Mae Sai to Bangkok

Those looking for a direct transport link between Mae Sai and Bangkok have the only option of taking a bus. It is the cheapest way to get to the capital but involves a 13-hour bus journey. A bus+flight combination gives you an opportunity to spend less in the terms of time (4–6 hours) and more – in the terms of money (from THB1200).

Distance between Mae Sai and Bangkok

Mae Sai sits almost stright north of Bangkok and the two destinations are connected by Route 1. The distance between the two is 855 km.

Transport from Mae Sai to Bangkok

Direct buses head daily to Morchit bus terminal in Bangkok. To cover the major part of the route by plane, head to Chiang Rai first and take a flight to Bangkok from there. Trains for Bangkok depart from Chiang Mai, which also can be reached by bus from Mae Sai.

Bus from Mae Sai to Bangkok

After crossing the border from Myanmar to Thailand at Tachileik you will find yourself in the Thai border town of Mae Sai. The only option for travelling directly to Bangkok is to take a bus. The bus journey is rather long and can take anywhere between 12 to 15-hours – depending on the bus company, class of the bus and its route.

Note Mae Sai is a tiny town and buses are not allowed to enter the town proper. Thus all the buses depart from the bus terminal off the highway south of town, 50 m down and opposite Makro Mae Sai. There is a songthaew service connecting the town and the bus terminal for THB15.

Sawadee Travel have VIP services to Bangkok departing at 7.00am and 5.40pm daily with tickets costing THB1,000. Sombat Tour have VIP services departing at 5.00pm and 5.30pm. Tickets cost around THB700. They also have a more expensive VIP24 at 4.30pm; tickets cost THB900. En express Green Bus travels directly to Bangkok at 5.15pm and also costs THB700.

The journey time can be anywhere between 12 and 15 hours. All service arrive to Bangkok Morchit Bus Terminal. Morchit is in the north of the city and is close to Morchit BTS station and Chatuchark Park MRT stations.

Bus and flight from Mae Sai to Bangkok

There are also a number of indirect options for travel between Mae Sai and Bangkok. They involve passing through either Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai as Mae Sai is a very small town with no its own airport. The closest airports are Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai.

Via Chiang Rai
By far the quickest route is to travel via Chiang Rai from where you can connect to one of over two dozens daily flights to Bangkok.

The distance between Mae Sai And Chiang Rai is sheer 60 km and buses need 90 minutes to cover it. Note that these are rickety local buses without air-conditioning but just ceiling fans. They are dirt cheap, too, costing THB40, and depart between 6.00am and 6.00pm. There are more expensive minivans plying the same route wish you opt for a quicker and more comfy service.

In Chiang Rai buses arrive to the central bus terminal located very close to the market in the centre of town. From there you can take a taxi to Chiang Rai Airport. This will cost no more than THB150.

There are numerous daily flights to both of the Bangkok airports with the low-cost airlines like Thai AirAsia, Lion Air and Nok Airflying to Don Mueang and plusher ‘air club’ of Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways with its affiliate Thai Smile using Suvarnabhumi as their hub. The flight time from Chiang Rai to Bangkok is 1 hour and 30 minutes. The best air deals start from THB800 though THB1000 looks like a more real airfare.

Via Chiang Mai
A combination bus+flight journey is also possible via Chiang Mai though this one is better done only in case you want to make a stop in the city for a day or two. Otherwise pass via Chiang Rai.

The best option to get from Mae Sai to Chiang Mai is offered by Green Bus. The company offers a variety of departures throughout the day, has both express and VIP buses plus supports online booking what can be useful during the high season.

There are 8 daily buses, with a ninth bus running Monday, Friday and Sunday. The journey takes approximately 5 hours and 15 minutes. Buses depart from Mae Sai at 6.15am, 7.30am, 8.15am, 9.45am, 2.00pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm and 6pm. Tickets cost between THB260 and THB400.

In Chiang Mai, buses bring you to the larger Arcade Bus Station located east of the city. There are ordinary songthaews heading to town or take a taxi directly to the airport (THB150-THB250).

As in case with Chiang Rai, you find airlines flying from Chiang Mai to Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports. The cheapest deals are often offered by Lion Air, while AirAsia sells very cheap promotional tickets during their Big Sales periods – but you should book those well in advance.

In Bangkok, both airports are connected to the city centre by airport bus routes and there is a rail link from Suvarnabhumi, too.

Note If Bangkok is not your final destination, check the routes served by direct buses and vans from Suvarnabhumi airport. These include several destinations on the Eastern Seaboard – Pattaya, Koh Samet and Koh Chang as well as Hua Hin on the other side of the Gulf.

Bus and train from Mae Sai to Bangkok

From Chiang Mai you also have the option of reaching Bangkok by train. While bus+train combination is neither the cheapest nor the fastest one, you may want to consider it if you have not yet taken a train in Thailand. Rail travel along Chiang Mai–Bangkok and vice versa route is quintessential Thai experience, and with the brand new carriages recently adopted by Thai Railways the journey is now quite confortable – well, even more comfortable as it used to be.

A train to Bangkok takes between 12 and 15 hours to reach the centrally located Hua Lamphong train station. Trains depart daily at 5.45am, 8.50am, 4.00pm, 5.00pm, 5.30pm and 9.00pm. Second class air-conditioned sleeper berth tickets go for THB800 and more expensive first class tickets start at around THB1,200. Taking a train is handy if you are planning to stay in Bangkok as the train station is served by the MRT line.

Tip When you enter Thailand from Tachileik it is important to know that the border closes at 6.00pm. If you arrive to Tachileik around that time, try to exit Myanmar before the border closes. Though there are accommodation options to spend the night at Tachileik, too, they are better of the Thai side of the border. The last bus leaves Mae Sai at 6.00pm, so you will have to spend the night at Mae Sai anyway.

Also, check Thai visa requirements for your passport. Though the overwhelming majority of the nationalities now get a free 30-day entry stamp into Thailand, you can be refused entry if you have too many recent entries into the country.