Bangkok to Chiang Mai: train vs bus vs flight, the cheapest way (2026)
Sleeper train from ฿688, VIP bus from about ฿650, flights from about ฿1,377: real 2026 fares for Bangkok to Chiang Mai, checked 18 Oct 2026, and which to book.
Bangkok → Chiang Mai: options compared
One adult, one way, in THB. Sources and dates below.
| Option | Price (THB) | Time | From | Good for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeper train No. 9 (2nd class)Best value overall | ฿941 upper / ฿1,041 lower | 18:40 → ~07:15 | Krung Thep Aphiwat | Saves a hotel night. Newest carriages | Check berths (affiliate link, opens in a new tab) |
| Sleeper train No. 13 (2nd class) | ฿771 / ฿841 | 20:05 → ~08:45 | Krung Thep Aphiwat | Cheaper sleeper, older carriages | Check berths (affiliate link, opens in a new tab) |
| Overnight VIP / Gold busCheapest overnight | ≈ ฿651–1,016 (Nakhonchai Air Gold ฿693) | 9–11 h | Mo Chit / Nakhonchai Air terminal | Sold-out trains, tight budgets | Check buses (affiliate link, opens in a new tab) |
| Flight (DMK → CNX) | ≈ ฿1,377–2,185 on sale today | 1 h 10–20 in the air | Don Mueang | Short on time. Check bag fees | Compare flights (affiliate link, opens in a new tab) |
Train fares are State Railway of Thailand prices (5 Dec 2025 timetable). Bus and flight ranges are what 12Go showed for this route on 18 Oct 2026, so they change daily. Not yet verified — we'll update this after checking first-hand
Short answer: the cheapest bed is a 2nd-class sleeper berth from ฿771 (train No. 13), or ฿941–1,041 on the newer No. 9. The cheapest seat is an overnight VIP or Gold-class bus at about ฿650–1,000. Flights are fastest and, with promo fares and carry-on only, sometimes cost about the same.
Train: ฿688–1,653, and it replaces a hotel night
Fares on Special Express No. 9, from Richard Barrow’s Thai Train Guide (State Railway timetable updated 5 Dec 2025):
| Class (No. 9) | Upper | Lower | Whole cabin (solo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd-class A/C sleeper | ฿941 | ฿1,041 | |
| 1st-class sleeper | ฿1,453 | ฿1,653 | ฿2,453 |
No. 9 leaves Krung Thep Aphiwat at 18:40 and reaches Chiang Mai around 07:15. Other trains, per VisitThailandToday (checked 25 Sep 2026, citing the same timetable):
- No. 13, 20:05, ฿771/841 in 2nd class, older carriages
- No. 109, 14:15, ฿688/758, but it arrives around 04:05
- No. 7 day train, 07:30–17:50, 2nd-class seat ฿558
Booking window: official tickets are sold on SRT’s D-Ticket site. Barrow’s page says 180 days ahead. VisitThailandToday reports SRT cut this to 90 days in April 2026. Not yet verified — we'll update this after checking first-hand Lower berths on No. 9 sell out first. Agents such as 12Go add a booking fee but have an easier checkout. There’s no 12Go promo code right now.
Bus: about ฿650–1,000
- Nakhonchai Air: Gold Class ฿693, First Class ฿924, per a Thai news report (acnews). Its Go Card members get 5% off. Not yet verified — we'll update this after checking first-hand
- 12Go’s live board for this route showed buses at ฿651–1,016 on 18 Oct 2026, with most overnight VIP departures between about 18:30 and 22:30.
- Buses take 9–11 hours and arrive at Chiang Mai’s Arcade terminal, about 3 km from the Old City.
Flight: fastest, but count the bags
On 18 Oct 2026, 12Go showed Don Mueang → Chiang Mai from ฿1,377 to ฿2,185, and Suvarnabhumi → Chiang Mai from ฿1,660, both economy. Low-cost carriers mostly fly from DMK and charge extra for checked bags. Compare the total with bags on Trip.com. New users have an official flight code, TRIPFLIGHT26, worth up to US$15 off the first flight. Getting to DMK cheaply is covered in our airport guide.
So which is cheapest?
| You are… | Book | Why |
|---|---|---|
| On the tightest budget | Overnight bus (≈ ฿650–700) | Cheapest seat, and it saves a hotel night |
| After the best value | No. 13 or No. 9 2nd-class lower berth | A real bed for about the price of a cheap room |
| Short on time | Flight from DMK with carry-on | Fastest. Promo fares can match the train |
| Travelling at New Year, Songkran or Yi Peng | Book the moment dates are fixed | Everything sells out and fares jump |
Tips
- Pay in THB and use a no-foreign-fee card or Wise. Budget it with our trip cost calculator.
- Long stay in the north? Check how many days you can stay with our visa stay calculator.
- Stay connected on the train with a Thailand eSIM. See the cheapest eSIM guide.
Prices are from the public pages linked above, checked 18 Oct 2026. We haven’t ridden this route for this guide yet. Not yet verified — we'll update this after checking first-hand