Must get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? Though Chiang Mai is over 400 miles away, this can be a well-travelled route, so you may have choices various from lengthy journeys with unimaginable views, to brief airplane journeys. Most travellers who go to Thailand fly to Bangkok, and whereas it’s value staying just a few days there, will ultimately go away for much less smoggy pastures.
Regardless of Chiang Mai being one of many largest cities in Thailand, it has a a lot completely different vibe to Bangkok. It’s a laid-back sanctuary of temples, palaces, museums, and unimaginable markets. Town is backed by the mysterious mountains, providing unimaginable surroundings and crisp, contemporary mountain air. You would possibly wish to get there as quickly as attainable otherwise you would possibly wish to take your time, both means, listed below are the most effective methods to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
Bus
Should you’re travelling for some time and/or on a finances, this might be the best choice for you. Travelling by bus is the most affordable solution to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Nonetheless, it could take anyplace from 12 to fifteen hours, relying on site visitors, so in the event you’re brief on time then this may not be the best choice.
There are two kinds of buses – Categorical buses and VIP buses. Regardless of the title, there isn’t really any distinction in time on the Categorical bus, and also you really get fewer advantages than the VIP ones. Categorical buses have air con and meals, whereas VIP buses have a crew member on board, onboard leisure, reclining seats, and extra legroom. You possibly can even go one step additional and hop on the VIP 24 bus, which takes on fewer passengers and has single-row seats, so that you don’t have to fret about sitting subsequent to somebody in the event you don’t wish to. In addition they have Wi-Fi, restrooms, energy retailers, in addition to free water and snacks.
The buses go away from Bangkok’s Mo Chit Bus Station a number of occasions a day, arriving on the principal bus station in Chiang Mai. Whilst you do technically arrive in Chiang Mai, the primary vacationer areas and accommodations are some time away. You possibly can both hop on a shared bus, which is known as a songthaew, to get you as shut as attainable to your lodging, or catch a taxi to get straight to your door.
Aircraft
Should you’re brief on time, or in the event you simply need a easy journey, then flying is your greatest guess. There are. two airports in Bangkok that fly to Chiang Mai – Suvarnabhumi Worldwide Airport and Don Mueang Airport, which is a home airport. The home airport carries the finances airways Nok Air and AirAsia, whereas the worldwide airport has a variety of airways, though it does additionally carry Air Asia. Aside from that, there isn’t actually any distinction between the 2. The costs are roughly the identical and it takes the identical period of time to get to Chiang Mai. It’s value testing which airport is closest to your Bangkok lodging, although.
The flight is as much as 1 hour and quarter-hour, so that you could be strolling the streets of Chiang Mai earlier than it. Costs are pretty cheap, even in the course of the excessive season. And particularly in the event you e-book prematurely. You possibly can typically discover even cheaper offers in the event you go to within the off-season, which is July to October.
Prepare
Should you wish to journey slowly and soak up views you may not have in any other case seen, you’ll love the practice from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Station to Chiang Mai. A practice journey will all the time have decrease carbon emissions than a bus or a airplane, so in the event you’re environmentally acutely aware, that is your most suitable option. Plus, you get beautiful views of rice paddies and rainforests, in addition to a glance into life in rural Thailand.
The practice journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai takes between 11 and 13 hours, relying on what practice you are taking. The morning practice takes 11 hours, whereas the night time practice takes 13 hours. Whereas the morning practice is shorter, you do miss an entire day of exploring, and an evening practice is considerably of a Thailand ceremony of passage.
Sleeper trains are typically snug, too. You will have the distinction between a first-class ticket and a second-class ticket. A primary-class ticket will get you air con, a spot in a two or four-person carriage, and a meals cart on board. You too can e-book all the two-person carriage to your self if you’d like the privateness, and so they really solely cost one individual the worth of 1-and-a-half tickets, as an alternative of two. A second-class ticket often solely has followers and no air con, in addition to seats somewhat than beds. Should you actually wish to get monetary savings and assume you’ll be able to deal with the warmth, then this can be a viable choice for you, though we expect the financial savings aren’t definitely worth the discomfort.