Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Flight time About 1h 20
In short
Bangkok to Chiang Mai is about 1 hour 20 minutes by air, with your own van waiting at arrivals.
Every way there, side by side
- Time
- About 1h 20 in the air
- How often
- Around 186 a week from Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang
- Booking
- Most groups; check which Bangkok airport your flight uses
- Fare
- From ฿2,030 on Bangkok Airways in November, ฿2,280 December to March (checked 4 Nov 2026); budget fares: check on the day
Best by group size
2 to 4
- Best way:
- Fly, with a luxury van for up to 4 meeting you at Chiang Mai airport, from ฿6,500 for 10 hours
Up to 10
- Best way:
- Fly together, with a party van waiting at arrivals
12 and more
- Best way:
- Book flights early, as a block if you can, with a coach for 20 and more waiting in Chiang Mai
Any size, slow trip
- Best way:
- Take the sleeper up and fly back
The fastest way and the easiest way
Flying is the fastest. The easiest is the same flight with your own van waiting at both ends, so nobody queues for a taxi.
Taking it slow? The sleeper makes the trip part of the holiday.
Flight
- Time:
- About 1h 20 in the air
- How often:
- Around 186 a week
- Leaves → arrives:
- Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang → Chiang Mai airport (CNX)
- Price (checked 4 Nov 2026):
- From ฿2,030 on Bangkok Airways; budget fares: check on the day
Sleeper train No. 9
- Time:
- About 12 hours 35 minutes
- How often:
- Nightly, 18:40
- Leaves → arrives:
- Krung Thep Aphiwat → Chiang Mai station, 07:15
- Price (checked 4 Nov 2026):
- ฿938 to ฿2,446 by berth
Day train No. 7
- Time:
- About 10 hours 20 minutes
- How often:
- Daily, 07:30
- Leaves → arrives:
- Krung Thep Aphiwat → Chiang Mai, 17:50
- Price (checked 4 Nov 2026):
- ฿558
Bus
- Time:
- Most of the night
- How often:
- Day and overnight
- Leaves → arrives:
- Mo Chit 2 (Northern Bus Terminal) → Chiang Mai
- Price (checked 4 Nov 2026):
- ฿661 or ฿771 on the Transport Co. bus
Your van with Tanner
- Time:
- A long day's drive
- How often:
- When you want
- Leaves → arrives:
- Your door → your villa, stops on the way
- Price (checked 4 Nov 2026):
- Quoted for your plan; luxury van for up to 4 from ฿6,500 for 10 hours
The flight
Around 186 flights a week run between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, about 1 hour 20 minutes in the air.
From Suvarnabhumi: Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways, the full-service options.
From Don Mueang: most of the low-cost airlines.
Into Chiang Mai: a short drive from the Old City and Nimman.
Door to door, it's about half a day.
Bangkok Airways' own fare page shows Bangkok to Chiang Mai from ฿2,030 in November 2026 and from ฿2,280 from December to March (checked 4 November 2026). Ask Tanner to hold the seats together.
AI- About 1h 20, around 186 a week
- Train No. 9, 18:40 to 07:15, from Krung Thep Aphiwat
- 744 km by rail (SRT), 713 km by road
- Not yet; still being planned
- From ฿661 on the Transport Co. bus from Mo Chit 2
The sleeper train, for the fun of it
The sleeper leaves Krung Thep Aphiwat in the early evening and pulls into Chiang Mai the next morning, about 12 and a half hours and 744 km later.
First class: private two-berth cabins.
Second class: open berths, the classic way to do it.
Berths sell out at Yi Peng in November and at New Year, so book early.
Short on nights? The State Railway of Thailand's day train No. 7 leaves Krung Thep Aphiwat at 07:30 and reaches Chiang Mai at 17:50, and its timetable lists the fare at ฿558 (checked November 2026).
Is there a high-speed train?
