Chiang Rai is located in the northern part of Thailand. There are many ways of getting to Chiang Rai, but the two most popular ways people usually take is by plane from Bangkok or by car from Chiang Mai. There are many ways to get around in Chiang Rai, such as by tuk-tuk, motorcycle, car, bicycle, taxi, and even on foot!
This is a summary about transport options to and around this northernmost city of Thailand.
Quick Facts
- It takes around one hour to fly from Bangkok to Chiang Rai.
- There are more than 20 flights a day flying from Bangkok to Chiang Rai, with airlines like Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai Lion Air, and China Eastern Airlines.
- Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport is 8 km from downtown Chiang Rai.
- Driving from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai takes about three hours.
- Chiang Rai is a small nice city, so you will have many transportation options, from traditional ones like tuk-tuks and samlors, to modern ones like taxis and private cars to get around in the city.
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My husband and I are planning a 3 week…
Alisa was a great listener to all the things we wanted to incorporate into our trip. We discussed everything throughly, and when I had questions, she had answers the next day. I really appreciate her responsiveness and detail with me. I feel like we are in the best hands with Alisa and Asia Highlights. More
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Very great experience our driver D was…
Very great experience our driver D was never late and always had waters and a cold towel for us and our tour guide Som was very informative and had amazing English I recommend them both highly for anyone else traveling More
Rylan Coache, Feb 2024
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Excellent guide in Siem Reap
Our recent time spent in Siem Reap was made even more memorable by our expert guide, Som Piseth. Som was knowledgeable, attentive, flexible and super helpful - we learnt so much about Siem Reap and Cambodia in our 3 days with him. His English was excellent and his knowledge of, and pride in, his country was outstanding. We would highly recommend Som for anyone wanting an excellent guide in Siem Reap! More
Sharon Townshend, Feb 2024
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Asia Highlights trip to Thailand
Our first tour guide in Bangkok, Marie, was great to tour around with. She was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. Our next stop in Chang Mai we were greeted by our new tour guide, Rafael. He too was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. He made it feel as if we were traveling around with a long time friend. Every time we arrived at a new destination, we were greeted at the airport by someone with a sign with our name making our travels easy. I would definitely recommend Asia Highlights to anyone looking for a well planned trip of a lifetime! More
Tricia, Feb 2024
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Amazing Thailand experience
The tour guides were all knowledgeable and accommodating, especially Mayuree in Bangkok- absolutely wonderful. We felt taken care of and every step of the way was catered to our needs. More
Ashley White, Feb 2024
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Private tour perfect for our times
Asia highlights organized a private tour with our requests. Everything was perfect ?? the driver Tom and the guide Ying were always on time with a smile in their face. Always willing to help and make our trip perfect. Bangkok is a very hot city so we minimized the time outside. The driver always had cold towels for us in the van and cold beverages. More
Virginia, Feb 2024
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Thailand
We loved Chiang Mai and Susie did a great job showing us several temples, taking many pictures of us with the elephants at the sanctuary (a definite highlight of the entire trip!), and making sure we were well fed, which became a running joke between us.We had a very relaxing few days in Phuket enjoying the beautiful beaches. Kai was great, answering all of our questions and giving us a nice tour of the old town. The all-day speedboat tour of the Phi Phi islands started off a little shaky as the sea was quite rough so if you’re at all uncomfortable bouncing around in a speedboat, you might want to skip that tour. Things did calm down as the day went on and some of the areas they took us to for swimming, snorkeling, etc were really beautiful. A couple of the islands were too crowded with people. More
Andrea Roberts, Feb 2024
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What a Wonderful Trip
What a Wonderful Trip! We booked with Sharon and our trip was great - guides were waiting for us at each stop, and they were all very nice and helpful. I cannot stress how amazing the guides were - they made the trip. More
Rachel, Feb 2024
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Ask for Victor!
