How to get to Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is located 800 kilometers north of Bangkok, and it is impossible to get there directly from Russia. You can visit Chang-mai by purchasing a tour on the spot (already in Thailand) or by getting there on your own. It is most convenient to do this from Bangkok by land (by bus or train) or by plane. Flights from Russia with transfers are also possible not only in Bangkok, but also in other Asian cities.

Here, for starters, are brief instructions on how to get to Chiang Mai:

• From Bangkok – planes from Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports; buses from Mo Chit station every hour in the afternoon; five train flights per day from the new Krung Thep Aphiwat railway station.
• From Pattaya – with a transfer by train or bus in Bangkok, or by a passing bus from Rayong (2 times a day).
• From Kanchanaburi – there are direct buses 2-3 times a day.
• From Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Phitsanulok – trains at least 5 times a day.
• From Sukhothai there are direct buses several times a day, or take a bus to Phitsanulok and change trains there.
• From Hua Hin, Surat Thani, from Koh Samui, Phangan Island, Tao Island – by plane, train or bus with a transfer in Bangkok.
• From Phuket – there are direct flights and one bus flight (a day on the way), or with a transfer in Bangkok by train, bus, plane.

By plane

Chiang Mai International Airport is located in Chiang Mai (IATA code - CNX). You can fly there not only from Bangkok, but also from the Asian countries neighboring Thailand. The airport is the most important aviation hub in the northern part of the country and a huge number of flights are operated to it every day, for example, almost 30 flights a day from Bangkok alone.

There are no and never have been direct flights to Chiang Mai from Russia and other CIS countries, but convenient flights with a transfer in Bangkok are available at reasonable prices. Domestic flights are carried out Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Air Asia, Nok Air, from Bangkok, Phuket, Koh SamuiM and other major cities in Thailand. International flights from Asia are operated by Air Asia, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Korean Airlines, Lao Airlines, Silk Air from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei, Seoul, Hong Kong, Luang Prabang.

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 43048 ₽	1 пересадка		29.07.2026	10.08.2026
Купить от 42708 ₽	1 пересадка		31.08.2026	21.09.2026
Купить от 42488 ₽	1 пересадка		23.09.2026	25.10.2026
Купить от 55545 ₽	1 пересадка		18.10.2026	14.11.2026
Купить от 52228 ₽	1 пересадка		25.11.2026	17.12.2026
Купить от 54555 ₽	1 пересадка		01.12.2026	13.12.2026

How to get from Chiang Mai Airport to the city

The airport is located just 3 kilometers from the city center almost within its limits, i.e. leaving the airport you will immediately get to the city streets (Changmai airport on the map). This allows you to even walk with a light backpack to some hotels in its southern part, we did this personally during one of our trips.

If it's a long walk to your hotel, then the easiest way to get there is by taxi. You can use the official airport taxi by booking it at the counter in the arrivals hall at the airport at the entrance from the baggage claim hall. The cost of the trip when ordering at the counter is fixed and amounts to 150 baht (4.5 USD) to any hotel in the city center. The return trip from the city to the airport by this taxi will be even cheaper.

If it seems expensive to you, that when you leave the airport in the parking lot you will see a lot of taxis from other companies, almost all of which work on the meter (Taxi meter). But a trip to the meter from the parking lot can cost even a little more – up to 200 baht (6 USD). It will be cheaper if you use the Grab or Maxim application, which replace Uber in Thailand. They can order a car, a motorcycle taxi, an airport taxi, a limousine, etc., there are many categories. The trip will cost from 120 baht depending on the destination. To order a car, you can use mobile Internet or airport WiFi, and you can pay for the trip in cash, since the application does not accept Russian cards.

Also in the parking lot you can find a Sonthaew minibus, the fare on which will cost from 20 baht (0.6 USD), unless you hire it as a taxi. Hotels also offer airport transfers, sometimes even free, but more often paid and more expensive than by taxi. Please specify the conditions when booking a hotel.

And finally, you can rent a transport right at the airport and take it to the hotel or on a further trip to the province and the north. Just do not forget to make an IDP for renting transport, read more here about what rights are needed to rent transport in Thailand.

