Should I Travel by Day or by Night from Chiang Mai to Bangkok by Bus?

The bus trip from Chiang Mai to Bangkok is one of the most used travel routes in Thailand. The journey is 360 miles as the bird flies. Naturally roads, even Roman ones, don't dissect maps in straight lines. However, if you were to draw a straight line from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and overlaid the actual road route you would see the two are fairly close. Indeed by road the journey is 425 miles.

In a car the trip can be done in just under 9 hours. By bus the journey takes 11 hours. The bus doesn't stop all the time to pick up and drop off passengers. There is usually one stop of 40 minutes or so to get food, stretch the legs and go to the toilet.

There are a number of bus companies that cover the bus route from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. They all have air-con and toilets at the back of the bus. Many of them have video players that show movies during the trip, except at night.

For the backpacker, travelling by night has 2 major advantages. The first is that you save a night's accommodation cost. The ticket costs about 600 Thai Baht. The cost of a cheap room in Bangkok is about the same. Another plus is that you arrive at 7 am. You have all day to find your room in Bangkok.

The disadvantages are that you cannot see any scenery travelling at night. You miss the Thai countryside. Also you cannot lie down in the bus. The seats recline a bit but as you go back so the person in front of you does the same and you feel just as confined as before. It is hard to sleep sitting up. Moreover, the air-con cannot be turned down. It is essential to bring a blanket or a sweater as you get cold at night.

It might be best to try both day travel and night travel in Thailand to see which you prefer. I find the experience of travelling such a long distance tends to jade me for several hours after disembarking at the destination.

Why Take the Train between Chiang Mai and Bangkok

There are 13 flights per day going from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Thai Lion Air and Bangkok Airways both offer services. A typical one way ticket costs 1,200 Thai Baht. In contrast there are just 6 trains running daily between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. An average price for a second class sleeper on the train is just over 1,000 Thai Baht. The flight takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. The train journey takes between 12 to 14 hours. So flying is cheaper and quicker. Why take the train between Chiang Mai and Bangkok?

For a start the money comparison is a little over-simplified because there is the extra expense of getting to and from an airport. Don Muang airport doesn’t have a rail link and a taxi into town costs 500 Thai Baht. From Chiang Mai centre to the airport costs about 120 THB. In comparison you can walk from Chiang Mai Train Station to the old town. You can catch the MRT from Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok to Sukhumvit for 130 Thai Baht per person.

The different additional costs of getting to and from a travel hub make the train and the plane journey about the same price.

Obviously in terms of time the airplane option wins hands down. Even if you have to wait around in airports, get searched and scrutinised and all the other palaver that goes with modern air travel. So again, why take the train?

My main argument is that it is nicer. There is still a small amount of romance left about train travel, even with Thai characteristics. You get leg room and even a bed if you travel over night. You can get up and walk around with getting in everyone’s way. You don’t feel hemmed in like transported livestock in economy class on a plane.

As many people have commented in the past – train travel is more civilised. You can bring your own food and drink, you can go to the dining car for something or you can catch the attention of one of the hawkers going up and down the train. You can go to the end of the carriage for a crafty cigarette. And best of all you can look out the window and see something of the Thai countryside rather than just clouds.

Train travel in Thailand is straight forward. It is not hard to find your platform. The trains aren’t running an exact schedule like their Japanese counterparts but they are fairly reliable. You can get tickets the day before normally. You can even buy Chiang Mai to Bangkok train tickets online if you get them 3 days in advance. Click the book button below to check availability and buy a ticket, or use the ticket search engine at the top of the right hand column.

Finally, what is the rush? There is much to explore between major tourist destinations in Thailand. People often have the mind-set that only a handful of places are worth spending any time in. That is not true. Thailand is a diverse Kingdom with many hidden gems. Tourists are missing out. For example between Chiang Mai and Bangkok is Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. Both are former capitals and full of ancient temples and palaces. Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World Heritage spot. Trains give you the freedom to make stops on the way and discover a bit about Thailand.

It might not be the most convincing of arguments for people who hate being on transport but it shouldn’t be forgotten that in travel, as in life, it is the journey not the arriving that teaches you more.