Not yet. A Bangkok to Chiang Mai line is planned with Japan: 688 km and 12 stations, built in two phases, the first to Phitsanulok.
Until it's built, flying is the fastest way. See every route on Getting around Thailand.
The bus, if you must
Buses leave Mo Chit, Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal, through the day and overnight. It's the cheapest way, and a long, cold ride in reclining seats.
The Transport Co. (Bor Kor Sor) says the 713 km run costs ฿661 or ฿771 by bus class, and from 1 November 2026 it adds buses from Mo Chit 2 at 7:25am, 8:50am, 7pm and 8pm (checked 4 November 2026).
On a party trip, the hours you save by flying are worth more than the fare. Ask Tanner to price the flight and the van instead.
Why the group goes by private car
Ten of you, the bags and a villa across town: taxis split the group. Your own van keeps everyone together, drinks on ice, straight to the villa.
Ask Tanner your number, and he matches the van to the group.
What the sleeper costs
The Bangkok to Chiang Mai train No. 9 leaves Krung Thep Aphiwat at 18:40 and gets in at 07:15, 744 km later, from ฿938 to ฿2,446 by berth, the State Railway of Thailand's timetable shows (checked November 2026).
Take the lower berths, and you get the window. Tanner books first-class lower berths for the group, and cars matched to your plan wait in Chiang Mai.
Ask Tanner to book the cabins with the van.
Leaves
- State Railway of Thailand timetable, checked November 2026:
- Krung Thep Aphiwat, 18:40
Arrives
- State Railway of Thailand timetable, checked November 2026:
- Chiang Mai, 07:15
Distance
- State Railway of Thailand timetable, checked November 2026:
- 744 km
Fare
- State Railway of Thailand timetable, checked November 2026:
- ฿938 to ฿2,446, by class and berth
Bangkok to Chiang Mai in short
- Fastest: the Bangkok to Chiang Mai flight, about 1 hour 20 minutes, around 186 a week.
- Slow and fun: the sleeper No. 9, 18:40 to 07:15 and 744 km, from ฿938.
- Cheapest: the Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus from Mo Chit 2, from ฿661.
- Trains leave from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, not Hua Lamphong.
- There's no high-speed train yet; the line with Japan is still being planned.
- For a group: fly, with your own van waiting at Chiang Mai arrivals.
Checked 4 November 2026.
Chiang Mai to Bangkok: the trip back
Chiang Mai to Bangkok runs the same ways back: about 1 hour 20 minutes in the air, or the sleeper south overnight to Krung Thep Aphiwat.
From 1 November 2026, Transport Co. buses leave Chiang Mai for Mo Chit 2 at 7:30am, 9am, 6:30pm and 8pm, the company says (checked 4 November 2026).
Insider tip: book the return berths when you book the trip up, because the trains around Yi Peng and New Year fill first. Ask Tanner to hold both legs.
Step by step: the easiest way from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
- Send Tanner your dates and your number.
- Book one morning flight for the whole group, and check which Bangkok airport it uses.
- Your Bangkok driver drops everyone at departures with time to check in.
- Land at Chiang Mai airport (CNX): your van is at arrivals, drinks on ice.
- A short drive later you're at the villa, with Nimman booked for the evening.
Send us the number, and plan it with Tanner.
Tanner's tips for Bangkok to Chiang Mai
- Check in early: Bangkok Airways asks for at least 1 hour 30 minutes before a domestic flight, and its counters close 40 minutes before departure.
- Lantern week: Yi Peng runs 23 to 25 November 2026, so flights, berths and villas go months ahead. See Yi Peng.
- Train one way: take the sleeper up for the fun, and fly back to save the day.
- Going further north: see Chiang Mai to Pai and Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai.
Doing the beach too? See Bangkok to Phuket, Bangkok nightlife and our private drivers, then ask Tanner.
When you land
Your driver meets the group at arrivals and takes you to the villa or hotel. The Old City and Nimman are a short drive away.
