By bus it takes around 25 hours to travel 1,518 km from Phuket to Chiang Mai.
Bus Timetable from Phuket to Chiang Mai
Click on the Phuket – Chiang Mai link in the timetable below for more information and to buy tickets.
| Phuket - Chiang Mai ฿ 2,128 1days 35m | |
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| Phuket - Chiang Mai ฿ 1,150–21,000 2h – 21h | |
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| Phuket - Chiang Mai ฿ 1,368–4,570 1h 55m – 1days 4h 39m | |
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Where to get the Bus in Phuket
Bus services to Chiang Mai depart from Phuket Bus Terminal 2 at Thanon Thepkrasattri, Tambon Ratsada, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Chang Wat Phuket 83000, Thailand.
Arrival in Chiang Mai
Bus services from Phuket terminate at Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000.
Travel in Chiang Mai
Unlike Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur, Chiang Mai does not have modern efficient rapid public transport.
Local Transport
If you want to take public transport around Chiang Mai your options are shared taxi, bus, tuk-tuk or fixed fare (not meter) taxis. For this reason many visitors to Chiang Mai rent a scooter or motorbike to travel around.
Bike Rental in Chiang Mai
A word of warning on renting motorbikes in Chiang Mai: foreigners don’t tend to have as many accidents in Chiang Mai as they do in Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Phuket or Pattaya, but a fairly high percentage of people who do hire bikes have some kind of problem. For travel around the city centre, particularly the four lane wide city ring road, you are best off using public transport. If you do have an accident it is unlikely that your insurance company will cover the costs.
Wat Doi Suthep in Chiang MaiBus Routes
From the bus station the cheapest way to travel into the city is on the bus. Both the B1 and B2 routes go to the Tha Phae Gate on a route which goes past the turning to the popular Chan Klang Road.
Shared Taxis
You can also take a shared songthaew taxi for between 20 and 60 baht a journey depending on how far you are travelling. These shared taxis run different fixed routes and the best option is to flag one down and ask if they are going to your destinations. You sit in the back of the vehicle with other passengers and press the buzzer when you approach your stop. Pay the driver as you leave the shared taxi.
Private Taxis and Tuk-Tuks
Tuk-tuks and taxis charge around the same prices: 100 to 150 THB per journey depending upon where you are going. Tuk-tuks are everywhere, taxis are more difficult to find except at the airport, and if you want to use a taxi you tend to need to use your phone to order one.
Uber and Grab operate in Chiang Mai although things change frequently in Thailand as these newer types of taxi service face opposition from traditional taxi operators who periodically lobby the local authorities to suspend Uber and Grab services.