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The distance between Bangkok and Chiang Mai is roughly 700 kilometres, which in Thailand means approximately the distance between London and Edinburgh, and it can be covered in a 40-minute flight or in a 13-hour overnight train journey, and both of these are reasonable choices, and they produce entirely different trips.
I have done Bangkok to Chiang Mai in three of the four possible ways, by plane, by overnight train, and by day bus, which I am including primarily to warn you against it, and I have opinions about all of them that I am happy to share.
Option One: The Overnight Train
The overnight train from Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Station) to Chiang Mai is one of those travel experiences that should not be as good as it is, given that it involves spending thirteen hours on a train that was built in approximately the 1970s and has not been substantially updated since.
What it actually is: an upper or lower berth in a sleeper car, with curtains that give you genuine privacy, air conditioning that ranges from adequate to enthusiastic depending on which car you are in, and the specific quality of sleep that train motion produces in those of us who find it soothing. You leave Bangkok at around 6pm (multiple departure times available; the 6:00pm departure is the most useful for avoiding the evening traffic getting to Hua Lamphong) and arrive in Chiang Mai at approximately 7am the following morning.
The practical case: it covers the distance for around 1,200-1,500 baht (around £27-£34) in a lower berth (the better option; more stable, slightly larger, and not requiring the climb to the upper berth in the dark at midnight), it includes a night’s accommodation in the price, and you arrive in Chiang Mai in the morning with a full day ahead. The maths are considerably better than they look.
The experiential case: there is something about arriving in a new city by train in the early morning, the light particular to 7am, the station busy with a different crowd than the afternoon, that is simply different from arriving by plane. The journey through the countryside north of Bangkok, visible from the window at sunrise if you are awake for it, is the kind of thing I find genuinely pleasant rather than merely tolerable.
Book through 12Go Asia for straightforward online booking, or directly via the State Railway of Thailand website; the Seat 61 Thailand page has a thorough breakdown of routes and booking steps if you want the full detail before you commit. Lower berths on popular departures, particularly during Thai national holidays, sell out weeks in advance. Air-conditioned second-class sleeper is the correct choice; first-class exists but the sleepers are in a two-berth private cabin that costs significantly more without providing proportionally more comfort.
Option Two: The Flight
Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, Nok Air, and THAI operate multiple daily flights between Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang airports and Chiang Mai. The flight takes about 50 minutes. Fares range from approximately 700-2,500 baht (around £16-£57) depending on airline, lead time, and baggage requirements. Search and book across all operators via Trip.com.
The total time equation, however: Bangkok to the airport by Grab or taxi (45-60 minutes from central Bangkok to Don Mueang, and Don Mueang is where most of the budget carriers operate); check-in and security (allow 90 minutes minimum); flight (fifty minutes); baggage claim; Chiang Mai airport to city (20-30 minutes). The realistic total is 4-5 hours for the journey that takes fifty minutes in the air.
This compares unfavourably with the overnight train on a time-adjusted basis unless you are departing from Bangkok’s north side, have carry-on luggage only, and are arriving at a Chiang Mai hotel very near the airport. For most people, the flight does not save as much time as it appears to at first.
The flight wins unconditionally when: you have a very tight schedule and need to be in Chiang Mai by mid-morning after a late start in Bangkok, or when low season flight prices make it cheaper than the train, or when you have tried the train and know it is not for you.
Option Three: The VIP Sleeper Bus
The thing most people assume about the bus option on this route is that it involves nine hours on a standard coach with a seat that reclines about fifteen degrees if you are lucky. That assumption is wrong, at least if you book the right service.
The top-tier overnight VIP buses from Bangkok to Chiang Mai operate with lay-flat beds, individual privacy curtains, a personal TV screen, and USB charging points. I have booked these through 12Go Asia, which lets you compare operators, check departure times from Mo Chit terminal, and secure a specific seat without visiting the station in person. Journey time is 9-11 hours depending on traffic leaving Bangkok, meaning a typical evening departure lands you in Chiang Mai by early morning. Fares for VIP sleeper class run at around 800-1,200 baht (around £18-£27), which is competitive with the overnight train once you factor in that a night’s accommodation is covered either way.