Licensed clubs in Chiang Mai, and licensed venues inside hotels, can stay open until 4am under Ministerial Regulation No. 3, the Government Public Relations Department confirms (checked November 2026). Ordinary bars close by 2am, and Nimman is where the party is.
Coming for the lanterns? See the Chiang Mai nightlife guide and Yi Peng, then ask Tanner to hold the villa months ahead.
Before you travel
Book berths early: Yi Peng and New Year sell out
Book the return berths when you book the trip up
Trains leave Krung Thep Aphiwat, not Hua Lamphong
Check which Bangkok airport your flight uses
Buses leave Mo Chit 2, the Northern Bus Terminal
Check in at least 1 hour 30 minutes before the flight
Checked Nov 2026
Tanner's offer
A van at both ends
One driver drops you at the Bangkok airport, and another is waiting at Chiang Mai arrivals with the drinks on ice.
See the private option →
Written by Tanner Altman · Updated 7 November 2026
Questions
Questions groups ask about Bangkok to Chiang Mai
What is the best way to travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
Fly. The flight takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, with around 186 flights a week from Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang. Your own van at Chiang Mai arrivals takes the group straight to the villa.
How do you get from Chiang Mai to Bangkok?
Fly back in about 1 hour 20 minutes to Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang, or take a sleeper south overnight. Transport Co. buses leave Chiang Mai for Mo Chit 2 at 7:30am, 9am, 6:30pm and 8pm.
Can you fly direct from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
Yes. Direct flights take about 1 hour 20 minutes, from Suvarnabhumi on Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways, and from Don Mueang on the budget airlines. Bangkok Airways starts from ฿2,030 in November.
Is there a luxury sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
The best berth on the regular line is a first-class two-berth cabin on train No. 9, which leaves Krung Thep Aphiwat at 18:40. Book a lower berth early, and your van meets you at 7:15am.
How far is the flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
About 1 hour 20 minutes in the air. Allow about half a day door to door, with the drive to the Bangkok airport, check-in and the short ride into the Old City or Nimman.
Is it better to fly or train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
Fly if you're short on time: about 1 hour 20 minutes in the air. Take the overnight sleeper, about 12 and a half hours, if you want the journey to be part of the trip.
Is there a high-speed train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
No. Thailand has no high-speed trains running yet. A Bangkok to Chiang Mai line with Japan is still being planned.
Where does the train to Chiang Mai leave from in Bangkok?
From Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, which replaced Hua Lamphong for long-distance trains. The sleeper No. 9 leaves at 18:40 and reaches Chiang Mai at 7:15am, 744 km later.
How long is the bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
Most of the night on the overnight buses from Mo Chit 2, Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal. Transport Co. fares start at ฿661, with extra departures at 7:25am, 8:50am, 7pm and 8pm.
How much is the sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
On train No. 9, berths run from ฿938 to ฿2,446, by class and by upper or lower bunk. Book early for Yi Peng and New Year, when the berths sell out first.
Is 3 days in Chiang Mai enough?
For a group, yes: a day in the Old City, a day out in the hills, and two evenings in Nimman. Add a fourth day for Yi Peng.
Plan it
Plan it with Tanner
Are you in Thailand now?
Last checked 4 November 2026
Sources
- Government Public Relations Department: entertainment venues open until 4am (Ministerial Regulation No. 3, 2566), checked November 2026
- TAT News, 15 Dec 2023: venues in tourist destinations to open until 4am (background)
- State Railway of Thailand timetable: Krung Thep Aphiwat to Chiang Mai, train No. 9 18:40 to 07:15, 744 km, ฿938 to ฿2,446 (checked Nov 2026)
- The Transport Co. (Bor Kor Sor), 31 Oct 2026: Bangkok to Chiang Mai, 713 km, ฿661 and ฿771, extra buses from 1 Nov (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Bangkok Airways: Bangkok to Chiang Mai fares, from ฿2,030 (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Credits: top photo AI-generated image.