers Aviasales.ru (read FAQ), where you can occasionally find options for 800 and 700 baht. The above is true for Don Mueang, takeoff from Suvarnabhumi runway will cost you much more – a minimum of 1700 baht, and the upper price limit is 4500 baht. Since there is a free shuttle bus between these Thailand’s airports and most low-cost carriers allow you to carry your luggage for free, the option of flying out of Dong Muang is almost without alternative.

You don’t have to be particularly worried about all the flights being busy. There are always free seats. So buying a round-trip ticket makes little sense, especially since you won’t find a difference in price, rather such a purchase will cost more than a single ticket. This is a common rule for domestic flights.

Travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by train

This is a very popular way to travel. Train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai departs from Hua Lampong Railway Station several times a day. Depending on the thickness of your wallet, you can choose a carriage of varying degrees of comfort. Tickets can be purchased through the same service 12go.asia.

Before you can find a search form and flight times for all available public transportation.

Those who want to save money on the Thai train will be disappointed: the minimum price of the trip is 780 baht, and if you want to ride with all conceivable luxury, it will cost you considerably more than air travel. But don’t exaggerate the high cost of traveling by rail, because it can save you money on hotel accommodations.

How to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by train

To get to Chiang Mai by train

It takes almost 14 hours to get to Chiang Mai by train, and with the delays not uncommon for Thai railroaders, the journey can get significantly longer. So it can be recommended to those who are not in a hurry, afraid of flying or can’t stand the bus trip very well.

VIP-bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

Bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is the cheapest travel option. Thais prefer to use this type of intercity service. A ticket for a regular flight, which you can buy on the same 12go.asia, costs from 530 baht. More than a dozen buses depart from the platforms of the capital’s bus stations during the day. Some of them go at night. The trip takes at least nine hours, and on average it’s about twelve. Therefore it is worth preferring the more expensive VIP seats, where there are wide comfortable seats supplemented with a footrest, there is an individual multimedia system, and if you want you can even charge your cell phone.

How to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by bus

Find bus schedules and book your ticket both to Chiang Mai and back to Bangkok online using the 12go.asia service interface. Most flights depart from the North Bus Terminal (Mo Chit Bus). Note that the Bangkok BTS Metro station of the same name is two and a half kilometers to the east. To walk from it to the station, you have to navigate to the outskirts of Queen Sirikit Park, keeping it on the right.

Rent-a-car-for-travel

This trip is the most comfortable and interesting, so many tourists decide to go from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by car. Letting a car in Thailand is possible right at the airport of the capital. But try not to rush with this question, refer to the online service Rentalcars.com. There you can quickly compare all the offers, and choose the best value for money.

How to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by car

Driving through Thailand will be a real pleasure, as the roads in this country are quite good, and the intensity of traffic decreases significantly as you get further away from the metropolis. There are many breathtaking views of tropical nature along the way, and in the most interesting places you can stop and slowly enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.

The country’s road network makes it easy to turn off the expressway to local ones going in the same direction. This allows you to see authentic Thailand without the tourist glitz, to get acquainted with the inhabitants of towns and villages, their way of life (for more authentic localities see ancient cities of Thailand).

How to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by car

How to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by car

How to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by car

You can also rent a car in Chiang Mai, it will save you the effort of a 10-hour drive and closely explore this beautiful region of Thailand, which is really worth seeing. There, for example, you can see the highest mountain in the country Doi Yntanon, on the slopes of which two Buddhist temples were built and organized the national park Doisuthep-Doipui area of about five hundred square kilometers. On the way to it you can see several beautiful waterfalls.

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