- Taking the Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus
- A Guide to the Overnight Train From Bangkok to Chiang Mai
- Or you could book some airline tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
- Our feelings: What is the best way to travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? The overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai!
- Need Some New Backpacking Gear For Your Trip?
Taking the Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus Ahh,
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Chapters
Taking the Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus
Ahh, the night bus, the dreaded foe of the weary backpackers but a great friend to your long-term travel budget. These marathon journeys can seem never-ending, with countless stops and of course a complete lack of sleep! But on the plus side, they are very cost-effective, save a night’s accommodation and are very easy to organise.
Having taken two long night buses in Thailand, one from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and the other from Phuket to Bangkok I have found those in Thailand to be much more comfortable, reliable and generally of a better standard than many across other countries in South East Asia and Eastern Europe. However you package it though, a 12-hour night bus is never enjoyable but having endured some packed-out night buses with people sleeping in the aisles in Vietnam and many very old buses without AC in places like Moldova these are among the best we’ve experienced.
The night buses in Thailand offer large comfortable seating with a good amount of reclining, some of the newer buses even offer charging ports too and all have on-board AC. Most offer out water too and many have on-board toilets or make regular spots through the night for toilet and food breaks which is both good and bad depending on whether or not you’ve managed to fall asleep or not!
Book Flights
Best Place to Book Flights
As much as we loved hopping on a train or a bus, flights are an inevitable part of travelling, especially long haul.
At The Roaming Renegades we love 12go and trust them for all our bookings.
Booking your Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus:
Booking night buses in Thailand is easy and there are several ways to go about doing it.
At the station:
* One way is to make your way to the station, often Mo Chit in Bangkok, and to buy your tickets a few days before. Though this does mean making an unnecessary trip across the other side of the city and eats into your time in the city.
With your accommodation:
* Another popular way to book tickets is through your hostel or hotel. They can usually go through all the options with you and often speak better English than those at the station. They can also often arrange a pick up too direct from your door but you will usually pay slightly more for them to organise everything.
Online:
* The way we usually book tickets is online. This way we pay the going rate and can take our time to go over all the details, print off the tickets and make our own way to the station, deciding if we might want a tuk-tuk nearer the time. We recommend 12Go as a reliable and competitive site. You can print off your tickets once purchased.
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Price and time of the Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus
* Time: The Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus takes between 10-12 hours and usually leaves in the evening to arrive early in the morning though there is usually one every hour between 05:30 and 22:00.
* Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus prices range between 530 Baht (£12.90 / $16.60) to 850 Baht (£20.75 / $26.60) each depending on the company you choose. We paid around 650 Baht each.
* Most buses leave Bangkok from Mo Chit station (Also known as Northern Bus Terminal or Chatuchak) which is close by to the Mo Chit BTS station. However, the walk is quite far in the heat, though we did do it! You can take the local buses 136, 145 or a tuk tuk but be ready to negotiate!
* Buses leave and arrive from the Arcade Bus station (Often called the “Bangkok Bus Station”) in Chiang Mai which is close to the train station and around 3 km outside the city centre moat. Take a Songthaew or “red car” if you don’t want to walk. This should cost around 30-40 baht each but be prepared to negotiate!
Tips for taking the Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus
* Book your Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus a few days in advance as this route is popular and sells out fast.
* Always bring your valuables on board with you and never leave them in your bag in the hold. Try to secure them to something for when you are sleeping. The night buses in Thailand are very safe but they do stop often with people getting on and off in the middle of the night. Pacsafe bags are ideal for this.
* Bring along a jacket or a blanket as it can get cold overnight on the Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus. In South East Asia they love to blast the AC so be prepared to be hot one minute and cold the next!
* Bring a travel pillow. Some routes do provide these but not always and it does make a huge difference. Likewise, an eye mask is a good idea as many of the buses have intrusive lights or even just the street lights or people on their phones can keep you up!
* Bring some entertainment! A Kindle, iPad, games and movies on your phone and music can help you get through the long Bangkok to Chiang Mai bus.
* Bring a portable charger to keep your devices charged up as most won’t have charging facilities
* Bring some snacks and drinks as well as toilet roll! You will likely stop often at places serving food through the night but sometimes it can feel quite random. We’ve had 12hr buses that only stop once for food or others that seemed to stop every few hours. Also, the food at these stops can be quite limited and very local so bring some crisps/ cereal bars/ nuts/ fruit/ biscuits to tide you through just in case!
- Also, many of the rest stops only have squat toilets and they usually don’t have toilet paper. I would always suggest having your own roll/ tissues in your bag whenever travelling around Asia, but especially on a night bus!
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A Guide to the Overnight Train From Bangkok to Chiang Mai
We LOVE night trains and whenever they are available and reasonably priced then we always try to catch them, in fact, train travel is hands down our favourite way to travel as it’s comfortable and seems to capture the romance of travel! Though we do love travelling on motorbikes too that is a whole other challenge in itself, catching the train is much more relaxing!!
