Getting to Chiang Mai

The main options for getting to Chiang Mai are by air, road or rail, with the majority of visitors to Chiang Mai flying into the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok before taking a connecting flight to the northern capital. Chiang Mai is also well-connected with Singapore and Malaysia via Bangkok by a rail network that spans the country, and Thailand’s web of roads can bring you to Chiang Mai by car or bus from Cambodia, Malaysia and Laos.

By car

You can get to Chiang Mai by car from Malaysia via Bangkok on National Highway 3 from three road crossings on the Thai-Malaysian border at Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat. From Bangkok, National highways 32 and 117 access Chiang Mai. National Highway 32 veins into the city from the respective Thai-Laos and Thai-Cambodian borders at Nong Khai and Aranya Prathet. Roads from Myanmar however are not officially open to tourist traffic.

By rail

Chiang Mai can be reached from Singapore via Bangkok, with links to Butterworth and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The luxurious Eastern and Oriental Express runs along the same route once a week. The State Railways of Thailand (phone: +66 2 223 7010) operates daily air-conditioned trains that make the 750km journey from Hua Lampong Railway Station in Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Trains also run to the city from the Thai borders with Cambodia at Aranya Prathet, and Laos at Nong Khai, with changes necessary.

By bus

Buses from the Thai-Malaysian border terminate at the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok, with the 10-hour journey buses departing regularly from Bangkok’s Kampaeng Phet 2 Road Northen Bus Terminal (phone: +66 2 272 0296) to Chiang Mai’s Eastern Bus Terminal. From Cambodia, visitors cross the border at Poi Pet to Aranya Prathet in Thailand, where they can catch buses to Chiang Mai.

By air

Chiang Mai International Airport is the most common entry point for visitors to the city, with at least 30 flights a day between Chiang Mai and Bangkok. A 90-minute journey by air, Chiang Mai is about 800kms north of Bangkok, and connected by daily international flights from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia via Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Direct flights also arrive at Chiang Mai from Vientiane, Kunming, Yangon, Singapore, Taipei, Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Rangoon, Mandalay and Hong Kong.

By ferry

Even though there is no sea port in Chiang Mai, the city, by virtue of its northern Thailand geographical location, is easy to get to from the rest of Indochina by the Mekong River. Passenger ferries regularly cross from China, Laos and Cambodia to Thailand along the Mekong River at the permitted Nakhon Phanom (opposite Tha Khaek), Chiang Khong (opposite Huai Xai) and Mukdahan (opposite Sawannakhet) border points.

Chiang Mai Airport

Chiang Mai International Airport (phone: +66 53 270 222; website: www.airportthai.co.th) is a small airport, with a single terminal to deal with both domestic and international flights. The Arrivals area is on the ground floor beside the check-in counters, with Departures located on the mezzanine level. Facilities include car rental agencies, a post office, a bank and bureaux de change, bars, restaurants, a left luggage office, several shops, a convenience store, newsagent and coffee shops.

Chiang Mai airport transportation

Getting from Chiang Mai Airport to the city is painless, as the airport is just three kilometres southwest of the city centre. Only 10 to 15 minutes by car, taxis and limousines charge a flat rate to get to the city. Purchase a ticket at the taxi booth in the Arrivals Hall and go to the taxi stand. Bus route 4 goes from the airport to the city, while songthaew and tuk-tuk can be found outside the airport and may be cheaper, but you will need to bargain and agree on the fare in advance. Many hotels also arrange courtesy transport.