How to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai [UPDATED]

March 24, 2025

Want to know what’s the best way to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? In this article, I will walk you through all shipping options.

Once you’re tired of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, it’s not a bad idea to escape the city and head to northern Thailand.

Located about 700 kilometers north is a small town called Chiang Mai. Known as a large cultural hub, tourists, locals, and digital nomads meet. Given its popularity, there are several ways to go from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

Whether you plan to take a train, bus, or a short flight, this is our advice on how to get to Chiang Mai (plus details on how to book a trip!)

A clear comparison table on how to get from Bangkok

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Fly from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

cost: Anything from $15-100, depending on your booking time

Stroke length: 1 hour 10 minutes

After exploring some of the attractions in Bangkok and Pattaya, it is usually the next part of each traveler’s itinerary to move to the north to Thailand. If you don’t have a lot of time, flying from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is the best choice for you.

Chiang Mai International Airport is only 10 minutes’ drive from the city center. The price of the flight may vary depending on the time you book. Actually, sometimes you get really cute deals if you book in advance. Click here to check flight prices

If you want to fly directly to Chiang Mai international flights, you expect a short stopover in Bangkok as most flights often stop there before flying to the north. Sometimes even your budget trip takes a few minutes to check flights, they are almost the same price, or nearly the same than train tickets.

Airlines flying to Chiang Mai

AirAsia
Mandalay Airlines
Bangkok Airways
Chinese Airlines
Korean Air
Lao Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Silk Air
Air Asia Thailand
Thai Airways International
Nok Air (You can pay for Nok Air flights at about 711 stores!)
SGA Air
Vietnam

Insider tips: Make sure you double-check your luggage allowance before booking anything. Many budget operators have luggage restrictions, so double checks are done before booking a flight.

By train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

cost: Prices range from $28-41 depending on whether you book a sleeper train.

Stroke length: 11-15 hours (Thai trains are often late)

From Bangkok to Chiang Mai It is actually one of the most popular travel routes in the country. If you take the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, you have two options. You can take the cheap one-day train or choose to take the night train. Either way, traveling by train will give you a true Thai feeling.

This is a great way to interact with locals when you see the countryside. One-day trains can be a little boring, which is why we recommend you to do night trains. Not only can you make the most of your day, you can save money on your stay that night. While this is no big deal, saving a few dollars here and there just means that when you arrive at chiang mai, it means more Thai and khao soi!

The most important tip: To save you time, you can check train schedules and book tickets in advance 12go. Use the search widget below, or click the button below to find the train schedule in advance.

If you are on a sleeper train, Get out of the bunk and watch the sunrise Judging from other shopping carts, the views of the countryside are very beautiful. You have different choices on the sleeper train, different seats^road Wooden seats up to 1^Yingshi Class with air conditioning shop.

The choice is indeed yours! They sell food and drinks on the train, but you might want to bring your own snacks because the food they sell on the boat is more valuable than usual. There are about six trains from Bangkok to Chiang Mai running from 8.30am to 10:00pm. Similarly, there are at least six trains from Chiang Mai to Bangkok from 6.30am to 9.00pm.

How to buy a train ticket in Thailand

Today, all long-distance express trains require reservations, which can be done on the day of the trip or up to 60 days in advance. Bookings are now computerized and the booking office of any main radio station can reserve seats or berths for any trip in Thailand.

Please note that a passport is now required to book any train journey. It is also useful to know that they only have foreigners in the Hualamphon station. Their staff speak English and accept credit cards!

Combined tickets to the island are also available here. You can also reserve a ticket via your phone, but you need to pick it up within 24 hours. However, if you don’t want to go through all this trouble, you can also book using the recommended website below.

Check out the train schedule here

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Bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

cost: Prices range from 200-600 baht for $13-$21 depending on whether it is a fan or air conditioning bus and send you down.

Stroke length: 10-11 hours

After much of my trip to Southeast Asia, I concluded that long buses are part of the experience. Don’t worry, because their trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is not bad. (The longest bus I’ve completed is close to 30 hours, so trust me – I know what I’m talking about!)

Overall, the buses are quite safe, on time and at a reasonable price. You can book these bus trips from almost all travel companies in Bangkok. If you stay anywhere near Khao San Road, you won’t be able to use light selections.

Prices vary between all agents, so walking and canvas are best. You need to book at least one day in advance to avoid any inconvenience. If you don’t want to take the bus from Khao San Road, you can also take the luxury bus from Mo Chit Pier. These buses often have a bus stewardess that can provide you with snacks and a bottle of water. Many travel agencies try to advance to you to get a VIP or Deluxe Bus, but indeed, they just put you in the normal situation.

Insider tips: Always carry valuables with you. There are a lot of thefts happening on the bus (some bus attendants climb up and take your valuables away as the bus moves). To avoid this, make sure your valuables are close to you and take the time to lock your luggage. Some padlocks and extra precautions will surely shut down the thief, as it usually takes too much effort to try to open it.

remind: If you want to compare prices for two flights, we recommend you check any one Convention or 12go Make a complete comparison. We use these two websites to book shipping tickets throughout Asia. Check out these two sites as they also have full reviews for each bus company!

So whether you are flying, taking a bus or taking a train, you will take your time to Chiang Mai because it is great. There are many things to do, things to see, and food to eat! If you are looking for a different experience, you can also try to get Sak Yant of chiang mai This is a traditional tattoo done by monks. Then what are you waiting for?

If you want to know how much we are talking about, check out this guide Chiang Mai travel expenses To better understand how much you need.