The distance between Bangkok and Chiang Mai is such that a night train is a great option. There are different classes of compartments but for the first class option, you will have to book very early.
The sleeper trains in Thailand are really great and offer so much more than others we’ve used in places like China. The overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is really a great option for this trip.
Each bed has fresh linen, a sheet, blanket, pillow and pillow case as well as a curtain which makes a huge difference to sleep quality. It’s really quite easy to get a good night’s sleep on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
The beds are very comfortable to sleep on and during the day the bottom section can be turned into seats. There are also great amenities on board including toilets, wash basins and a food carriage offering a good selection of reasonably priced food including vegetarian options.
The BEST Way To Book Your Transport!
12go Transport Online Booking
12Go is the best place to book your flights, trains, buses, ferries, coaches and more online.
At The Roaming Renegades we love 12Go and trust them for all our bookings.
Price and time of the overnight Train From Bangkok to Chiang Mai
The travel time between Bangkok and Chiang Mai takes anything from 11 to 14 hrs
Departure times Bangkok – Chiang Mai
* Departure: 6:10 PM – Arrival: 08:15 AM (New train)
* Departure: 7:35 PM – Arrival: 09:55 AM
* Departure: 10:00 PM – Arrival: 1:05 PM
Departure times Chiang Mai – Bangkok
* Departure: 3:30 PM – Arrival: 05:25 AM
* Departure: 5:00 PM – Arrival: 06:15 AM
* Departure: 6:00 PM – Arrival: 06:50 AM (New train)
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First class
First class offers a two bed room with a wash basin and a closing door.
Expect to pay around 1700 Baht (£41 /$53) to 2000 Baht (£49 / $63) depending on whether you choose the older or newer trains. These sell out WELL in advance, we’re talking months sometimes as they are often taken up by tourists on package trips.
Second Class
Here you will get a bed in the aisle with curtains as described earlier on. Some compartments have AC, some have fans and prices do vary. Second class is what we recommend for this journey.
Expect to pay between 830 Baht (£20.25 / $26) and 1300 Baht (£31.70 / $40.70 ) depending on whether you get fan or AC or the newer or older trains. The average price being around 1100 Baht (£26.80 / $34.50)
Third Class
In third class there are no beds, only seats. So it is a much more uncomfortable journey though it is dirt cheap and where you will find your everyday Thai people making this journey.
Booking Your Overnight Train From Bangkok to Chiang Mai:
There are several ways to book your overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
At the station:
You can make your way to Hua Lamphong station, queue up and buy tickets there. This can be a little stressful though as some attendants don’t speak great English and with a large and impatient queue behind you, you can feel a little under pressure. However, you can ask more questions in person if you dare!
You can buy tickets for other routes and destinations from the station too. However, you will have to bring your passport along with you to buy them. Tickets go on sale 60 days before the day of departure if any are left.
Online:
Buying online is a much more laid-back approach as you can search different dates, classes and times quickly to see what is available. You can also book several months in advance through 12 Go Asia which is especially useful when travelling in the high season or if you want to book first class.
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Ticket collection:
When buying online you will need to either collect your tickets or have them delivered. When collecting the tickets you need to have printed off the PDF confirmation and we would bring passports just in case.
You can pay 100 Baht to have a Thailand Rail ticket delivered within Thailand or 1000 Baht for international delivery.
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Pick-up locations in Bangkok:
12 Go office:
Opposite Hua Lamphong Railway Station, on the first floor of the DOB Building. The collection is between 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM and is free of charge.
Don Muang Airport train station:
Ticket window where trains bound North leave. The collection is between 09:00 AM – 8:30 PM and is free of charge.
Chiang Mai:
Opposite the train station at the Bossotel Hotel reception. The collection is 24 hours a day and is free of charge.
Tips For Taking The Overnight Train From Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Getting to and from the stations:
* Trains leave and arrive MOSTLY at the brand new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station which has an MTS station (Bang Sue) which connects with the other metro services of Bangkok.
* Trains leave and arrive from Chiang Mai train station which is close to the Arcade bus station for long-haul buses. It is 3 km outside of the city moat. Take a Songthaew or “red car” if you don’t want to walk. This should cost around 30-40 baht each but be prepared to negotiate!
Overnight train Bangkok to Chiang Mai: Tips for the journey:
* There is a food carriage but bring along snacks and drinks as it closes at 10 pm. It does have vegetarian options but its best to bring something else just in case. You can also pre-order food to eat in your seat or buy a takeaway meal from the station before you set off too.
* Bring an eye mask, even with the curtain it can be a little bit light as the carriage lights stay on all night!
* Bring toilet roll with you in case it runs out! There are western and squat toilets on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
* Bring along a jacket and socks as it can get a bit chilly with the AC on all night.
* Bring along some entertainment in the form of books, a Kindle, iPad, music etc and a portable charger to keep them going. Some trains do have sockets and others don’t!