You can rent a car in advance online and get it at the flocks in the arrivals hall. If you have not booked in advance, you can rent a car at these counters after the fact. Here are aggregator sites for comparing prices and rentals:

If you prefer two-wheeled transport, then there is no rental of motorbikes and motorcycles directly at the airport, but you can book on the website 🏍 BikesBooking.com with delivery to the airport.

By bus to Chang Mai

Traveling by bus in Thailand is the cheapest way to travel. It is cheaper to travel only by train in a sitting third crass, but for long-distance trips buses are still preferable. A well-developed route network will allow you to get to Chiang Mai from any major city in the country, however, for some routes you will have to make transfers. As a rule, when traveling from the southern part of Thailand (from Hua Hin, Surat Thani, Phuket, Koh Samui), transfers are made in Bangkok.

Intercity buses come in various classes and differ in comfort level, service and speed of travel (VIP, 1st, 2nd). The faster and more comfortable, the more expensive, of course. All VIP and first class are air-conditioned, with a toilet on board and make very few stops, which is why they travel faster than low classes. Air-conditioned buses are designated as Air Conditioned or A/C, and non-conditioned buses can be designated in timetables as Ordinary. We tell you more about intercity buses in Thailand and how to travel on them here....

In addition to intercity buses, tourist buses to Chiang Mai can be found in almost every tourist city in the north of Thailand. They are more comfortable and faster than regular intercity buses, a little more expensive and, according to experienced tourists, more dangerous in terms of road safety. But what is convenient is that these buses depart and arrive in the tourist areas of the city and there is no need to get to the bus stations. You can buy tickets for them at travel agencies or online.

Bus stations in Chiang Mai and where buses arrive

In Chiang Mai, buses from other provinces arrive at the main large bus station Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station it is also known as Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 (Chiang Mai bus station on the map). The station conventionally consists of two terminals (buildings) located across the street from each other. Each of the terminals serves different directions, but there are also intersecting ones.

From this station to the city center can be reached by minibus and tuk-tuks, which are on duty here around the clock, or by car taxi through the applications Grab and Taxi-Maxim. A trip by minibus will cost an average of about 50 baht per person (but you need to bargain), by tuk-tuk or minibus hired as a taxi - 150-200 baht, taxi through applications from 100 baht.

There is also Chang Phuak Bus Station (127/28 Chang Phuak, Sripoom, Chang Phuak on the map), which serves minivans on short distances in the northern provinces, but mainly in Chiang Mai province.

• From Pattaya to Chiang Mai by bus

  There are several buses a day from Pattaya to Chiang Mai. These are not direct flights, but those passing from Rayong to Chiang Mai, and they stop at the Nakhonchai bus station, which is located at the intersection of Sukhumvit Highway and Central Pattaya (also known as Pattaya Klang). Tickets can be purchased at offices and travel agencies on the streets, or at the station itself, and it is better to do this a few days before the trip. Ticket price – from 956 baht (28.68 USD).

  Schedule:

  • Departure from Rayong (via Pattaya) 14:00 – arrival in Chiang Mai 07:14
  • Departure from Rayong (via Pattaya) 16:00 - arrival in Chiang Mai 09:14
  • Departure from Rayong (via Pattaya) 17:30 - arrival in Chiang Mai 08:07
  • Departure from Rayong (via Pattaya) 18:40 - arrival in Chiang Mai 07:35
  • Departure from Rayong (via Pattaya) 19:00 - arrival in Chiang Mai 09:37
  • Departure from Rayong (via Pattaya) 19:37 - arrival in Chiang Mai 08:32

  On the company's website http://www.nca.co.th you can get information about the schedule, also tickets and schedule are available for purchase at 12go.asia.

  Another option to get from Pattaya to Chiang Mai is to go with a transfer in Bangkok. To do this, from the north station of Pattaya, go to the Mo Chit station in Bangkok, buy a ticket to Chiang Mai there and get on the bus. An overnight stay in Bangkok is not needed with this method, and the transfer takes place within one station.

• From Bangkok to Chiang Mai by bus

  From Bangkok, intercity buses to Chiang Mai depart from the northern station Northern Bus Terminal, also known as Mo Chit. The cost is 650-1100 baht. Buses depart at least every hour from 5:30 to 22:00, about 10 hours on the way. It is especially convenient to take night buses, this will also allow you to save a night on staying at the hotel. We took the night bus, and it seemed quite comfortable to us and even managed to sleep on the way.

