Travel and Transport Info for Chiang Rai, Thailand by Hobo Maps - - - Home

Click to see our Chiang Rai Map - Chiang Rai city image below:

Chiang Rai Bus Stations
- There are 2 major bus stations in Chiang Rai, the central Station 1 (at grid code GG184 on THIS MAP) and Bus Station 2 for longer distance buses at grid code HR174 on the same map. Many buses (but not all) go to both stations so passengers can sometimes board at either one. Light blue songtaew buses go between the 2 main bus stations every few minutes as soon as they have a few passengers. The trip only takes 15 minutes.

Old dark green buses below go between Chiang Rai and Mae Sai every hour or so.

- Old buses below go to Chiang Saen and depart every hour.

- Buses to Chiang Khong - big red buses slowly go between Chiang Rai and Chiang Khong with departures every hour or so from Station 1 in central Chiang Rai. They stop anywhere along their route to pick up or drop off passengers.

Chiang Saen buses also go per schedule below:

- Songtaew buses that go on routes around the area have their main station Rot Noi in central town on Uttarakit Road at the fresh market. Red, blue & green songtaews operate from this station.

- Motorbike and bicycle rentals are easily available at many places in the central area of town.

Bus Schedules below from C. Rai Tourism Office Dec. 2015 - Terminal 1 is in central town and Terminal 2 is outer area terminal. In Feb. 2024 we asked the Thai tourism office at Chiang Rai bus station for a bus schedule update but they said the system is "not stable" and at the whim of bus drivers and companies. The 2015 schedule below is still a rough guide of where buses go and about how often.

Chiang Rai Water Transport
- Daily longtail boats are scheduled to depart Chiang Rai about 10:30 going upstream to Thaton on the Kok River (4 hours). They are scheduled to depart Thaton daily about 12:30 coming downstream to Chiang Rai (3 hours). Cost was 350 baht per person in 2011 and it's possible they may not go on days when there are not enough passengers to justify the cost.

Chiang Rai Airport
- The Mae Fah Luang - Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI) is about 9 km northeast of central Chiang Rai on the north side of the Kok River. Flights are available to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Macau (China).

Info below as of Dec. 2015 from Tourism Office

Mural images below painted on wall outside Chiang Rai central Bus Station 1