The honest comparison: the lay-flat bus is genuinely comfortable and in some respects more modern than a second-class train berth. My preference is still the overnight train, because arrival times are more predictable and because there is something about a train that I cannot quite attribute to logic. But the gap between them is narrower than I expected the first time I took the bus.
Option Four: The Day Bus
I include this for completeness and to dissuade you. A 10-hour bus journey through the Central Plains in daylight is not a miserable experience in any objective sense, but it is a day of your life spent on a bus watching a motorway when you could be exploring Chiang Mai or sleeping through the journey in a train berth. The savings over the overnight options are minimal. The opportunity cost is the entire day. This is not the choice.
Chiang Mai: Why You Are Going
Chiang Mai is the reason you are reading any of this. It is the second city of Thailand in size and the first city in terms of the particular things that make it interesting: 300 temples in a space you can walk across in 40 minutes, a night market culture that is the best version of this format I have encountered in Southeast Asia, a food scene that is distinctly northern Thai rather than a dilution of Bangkok, and a quality of pace that Bangkok does not offer.
The old city, enclosed by a moat and partial walls, is the historical centre and contains most of the temples. Wat Chedi Luang, whose central prang was damaged by an earthquake in 1545 and has been partially restored, gives you a sense of scale that the smaller temples do not. Wat Phra Singh is the most complete and most beautifully maintained. Wat Suan Dok on the western edge of the moat hosts a weekly monk chat programme that is among the more genuine cultural experiences available in the city.
The Sunday Walking Street on Wualai Road and the Saturday equivalent on Nimman Road are the markets; craft goods, local food, handicrafts, the density of people making it more city event than tourist market, which is the correct reading of what they are.
The weekend market at Chiang Mai Night Bazaar on Chang Klan Road is the international tourist version of the above and is worth a single visit for comparison.
Doi Suthep, the mountain immediately west of the city with its temple on the summit and its national park covering the slopes, is accessible by songthaew (shared pickup truck) from the trailhead at Huay Kaew Road for approximately 300 baht return (around £7), and provides an afternoon of walking and a view over the city that is one of the better views in northern Thailand.
Practical Notes for Arriving in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Airport is approximately 10 minutes from the old city by Grab; fares are typically 80-120 baht (around £2-£3). Songthaews to the old city are approximately 40 baht per person (around £1) if shared, which requires some patience.
Chiang Mai Train Station is about 3 kilometres east of the old city. Grab from the station to the moat is typically 60-80 baht (around £1.50-£2).
The old city is the correct area to base yourself for a first visit; everything worth walking to is within the moat, and the hotels and guesthouses inside the walls range from excellent budget options to characterful boutique hotels in traditional Thai buildings.
Weather: November to February is the cool season and the best weather; clear skies, temperatures of 15-25 degrees, the quality of northern Thai light that looks entirely different from Bangkok. March and April are hot and subject to smoke from agricultural burning that can significantly affect air quality and visibility. May to October is the wet season with good cooling rain and lower prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, the train or the flight? For most solo travellers, the overnight train. The time comparison is much closer than it appears, the experience is considerably more interesting, and you save a night’s accommodation cost.
How far in advance should I book the overnight train? For travel in November to February (peak season), 3-4 weeks in advance for a lower berth. For other months, a week is usually sufficient, but earlier is always better.
Is the overnight bus safe? Reputable bus operators are safe. Book through official bus terminals (Mo Chit in Bangkok) or through established booking platforms like 12Go.asia rather than from street-level sellers.
Is Chiang Mai worth more than two days? Comfortably. Four to five days allows you to see the temples, do a cooking class, make the Doi Suthep trip, and get to one of the day trips, Chiang Rai with the White Temple, or the Elephant Nature Park if that is your interest, without feeling rushed.
Transport prices and schedules correct at time of writing. Thai rail and bus fares are subject to change. Current schedules and online booking at thairailwayticket.com and 12go.asia.
A note on how I write: Every trip starts with a journal, filled in wherever I happen to be; on a bus, plane, train, or in a backstreet cafe that has clearly seen better days. It’s not tidy, and it’s not always legible even to me. When I get the time, I use AI to help turn those notes into something readable, organising drafts and occasionally rescuing a sentence that has wandered off without me. The experiences, the perspective, the humour and every editorial decision remain entirely mine. As for the photos, I’m not remotely fond of having my picture taken, family portraits included, so I also use AI to help visualise the places and moments I write about.
