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

Click to see our Chiang Saen Map - Chiang Saen town image below looking south along the Mekong:

Land Transport
- The main roads into Chiang Saen are nicely paved all-season roads. There is no public bus station building in Chiang Saen but most buses stop or start on the street in front of 7-11 and Lotus marts in central area close to the Mekong. Few of the transport drivers speak English and communication is the main problem with getting around.

- The nearest airport to Chaing Saen is in Chiang Rai.

- Local transport for visitors is mostly by charter tuk-tuk and they can be flagged down anywhere but they also have a station base at the junction of Phaholyothin Road/Highway 1016 and Rimkhong Road by the Mekong River. There are no motorbike taxis in Chiang Saen.

- Blue songtaew buses go north to Sop Ruak, the Golden Triangle area and on to Mae Sai during the early part of the day and depart from their station across the street from 7-11 and Lotus marts on Phaholyothin. Tourists can use these for day trips up to the Golden Triangle and Sop Ruak but in Feb. 2023 there was a limited schedule as tourism was still suffering from the pandemic.

- Old big buses depart every hour for Chiang Rai from their station near 7-11 and Lotus marts on Phaholyothin. 40 baht fare in Feb. 2023

- Sadly the excellent Green Bus company no longer has buses coming to Chiang Saen and Sop Ruak at the Golden Triangle. This is a big loss for tourism business. Hopefully they will start again when tourism recovers from the pandemic.

- Sadlly the dark green songtaews that used to go to Chiang Khong have also stopped operating.

Traffic circle images below at junction of Highways 1016 and 1290.

River Passenger Transport
- Fast small speedboats can be chartered for trips up to the Golden Triangle north of Chiang Saen to do tours of that area.

- longtail tourist boats also do the Golden Triangle tour route.

- Thai and Lao people can use a cross-river ferry service between Chiang Saen and Ton Phueng, Laos. Foreigners wanting to cross into Laos can do so from Sop Ruak 10 km north with a boat stopping at Laos Immigration in the Golden Triangle SEZ.

Cycling Around Chiang Saen
- There is now a bicycle rental place in Chiang Saen in the central area. Some of the smaller roads around the old city walls are great for cycling - nice quiet shady lanes and many historic sites to stop and visit. Consider bringing your own bike or coming up from Chiang Rai with a rental bike. It only takes about 4 hours or less to peddle a bike to Chiang Saen from Mae Sai or Chiang Rai and nearly all of the roads are very flat.

Chiang Saen town scene images below show flat and quiet roads excellent for cycling.

You can peddle up to Sop Ruak and the Golden Triangle in 40 minutes on the new divided highway along the Mekong and come back on a shady back roads route on our Golden North Map HERE. A single gear low-tech city bike works fine for long distance cycling in the Golden North of Thailand.

Chiang Saen Lake - Nong Bong Khai - Yonok Wetlands area just west of town is a renowned bird watching and non-hunting area which can be easily reached by bicycle from town - see our Golden North map HERE for directions. Wetlands images below:

More Chiang Saen street view images below:

Across the Mekong from sleepy Chiang Saen is the glitsy GTSEZ as seen below.