  You can check the schedule and book tickets online here - https://12go.asia. You can also come to the station and buy a ticket for the next flight before departure, but there is a chance that there will be no tickets. Tickets for these buses (not to be confused with tourist buses) are also sold at travel agencies on the streets of Bangkok, especially in the Khao San Road area. Moreover, they will include a transfer from the hotel to the bus station, which is very convenient.

• Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai by bus

  From Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai, buses depart from the old and new bus stations, arrive in Chiang Mai at Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station. The cost is from 160 to 500 baht. Start walking at 6 am every 30 minutes. The travel time of the VIP bus without stops is about 3 hours.

  Learn more about bus stations in Chiang Rai and how to get there we told here...

• Kanchanaburi to Chiang Mai by bus

  From the bus station Kanchanaburi Sasanan Transport buses run three times a day at 06:40 and 19:00, cost from 600 baht, 11 hours on the way.

By train

Thailand has an excellent railway connection, and if you have the time, then you can get to Chiang Mai from Bangkok inexpensively and comfortably by train. Trains run through Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Pitsanulok. There are no direct trains to Chiang Mai from other cities in Thailand, so you will have to get to Bangkok first and make a transfer there.

You can check the schedule and cost information on the official website of the Railways of Thailand - https://www.railway.co.th/home/. However, this site may not open without a VPN with a Thai address, and online ticket purchase with payment by Russian cards is not available on it, so as an alternative to checking the schedule and buying tickets, you can use 12go.asia

The cost of the trip depends on the class of the car and the train. For example, the cheapest 3rd class in an unconditioned car costs from 230 baht (6.9 USD), but it is highly discouraged to go so far. The cost in a compartment with air conditioning and dinner already reaches 1500 baht (45.01 USD). Well, the most optimal in terms of cost and comfort is a sedentary second class, the fare in which will cost from 388 baht (11.64 USD). Children up to and including 3 years old and less than 100 centimeters tall travel free of charge. Children from 4 to 11 years old and up to 150 centimeters tall pay half the cost.

In general, cars, and accordingly purchased tickets, are divided into classes (in descending order of price and comfort):

• First sleeper class (1st class sleeper). Air-conditioned double compartments with a sink. Toilets and showers at the end of the cars. Sometimes the price of 1st class tickets includes meals.
• The second sleeping class (2nd class sleeper). The second class is similar to our reserved seat (there are no separate compartments). There is an air-conditioned and non-conditioned second class, as indicated in the schedule and when buying tickets.
• The second sitting class (2nd class seated). Four chairs in a row with an aisle in the middle. It can be conditioned and non-conditioned. The chairs are unfolded, and you can travel quite comfortably, especially on daytime flights.
• The third sitting class (3rd class seated). Four seats in a row (double two in the shops) with a passage in the middle. The seats do not fold out/recline back. There are even wooden benches like on our trains. It is very rare to find air-conditioned. The third class is very cheap and you can use it to travel short distances (a trip of 2-3 hours). We do not recommend using it for long trips, as you will get very tired.

In general, all types of cars are clean and well maintained. So if you are ready to experience some discomfort of a sitting place in favor of a cheaper price, you can safely buy a second sitting or sleeping class.

How and where to buy tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in advance 30 days before the trip. During the holidays (New Year period or Thai New Year Songkran in April) it is highly recommended to purchase tickets in advance. You can buy tickets at any station at the ticket office, but, fortunately, it is possible to purchase tickets in advance via the Internet.

Tickets can be purchased on the official website railway.co.th (Russian cards are not accepted), as well as on 12go.asia (you can try to pay with Russian UnionPay). The sale on the websites closes two days before departure. Learn more about Thai trains and how to use them here.

Chiang Mai Railway Station

Chiang Mai Railway Station is located 3 kilometers from the city center (Chiang Mai Railway Station on the map). You can get from here to the hotel in the center by minibus Songthaew (here they are called Red Cars) for 40 baht, by taxi or tuk-tuk from 120 baht. Some hotels can even be reached on foot from the railway station.

Chiang Mai Bus and Train schedules