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How to get to Chiang Rai, transportation
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Overview of how to get to Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai City and province is located in the north of Thailand on the border with Laos and Myanmar, 800 kilometers from Bangkok (Chiang Rai on the map). There is an airport to which there are many flights from Bangkok, but there are no direct flights from other countries. Chiang Rai is also connected by many bus routes to other cities of the country, and this is the cheapest way to get here. There is no railway here, but you can take the train to Chiang Mai or Lampang, and change to the bus there.
We will tell you later in this article in detail about all the ways, but first, brief instructions on how to get to Chiang Rai:
From Chiang Mai – direct buses run every hour during the day, 4-5 hours on the way, cost from 300 baht. You can also take a taxi, which will cost about 2000 baht.
From Bangkok – planes from Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports; buses from Mo Chit station every hour of the day. You can also take the train to Chiang Mai, then take the bus to Chiang Rai.
From Pattaya – there is a passing Rayong-Chiang Rai bus, or you can take a bus to Chiang Mai and change there, or through Bangkok by plane or bus.
From Phuket – there are direct flights once a day. Or with a transfer in Bangkok by train (from Surat Thani), bus, plane.
From Kanchanaburi – there are direct buses 2-3 times a day to Chiang Mai, there is a transfer to Chiang Rai.
From Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Phitsanulok – trains at least 5 times a day to Chiang Mai, there is a bus transfer to Chiang Rai.
From Hua Hin, Surat Thani, Koh Samui, Phangan Island, Tao Island – by plane, train (from Surat Thani or Chumphon), or bus to Bangkok, where you can transfer to a direct plane or bus to Chiang Rai.
By plane
By plane to Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai has an airport with international status (Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai International Airport, IATA code - CEI). Every day the airport accepts and sends at least 10 flights from Bangkok, one of Chiang Mai, there is a flight from Phuket. However, there are no international flights here. There are plans to launch an international regular flight from Kuala Lumpur in November 2024, but time will tell whether this will take place and how long it will last.
Unfortunately, it will not be possible to pay for tickets with a Russian card on the websites of foreign airlines now, but you can easily buy tickets to Chiang Mai on a Russian search engine Aviasales or on a reliable and proven by us repeatedly Trip.com. Both sites perfectly accept cards of Russian banks, including Mir:
Minimum prices for flights from Bangkok to Chiang Rai:
You can easily find a taxi, motorcycle taxi or tuk-tuk cheaper if you get out of the airport and go to the parking lot or even beyond. The price to the city center to most hotels in this case will cost from 200 baht. But with the arrival of darkness, it is problematic to find transport outside the airport, so you should immediately go to the counter at the airport.
Even better, if you connect the mobile Internet (how to buy a local SIM card in Thailand, we tell you here) and install the local taxi applications Grab, Bolt, Maxim, InDrive. Uber doesn't work here at all. Through the application, a trip to the city center will cost from 180 baht (approximately 5.51).
If you book a room in Chiang Rai Hotel in advance, you can request a transfer from the airport, focusing on the indicated taxi price, but hotels still add a small commission and will charge you from 500 baht.
Chiang Rai by bus
VIP bus at Chiang rai New station
This is a convenient and most inexpensive way to get to Chiang Rai from other cities in Thailand. For example, you can get from Bangkok by night bus for 700 baht (approximately 21.44). Many flights connect the city with settlements in Chiang Mai province and Chiang Rai, with Bangkok and some other major cities of the country. There is even an international flight to Luang Prabang (Laos) and to the border town of Maesai with Myanmar.
There are two bus stations in the city:
Old Bus Station (Old Bus Station or Bus Terminal #1). Located in the city center (station on the map) and serves commuter routes in Chiang Rai Province, including the Golden Triangle, as well as flights from Chiang Mai. The bus schedule of this station can be seen here http://www.tourismchiangrai.com/ (the site does not open well on the territory of the Russian Federation, and it is better to open it through a proxy server or a Tor browser). As of 2024, flights to/from Chiang Mai are operated from 07:00 to 19:00 every hour, tickets cost from 200-300 baht depending on the flight and bus class. If possible, it is better to purchase tickets at least the day before the trip, otherwise you may have to wait a few hours for the next bus with empty seats.
