Car
a) From Bangkok drive on Highway No.1 (Phahonyothin)
to Highway No.32 passing the provinces of Phra Nakhon
Si Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, and Nakhon Sawan, then take
Highway No. 117 to Phitsanulok and drive on to Highway
No. 11 to Lampang, Lamphun and Chiang Mai. The route
is 695 kilometres.
b) From Bangkok drive to Nakhon Sawan
and then take Highway No. 1 passing Kamphaeng Phet,
Tak, Lampang, and Chiang Mai. The route is 696 kilometres.
Bus
The 10-hour journey from Bangkok can be
made on air-conditioned buses originating from the
Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2), contact tel. 936
2852 for more information. Buses leave for Chiang
Mai several times a day from 8.00 to 21.00 hrs. In
Chiang Mai contact Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station,
tel: 0 5324 2664.
There are services from Chaing Mai’s
Chang Phuak Bus Terminal to various districts in Chiang
Mai. Buses ply along the northern route (Highway No.
107) passing through Mae Rim, Mae Taeng, Chiang Dao,
Chaiprakan, Fang and Mae Ai. Some buses continue to
Tha Ton. Local city buses ply between Chiang Mai and
Lamphun on Highway No. 106. Chang Phuak Bus Station
tel: 0 5321 1586.
Train
The State Railways of Thailand operates
daily services from Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong).
Trains leave for Chiang Mai 6 times a day from 8.00-22.00
hrs. For more information, contact tel. 1690, 223
7010, 223 7020. Chiang Mai Railway Station, tel. 0
5324 2094.
Air
From October 20,2003, Phuket Air offers
2 daily shuttle service flights from Chiang Mai to
Chiang Rai with YS-11 aircaft. The journey takes only
40 minutes and the flights time are available at 07.30
and 18.00 hrs. For more information, call Bangkok
Office 66 2679-8999 or Chiang Mai Office 66 5392 2118-9
or view at www.phuketairlines.com
Thai Airways has numerous daily flights
servicing the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route. In addition,
they have daily flights connecting Chiang Mai with
Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, and Phuket. For more information,
contact their Bangkok office at Reservations by Phone
24 Hrs: Tel : 66 2628 2000, Chiang Mai office at tel.
66 5321 1044-7, or view their website at www.thaiairways.com.
Bangkok Airways has 2 daily flights connecting
Chiang Mai with Bangkok. In addition, they have daily
flights servicing the Chiang Mai-Sukhothai route.
For more information, contact their Bangkok office
at tel: +66(0)265 5678 For Reservation tel: +66(0)265
5555 or E-mail: reservation@bangkokair.co.th
Getting Around
For relative short distance you can take
a tricycle (Sam Lor). Short rides within the city
cost between 20 and 30 baht. Longer rides may cost
as much as 50 baht.
Tuk-Tuks (three-wheeled motorised taxis)
are also popular for short and quick journeys. Fares
must be bargained in advance. Minimum fares are approximately
20 baht.
The most common means of transport is
a “See Lor” (literally “four wheel”) or “Song Theao”.
They all are red-coloured and look like pick-up trucks
but with a roof over the back. They pick up as many
passengers as they can and drop them off as the drivers
reach their destinations. To go by “See Lor”, simply
tell the driver your destination. Fares range from
10-20 baht according to the distance.