If you are traveling to Bangkhok you need to request Victor. He made our trip amazing! My family completed bucket list items with his guidance. He knew exactly how to get us places, kept us on time, made us feel safe, educated us on history, spoke excellent English and was genuinely a nice man! Everyone we encountered was awesome- but Victor is the reason for my 5 star review! More
Sandy, Jan 2024
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Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a…
Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a wonderful trip to Thailand. We had a great time. The tour guides were wonderful as were the hotels you booked for us. We will definitely contact you to plan our next trip More
Carol Yeung, Jan 2024
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Ying was the best
Ying was the best. She was really knowledgeable and kind. Thank you Ying for wonderful experience in Thailand! More
Sylvester Yeung, Jan 2024
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Very well organized
Very well organized. Our tour guide, Ying, was amazing! She had full knowledge of every location we visited and made sure our itinerary was fulfilled as expected. She was extremely helpful for our airport experiences, and made sure we arrived at an appropriate time. More
David M. Kang, Jan 2024
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Family trip to Thailand
We were lucky to be greeted by Marie and her driver.In Marie, we have made a friend for life. She is incredibly smart and knowledgeable about her home country. From the vast number of temples to safely traversing Chinatown.She helped give us tips on our free days, locate left behind lost clothing and arrange for pickup. She even helped check us in for our flight to Chiang Mai.She prepared us ahead of time for every event we had scheduled and bonded with our kids, 3x 13 year olds. More
Justin Levenbrook, Jan 2024
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Thailand with and amazing tour guide Ying
I highly recommend Ying as a tour guide in Thailand. Her expertise in Thai culture, combined with her passion for food and genuine love for her country, made the tour an exceptional experience. If you're looking for a guide who will not only show you the sights but also immerse you in the local culture and help you discover delicious Thai cuisine, Ying is the perfect choice. More
Diana Irizarry, Jan 2024
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Asia Highlights Thailand trip
Asia Highlights provided us with a great travel trip. They made it very easy to navigate through Thailand with everything going very smoothly. From the easy transportation to the great day itinerary everything was awesome. Will definitely look to use this agency again in the future. More
Taylor Jones, Jan 2024
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Perfect 2 WK Thailand Trip for a Solo Female Traveler
Bank was our guide in Bangkok and he showed us around the city with ease and we were able to see and try things I never would have planned on my own. After Bangkok, our small group flew to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng lantern festival and that was a breathtaking experience that I will never forget! Pop was our guide in this city and she was knowledgeable, kind and caring which made our experience even more memorable. More
Tia, Dec 2023
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We recently have just returned from Thailand
We recently have just returned one from a 5 week trip to Thailand through Asia Highlights. We had a wonderful time and Asia Highlights went beyond our expectations. They truly tried their best to make sure everything went smoothly and we were taken care of! Everyone was amazing and we would definitely use them in the future!! Many thanks to everyone that helped to make this an incredible once in a lifetime experience!! More
Karen Rocque, Dec 2023
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Indochina Experience
On our 5th day of our trip with Asiahighlights. We felt well taken care of before and it hasn’t changed since we started from Bangkok to Hanoi (guide Kim was verrry knowledgeable!) to Halong Bay (spectacular scenery) to Hoi An (guide Nhieu Tran, giving great local (shopping) tips and insights). More
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How to Get to Chiang Rai
There are two popular ways to get into Chiang Rai.
The first one is by taking a direct flight from Bangkok to Chiang Rai which takes around one hour.
The second one is by driving a car from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai which takes around three hours.
1. Getting from Bangkok to Chiang Rai by Air (US$30–200, 1½ Hours)
Most people will visit Chiang Rai after they finish their touring in Bangkok.
There are more than 20 flights from Bangkok to Chiang Rai every day. Some of the popular airlines are Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways as well as some budget airlines, such as Thai Lion Air, Thai AirAsia, and Nok Air.
Option 1. Boutique Airlines
The ticket price from Bangkok to Chiang Rai when traveling with Thai Airways is about US$100–200. Please note there is no fee for carry-on baggage up to 7 kilograms and there is no fee for hold baggage up to 20 kilograms. The prices stated by Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways include your baggage allowance and free drinks.
Option 2. Budget Airlines
Flights with Bangkok Airways and Thai AirAsia cost about US$30–60 but you need to pay extra for food and drinks as well as your checked baggage allowance.