At the old Chiang Rai Bus Station
New Bus Station (New Bus Station or Bus Terminal #2). Located seven kilometers from the city (station on the map) and serves bus services throughout the rest of Thailand. Buses from Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, etc. come here. From the station to the city can be reached by Songthaew minibuses, which are usually on duty here. The standard fare to the city (to the old bus station) leaves 25 baht per person, but if there are not enough passengers for a full flight, the driver may refuse to take you until it is full, or offer to give you a lift as a taxi for about 300 baht.
At the new Chiang Rai Bus Station
Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai by bus
From Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station many buses of various classes and prices depart during the day. The cost is from 200 to 300 baht. Start walking from 6 am every 30-60 minutes. The travel time of the VIP bus without stops is about 3 hours.
In Chiang Rai, buses from Chiang Mai arrive/depart at both stations. Most of the buses stop at the new station, and then go to the old station, so it makes sense to take tickets immediately to the old station, so as not to get to the city by minibus or taxi.
There are quite a lot of buses on this route, and their schedule is tight, but we still recommend buying bus tickets in advance, at least a day in advance. Usually, tickets for good buses (air-conditioned) for the next few flights are sold out, and you will have to wait at the station for several hours for the next free bus to depart. From our own experience, we once waited for a free bus for almost 6 hours, i.e. we lost almost the whole day on the move.
Tickets for non-conditioned buses can also be purchased immediately before departure, but a four-hour trip along winding roads, almost like on mountain serpentines, in such transport is a dubious pleasure.
From Bangkok to Chiang Rai by bus
Every day, many buses depart from Bangkok from Mo Chit North Bus Terminal. There are day and night flights. Buying bus tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Rai is not required in advance, but it is advisable to do this at least the day before departure in order to choose the right bus or not wait a few hours for the next flight with empty seats.
The cost of tickets starts from 700 baht and depends on the class of buses. We recommend buying tickets for 1st class air-conditioned buses (800 baht) or VIP (you will have to pay 1000 baht already), because you can travel well and sleep in them in almost completely folding chairs.
You can check the schedule and, if you wish, book tickets online on the website 12go.asia - https://12go.asia/ru/. The site does not accept Russian cards, even Unionpay, but you can pay with electronic wallets or cash at the checkout in supermarkets in Thailand. We have done this more than once, everything is successful!
🔍 Set your search criteria
💲 Pay for your ticket online
✉ Get your itinerary receipt by email
🚌 Arrive at the point of departure
From Pattaya to Chiang Rai by bus
There are no direct buses from Pattaya to Chiang Rai, but there are passing Nachonchaiair buses from Rayong, and he makes a stop in Pattaya at the company's office almost in the very center of the city. Unfortunately, we have not had the opportunity to use this route, but you can check the information on the company's website.
Another more reliable and proven way to get from Pattaya to Chiang Rai is through Bangkok. To do this, you don't even need to go for an overnight stay in Bangkok, you can immediately arrive at the Mo Chit northern bus station, and there transfer to the next flight to Chiang Rai.
By train
Chiang Mai Train
There is no railway in Chiang Rai, but you can get by train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, and then by bus. There are five trains running daily, the cost is from 230 baht per seat, and up to 1500 baht per compartment. When you arrive in Chiang Mai, you will need to move from the railway station to the Arcade Bus Station by taxi from 80 baht, or walk 2.5 kilometers. For more information about how to get by train to Chiang Mai, where the stations are located and how to navigate around Chiang Mai, we have a separate detailed instruction with the schedule and cost, read here...
