Take the Bus to Chiang Mai

Bus travel is the cheapest mode of transportation in Thailand. If you are on a limited travel budget, then a bus to Chiang Mai will keep expenses down. However, I am not a fan of bus travel if my family is coming along. I ride the bus by myself, but the seats are very small and toddlers seem to have little patience for sitting still during a nine hour bus ride. But sometimes cost is the most important factor when making travel arrangements for your Chiang Mai family holiday.

Tourist busses can be picked up just about anywhere on Khao San road in Bangkok. They typically leave from Bangkok in the evening and arrive to Chiang Mai the next morning. The best place to board a bus to Chiang Mai is at the Northern bus terminal, Mo Chit. There are several bus companies which make regular trips to Chiang Mai. There is no need to purchase tickets in advance, unless you have a very large family. Otherwise, just show up at the bus terminal and you should be able to find a bus with avaiable seats which will depart for Chiang Mai within the hour. Most of the companies have busses which leave for Chiang Mai every 30 minutes, during the evening hours. First class busses will usually include a small dinner and drink with the price of the ticket. The average time for a straight through trip to Chiang Mai is about 9 hours.

I occasionally take a bus to Chiang Mai. I usually ride with a private company called Nakorn Chai Air. Their Bangkok bus terminal is close to the public bus terminal, Mo Chit. The final stop in Chiang Mai is behind the Arcade Bus station, right beside the 7-11 store.

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