Important: Budget airlines normally have a free 7 kilogram carry-on baggage allowance. For any baggage that exceeds this weight and that needs to be checked in, don't forget to go to the airline's official website to purchase extra baggage allowance at least 4 hours before departure. This is essential if you don't want to pay at the check-in counter where the charges will be three times higher than they are online.
Learn more about the best 8 domestic airlines in Thailand you should choose from and discover each of their pros and cons, including the baggage allowance details. Read all you need to know about domestic flights in Thailand.
Don Mueang Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok
You need to pay attention to the two different airports in Bangkok — Don Mueang (the old airport) and Suvarnabhumi (the new airport). If transferring between the airports, please make sure you have enough time to go to the other airport.
For your information, if taking a taxi from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi you will need more than one hour. However, if Asia Highlights will arrange your itinerary, they will do so meticulously, so that you won't have to worry about times.
From Bangkok you will arrive at Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport (IATA airport code: CEI). This International Airport is located 8 km from the city center. You can reach downtown Chiang Rai in about 30 minutes by car.
You could take a taxi for about US$ 7 or, if you book with us, we will arrange a private car to send you to the hotel. The Asia Highlights tour guide will pick you up at the exit door of Mae Fah Luang arrival hall and will bring a sign with your name on it.
2. Getting from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai (3 Hours)
By private transfer: Getting into Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai can be done in about three hours by car. Asia Highlights will provide a comfortable private car, along with a professional friendly tour guide and driver to pick you up in Chiang Mai and take you to your hotel in Chiang Rai. This is the most comfortable way.
By public bus (not recommended): You can also use a bus from Chiang Mai. However, we would not recommend this, since there have been a fewreports of bus crashes in the last few years and it's uncomfortable at all.
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The Best Ways to Get Around Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai is quite a small, nice city to explore. You can find many means of transportation to get around Chiang Rai. From traditional means of transportation such as tuk-tuks and samlors, to modern popular ones, such as taxis, buses, motorcycles, and so on. You can also rent a car or even walk to get around the city.
Here we present some of the transportation choices to get around Chiang Rai.
1. By Private Car (Recommended)
Using a private car in Chiang Rai is more flexible and comfortable than using other transportation. Because Chiang Rai is located in a more mountainous area than other cities, the town has many curvy roads, and some other transportation cannot reach many top attractions in remote areas. Asia Highlights recommend you use a private car to connect from one spot to the other on your day itinerary.
2. By Samlor and Tuk Tuk
Chiang Rai is popular with its traditional local means of transportation, namely tuk-tuks and samlors. A tuk-tuk is a three-wheeled motorized vehicle used as a taxi in town, while a samlor is the simplified version of the tuktuk, it is a three-wheeled human powered vehicle. These three-wheeled vehicles are good and fun for a short distance trip (20 minutes or so) in town. The first picture below is of a tuk-tuk and the second one is of a samlor.
3. By Bicycle
Riding a bicycle in the countryside is an interesting experience when you are in a small town. You can enjoy the fresh air and amazing landscape while cycling. Besides, you can also discover the beautiful local life and plants along the way. Cycling is fun for a short time, maybe for one hour or two.
4. By Foot
Walking is a fun way to explore the town after a day outing. By walking you can leisurely enjoy the local night atmosphere in peaceful Chiang Rai. You can stroll around the local markets and look for souvenirs and street food. Taking pictures with the city at night in the background should also be on your list of things-to-do in Chiang Rai.
5. By Taxi (Only Recommended from the Airport to the Town)
Many people use taxis only for taking them from the airport to the town center. Apart from that, they will try other local transportation such as tuk-tuk or samlor.
Explore Chiang Rai with Asia Highlights
Asia Highlights want our clients to have a pleasant experience in Chiang Rai. We will help you arrange your flight, find a hotel that suits you best, provide a professional tour guide and a private comfortable car, as well as any other support you may need in your trip. Of course, Asia Highlights will also present you with holistic knowledge about the city as soon as you step foot in it. This will make your journey more meaningful.
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