How to get from Chiang Mai Airport to the city centre

Why visit Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is Thailand’s northernmost city, an intriguing fusion of new and old. Its hundreds of temples, striking Old City and delicious local dishes tell the story of Chiang Mai’s culture and history. On the other hand, its cafe culture, friendly coworking spaces and nightlife attract digital nomads from across the globe.

Surrounded by mountains, the city offers plenty of adventures with nature. But if you can, we recommend travelling to Chiang Mai in time for one of its many festivals — like Loy Krathong (Lantern Festival) in November and Songkran (Water Splashing Festival) in April.

There are 5 ways to travel the 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Chiang Mai Airport to the city centre. You can choose between the Public bus, Shuttle bus, taxi, Songthaew and Tuk-tuk. The journey takes 15 to 40 minutes and the quickest way is by taxi. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by public bus with tickets starting at 30 THB ($0.90).

The public bus or the RTC (Regional Transit Corporation) Chiang Mai Bus is the cheapest way to reach the city centre from Chiang Mai International Airport. These blue-coloured buses are also called the Chiang Mai Smart Bus.

A ticket only costs 30 THB ($0.90). The bus journey takes about 20 minutes.

You can choose from 2 types of R3 buses. The R3 buses with red and yellow signs both head to central Chiang Mai, but in different directions. These buses run from 06:30 to 23:30 daily and are available every 25-30 minutes.

• Route R3 (Red) heads to Nimman Road first before going to Tha Pae Gate, next to the old centre.
• Route R3 (Yellow) takes the opposite route. It goes to Tha Pae first before heading to Nimman Road.

You can find the public buses just outside the arrivals hall. Just look for the white bus stop sign.

Songthaews are the most popular mode of transportation in Chiang Mai. A songthaew is basically a small pick-up truck that’s been customized to seat passengers in the box of the truck. In the Chiang Mai area, all songthaews are red in colour and can be easily spotted along the main streets.

You can find songthaews outside almost every exit of Chiang Mai Airport’s arrival hall. Before boarding the songthaew, tell the driver the name of your hotel to make sure that he’s going in the same direction.

When travelling to the airport, you can easily find songthaews on any main street around the Old City. The standard rate for travelling between Chiang Mai Airport and the city centre is 30 THB ($0.90) per person. The trip only takes 15 minutes.

Be aware that the driver may ask you to pay an increased rate if there are not many passengers on board because this is considered a ‘private ride’. The increased rates will cost you 100 THB ($3.10) to 200 THB ($6.20), but you also have the option to wait for more passengers to pay a lower rate.

Another option is to take the airport shuttle bus from Chiang Mai Airport to the city centre. The downside of this ride is that it has no specific departure times and only stops outside the Old City.

If you still want to take this shuttle bus, you can find it at the southern end of Chiang Mai Airport. The shuttle begins running at 17:00, which is not a great option if your flight lands in the morning or early afternoon.

The standard fare is 60 THB ($1.80) per person, but there have been instances when passengers were charged more than this standard rate.

You will also find numerous tuk-tuks outside Chiang Mai Airport. They look the same as the tuk-tuks in Bangkok, but they usually run at a slower pace.

Tuk-tuk drivers charge a standard rate of at least 100 THB ($3.10) for a trip from Chiang Mai Airport to the Old City.

Be aware that some tuk-tuk drivers may try to charge you a higher rate of 150 THB ($4.60). Be prepared to negotiate to get the best price, or you can simply walk away and ask the next driver.

Tuk-tuks do not offer a lot of space, so it might not be the most comfortable ride for you if you’re travelling with luggage.

If you want a private transfer, you can book a taxi from the service counters in the arrival hall of Chiang Mai Airport. There are two types of taxis available: the Chiang Mai Airport taxis and the metered taxis.

The Chiang Mai Airport taxi charges a flat rate of 150 THB ($4.60) to the city centre. Meanwhile, a metered taxi will cost approximately 100 THB ($3.10) to 120 THB ($3.70), plus the airport surcharge of 50 THB ($1.50). Travel time is about 15 to 40 minutes.

Taxi reservation online has a slightly higher cost at around 370 THB ($11.40). However, we recommend this advance taxi booking through 12GoAsia so that you can avoid long queues and save time.

An alternative is booking a private car in advance or booking one via Grab. Klook offers a 3-seater car for around 535 THB ($16.50). The taxi will cost a little more than the other options but is a very comfortable way to travel directly from Chiang Mai Airport to the city centre.