|
Chiang Mai is about 800 km north of Bangkok
and a 90-minute journey by air. It is
connected to Bangkok by rail as well as
road, and has air connections to several
international destinations.
There are several ways of getting to
Chiang Mai, including bus, train and
airplane. Bus is the cheapest but least
comfortable. Many opt for the overnight
sleeper train which takes longer, however,
the introduction of cheap flights for as
little as 1000 baht one-way has
diverted popularity.
By Plane
Chiang Mai International Airport has
connections to and from Bangkok, Phuket,
Singapore, Luang Prabang, Taipei, Kunming,
Rangoon, Mandalay and Chittakong, as well as
domestic flights to Mae Hong Son and Chiang
Rai. There are at least 30 flights a day
between Chiang Mai and Bangkok on a variety
of airlines, with the recent introduction of
budget fares from Air Asia, One to Go and
Orient Thai. Singapore
Airlines flies to and from Chiang Mai on
Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
By Train
Getting to Chiang Mai by train is another
popular option with budget travellers. There
are eight trains a day, of differing classes
and speeds, and they leave at 06:55, 08:30,
16:00, 16:45, 17:50, 20:30, 21:00. The
journey can be painfully slow (11 hours) and
the overnight sleeper is recommended. All
trains departing from 16:00 onwards have
comfortable bunks (some without
air-conditioning), except the 20:30
departure. We suggest a second class (741
baht) bottom bunk on the 17:50, as the best
option. Trains depart from the Hua Lampong
Station and have full food services onboard
at reasonable prices.
By Bus
Buses depart at least every hour between
05:30 and 22:00 from Mo Chit Station and
take roughly 10 hours, with a similar
schedule in reverse from Chiang Mai's
Eastern (Main) Bus Terminal. We recommend
VIP buses (fare 400 - 600 baht), offered by
either the government or private companies.
These can also be arranged from travel
agents on Khao San Road and at other points
around the city, but be wary of agents who
promise services that aren't delivered, such
as reclining seats and aircon. Dress warmly
as the Thais love freezing air conditioning
and prefer to sit up all night watching
noisy videos onboard.
By Car
You can also hire a car in Bangkok or
elsewhere for getting to Chiang Mai, and
drive up at your own leisure, stopping off
in Ayutthaya and Sukothai. The countryside
is quite pretty and you enter the mountains
from Tak and Lampang onwards.
|
|
