Long before the modern influx of foreign visitors, Chiang Mai served as an important trade centre!

Take one of the many Chiang Mai tours and experience this city from a local perspective. This Chiang Mai Transportation guide gives some handy information for the best ways to get to, from and around Chiang Mai. Consult our Thailand Transportation Guide for some travel tips to help you get around the country.

Chiang Mai Transportation Guide

Getting to Chiang Mai

By Bus

Once you have reached the Bangkok Bus Terminal, transportation to Chiang Mai is easy. There are two bus terminals - the Chiang Mai Arcade bus terminal and the Central Chang Pheuak terminal to the northeast of the city. You can have an inexpensive ride without air conditioning on buses which take a good 12 hours to reach Chiang Mia. To travel more comfortably take the VIP 24-seater buses that take just nine hours. The difference in travel time is due to the number of stops.

By Train

Trains for Chiang Mai can be boarded from the Hualamphong Station throughout the day. Two classes of trains - express and rapid - make several trips to Chiang Mai, taking between 12-15 hours for the journey. Booking your seats in advance would be a wise move especially if you plan to take a sleeper coach. It is very difficult to get a seat on a train during November to March if you do not have an advance booking. Both first-class service, with private cabins, and second-class service with seats that open out into sleeping berths are available.

There are sprinter trains which are fully air conditioned, but these have no sleeper berths. These trains cannot transport bicycles; those of you carrying bikes need to choose another option. The day trains have two classes - second and third - and no sleeper berths.

The Chiang Mai train station is located at a distance of about 3 km eastwards from the city centre. From here you can travel by ‘songthaew' to reach your hotel.

By Air

Bangkok can be reached by air in an hour and ten minutes from Chiang Mai. 28 flights from Bangkok fly in to the International Airport at Chiang Mai every day. The airport is kept busy running services to the other northern cities too.

By Taxi or Car

The airport, lying at a distance of 3 km from of the city centre in the south west can be reached in 10-15 minutes by car. The official airport taxis charge 140 Baht and take a maximum of 5 passengers - for this charge they will take you to any destination in the city. The other option is a metered taxi with a minimum fare of 40 Baht. A service charge of 50 Baht is also applicable and has to be paid at the counter where you hire metered taxis. However, do check with your hotel or guest house, as most offer free or subsidised drop-off/ pick-up services.

Getting Around Chiang Mai

Sightseeing in Chiang Mai can be done using public transportation services or by hiring taxis. If you love driving you can also explore the option of getting around by yourself in a hired vehicle.

By motorbike or car

Motorbikes can be hired from quite a few places in the city; just make sure that the vehicle you hire is insured. The rental charge for a car is 800 Baht a day and that for a motorbike is 150 Baht. If you are carrying an international driver's license then you are permitted to drive here. If not is would be wise to check if your country's driving license is valid in Thailand. You will not have any problems finding your destinations as there are ample road signs to guide you.

By bicycle

For exploring inside the old city walls a bicycle would be nice. You can also walk it, as the old city measures around one square mile in area. Getting around Chiang Mai on a bicycle is just more fun. It also saves you from haggling over fares with the tuk-tuk drivers. You can find a bicycle rental outlet at almost every street corner and this will cost you 30 Baht a day.

By songthaew or sailor

The songthaew, locally referred to as ‘seelor' or ‘rod-daeng,' is a covered pick up truck which has two benches for seating. This is a popular form of transport in Chiang Mai. The fare for a trip on the songthaew is 15 Baht for most regular trips. A small tip here - never mention the name of a particular hotel or guesthouse. This generally raises the fare. You can hire these vehicles for trips to specific addresses; just negotiate the price before you hop on. The songthaews are colour coded as per their route, red ones being the most common. These ply within the main city streets. It is difficult to get tuk-tuks or songthaews after 11pm, and if you do get one, be prepared to pay extra.

By bus

Chiang Mai's local bus service is still in its infancy, having seen a relaunch in 2006. Five routes are operated right now and a flat fare of 15 Baht is levied on the passengers. Of all the routes served by the buses, Route no 4 which connects to the airport is very useful for passengers.

By tuk-tuk or samlor

Tuk-tuks are the taxis of Chiang Mai. They operate from point to point and charge a minimum of 30 Baht. You can also take a ride on the samlor, a three-wheeled bicycle, for the novelty of the experience. The fares charged are the same as tuk-tuks. Visiting the inner city temples on a samlor can be a novel experience. Do negotiate the fare before the trip. A trip in a Tuk-tuk offers an opportunity to experience first hand one of the many interesting Chiang Mai transportation options.

By taxi

Chiang Mai has air conditioned metered taxis. These might be expensive but are one of the most comfortable ways of getting around Chiang Mai. These taxis charge a minimum of 30 Baht and after the first two kilometres the meter ticks away at the rate of 4 baht/km. However, you may need to use all your persuasion skills to induce the driver to actually use the meter. They prefer to settle on a negotiated price which is generally on the higher side. The taxi drivers do not expect tips.