simply-thai.com - thai market - destination guides

Air-con bus with a lot of seats. Can be cramped for larger people. Usually the option for daytime trips to destinations in the North, which are written on the bus. Turn up at the station in good time and buy a ticket before travelling. The buses usually stop for comfort breaks and vendors will provide snacks along the way if you are hungry. VIP bus with reclining seats and airline style service for long distances. The offices that sell the tickets for these tour buses are either at the station (satani lot toa) or in the Annusaan market on the right as you go in if you are in town. The buses all stop in Bangkok at the Northern bus terminal (Mochit) and you make your own way into town. They will NOT stop at the airport. if you want to do this you will need to tell the hostess and alight the bus before the airport and negotiate at 5am with a taxi! The best VIP busses have the number 999 which is a lucky number in Thailand so safety is assured! Government owned with either 24 or 32 seats. Very comfortable and being Government owned usually have two drivers. A snack is served immediately and about half way through the night journey you can awake to the delights of a meal! be sure to hand your ticket in as this is your meal and drink ticket. Follow the others. With all night buses it can be like sitting in a mobile fridge. Prepare accordingly! Air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal every morning from 9.00am to 10.30am, and from 8.00pm to 9.30pm each evening. The journey takes about nine hours. Several companies operate private tour buses which run from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

The trains to and from Bangkok are reliable and safe. Sleeping carriages are available for the long overnight journey. The prices have all gone up recently but are still reasonable. You should book a ticket as early as possible as the seats can be full, especially at weekends and holidays. If you are not using an agent then a trip out to the Railway Station (satani Rot fai) is the best option. Onboard the 'sprinter' train you are served with an 'airline' style meal which is included in the ticket price. The other trains offer various dining options, which you can form your own opinion about in terms of value. The Chiang Mai Express leaves daily from Hua Lampong Station in Bangkok at 6.00pm, arriving in Chiang Mai the following morning around 7.30am.

Thai International operate daily flights to Chiang Mai. Bangkok Airways have flights to Chiang Mai via Sukhothai. Take a taxi or the airport bus for the journey into the city.