* The lower bed is more comfortable and is less affected by the light at night. However, the upper bed can feel more private. The lower bed can be a seat during the day and the attendant will come along and make it into a bed in the evening. The lower bed is slightly more expensive than the upper and it does have a window.
* The attendant will wake you an hour before your stop
* Pick a train that runs through the night and arrives early in the morning to make the most use of your time, save on accommodation and have more time to explore!
Or you could book some airline tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Of course, you could always fly! It’s the fastest way and if you are pushed for time there is no competition as to which mode of transport takes you from Chiang Mai to Bangkok the fastest! However it is also the most expensive and personally, I hate flying so avoid it at all costs!
Information on air travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai:
* Flights take 1hr 15 minutes between Bangkok and Chiang Mai
* Flights from Bangkok leave from Don Muang Airport which is connected to the BTS via the airbus.
* Prices range from 2100 Baht (£51.30/ $65.80) to 5500 Baht (£134/ $172) each. Remember to factor in baggage too as most of these flights will be with budget airlines.
Book your air travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai here:
Our feelings: What is the best way to travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? The overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai!
As backpackers we are always looking for budget options so for us taking a flight isn’t an option as it just eats too much into our budget. Taking the bus or train overnight is not only cheaper but it also saves a night’s accommodation too. For us though we would pay a touch more for the comfort of the train which means waking up after your journey much more refreshed as well as having the option to eat and go to the toilet whenever you want!
What do you think is the best way to travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? Is it our choice of the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
Read more:
Check out our guides for Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pai here.
Book your accommodation here
Book your travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai here:
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Need Some New Backpacking Gear For Your Trip?
Our Favourite Gear
Osprey Backpack
These Osprey bags open like a suitcase & we’ve used them for 5+ years. They even have a detachable day pack and are super comfortable and tough.
Camera Bag
The Wandrd Prvke 31 with side access is an awesome camera bag for any trip. It’s even got an expandable separate top section and hidden passport pocket.
Sony a7 IV
The Sony a7 IV is our go to travel camera. It’s a lightweight and portable full frame camera that offers amazing quality and a great range of available lenses.
Sony 24-105mm f4
The Sony 24-105mm f4 is the perfect all round travel lens with a mega useful range. It’s also super sharp and light for its type.
Memory Foam Travel Pillow
This memory foam travel pillow is ideal not only whilst on planes or buses but as an extra pillow in hostels & guest houses.
Dry sacks
Dry sacks are great to use as waterproof organisational bags for inside your backpack. We always put our SSD in one!
Dry Bag
A heavier duty Dry Bag is great for boat trips and larger items and can be worn as a stand alone.
Macbook Air
A lightweight but powerful Macbook Air is our go to laptop for all our blogging and photo editing on the road.
iPhone
We also always have our trusty iphones which are great for organising our trip, photography, maps, entertainment and more!
Sony RX100 VII
Our Sony RX100 VII is our go to selfie camera with it’s 1 inch sensor, articulating screen & compact size.
Go Pro 11
A GoPro is a must whilst backpacking. This tough & waterproof action cam can go anywhere with you!
USB Universal Adapter
Grab an all-in-one travel adapter with USB slots so whatever country you’re in you know you can charge your gear.
Portable Battery Pack
Keep your phone, camera and other gear charged on the road with a portable battery pack. Great for night buses.
Trail Shoes
Trail shoes are a great all round travel shoe for comfort whilst on a city break or hiking.
Waterproof Jacket
No matter where you’re travelling to a waterproof jacket is a must! Invest in a good one!
Manfrotto Befree Tripod
The super lightweight and easy to use Manfrotto Befree is our go-to travel tripod for photography
We trust the 2TB Sandisk Extreme SSD to back up all our important documents and photos on the road.
Hard Case for SSD
We keep it safe on the road with our trusty YINKE Hard Case for SanDisk Extreme SSD.
Organise Your Trip Here
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Hey! I’m Nic, one-half of The Roaming Renegades.
I have a passion for travel, photography, heavy metal music (particularly Rammstein), Arsenal FC, gaming, mountaineering and pugs (Dooku RIP & Billy)
I have a BA in Fine Art and an MA in Design & Art Direction before I started galavanting around the globe! So far, I’ve been to 68 countries in 5 continents.
I’ve spent 2 years travelling around Southeast Asia including travelling the length of Vietnam twice on a motorbike, visiting off the beaten track locations such as Myanmar and Brunei and seeking out adventure opportunities along the way like canyoning, climbing and mountain hiking.
I’ve also spent 6 months exploring Eastern Europe, again visiting more unusual places such as Moldova, Kosovo, Ukraine and the breakaway state of Transnistria. I’ve visited all but 3 countries in Europe whilst both backpacking and using the UK as a base to explore Western Europe.
I have also lived in Australia and New Zealand for a total of over 3 years whilst doing Working Holiday Visas. I called Melbourne and Christchurch home during this period and explored both countries extensively whilst using these as bases.
Get In touch: nic@theroamingrenegades.com