Another option by train is via Lampang. It's even a little cheaper and faster. In this case, you need to buy tickets from Bangkok to Nakhon Lampang station. It takes about four hours by bus from Lampang to Chiang Rai. True, you will still have the task of getting from the railway station to the bus, but this can be easily solved using a taxi or tuk-tuk.
By boat
It is possible to get to Chiang Rai by boat from Tha Thon in Chiang Mai Province. Every day a boat departed from Taton at 12:30 for 350 baht, the journey time was about 4 hours. However, now (in 2024) scheduled boats are suspended, you can only rent a private boat from 2500 baht. But perhaps in the future the routes of scheduled boats will be restored.
Previously, boats departed from this conditional pier on the Kok River, now suspended
Chiang Rai Bus and Train schedules
Sorry, no timetable now. Try later ☹
Chiang Rai transportation, what to use to get around the city and province
Public transport in Chiang Rai is poorly developed, or rather, there is practically none here. You can travel on foot, by tuk-tuks, Songthaew route taxis and car taxis, rent transport. You can also meet bicycle rickshaws, but this is already a rarity and more expensive entertainment than a real way to get around here.
But, fortunately, to move directly around the city itself, you may not need transport at all, since the tourist center is not very large and you can walk around it slowly.
For tourists who have stayed in the city of Chiang Rai for a few days, city tours are organized on a special tourist car with visits to the main attractions of the city. Such a tram departs from the Memorial to King Mengrai, and you can buy tickets for such an excursion in hotels.
A tourist trailer in Chiang Rai
To travel around Chiang Rai province, the ideal solution would be to rent a motorcycle, a car or hire a guide with a car. In principle, you can travel all over the province by bus + minibus, but at the same time you will have to spend a lot more time.
You can rent a motorcycle in Chiang Rai at every corner. Ask about it at the reception of the hotel, they will arrange for you. If you want cheaper, look for yourself on the street. The price for renting a motorcycle starts from 250 baht, but you can bargain if you take it for a few days.
Such a motorcycle can be rented for 250 baht in Chiang Rai
To drive a car and motorcycle in Thailand, tourists now theoretically do not need to obtain an international driver's license (IDP). On May 1, 2021, the long-awaited event finally took place - Thailand ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which it initially joined back in 1968. And now in Thailand, theoretically, it is possible to manage rented transport using ordinary Russian rights. However, so far there has not been a practice in the country of adopting national IDUs on the roads by police officers, therefore, so that you do not have to prove your case every time, we still recommend that you additionally issue an IDU. For more information about renting a transport in Thailand, read here.
The cost of renting a car in Chiang Rai starts from 600 baht when booking for a few days, and this is one of the lowest prices in the country that we have met.
We were offered such a car for rent for 600 baht, but this is a rather "dead" option
You can book a car for rent on these price comparison sites from different rental companies:
Finally, if you do not drive a car or motorcycle, and you want to see the city and the province without excursions, then it is quite realistic to go around the entire region by public transport. Cities and villages are connected here by a good network of intercity buses and minibuses, so you can easily get to Maisai, Chiang Saen, the Golden Triangle, Taton (but this is Chiang Mai province), as well as visit many of the attractions. We have written more about this in our guide to the sights of Chiang Rai.
Such buses run between the cities of the province
In Chiang Rai, most of all buses in the province depart from the old bus station in the city center. They are sent quite often, so you can just come to the bus station and wait for the next flight without taking into account the schedule. But still keep in mind that if you need to get to some remote corner of the province, for example, to the village of Mae Salong with a transfer via Taton, it is better to start the journey in the morning so as not to get stuck somewhere along the way on transfers.
Another conditional bus station is located next to the city market on Uttarakit Street. This is the final urban and suburban minibuses Sonthaew or Baht Bus. Unfortunately, we do not have information about flights and routes from it, you will have to find out everything on the spot.
The final destination of local minibuses near the market
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