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Arriving in a new country may be exciting, but it can also be intimidating and overwhelming. The first challenge is working out how to get from the airport to your accommodation. When you are exhausted from a long flight, the last thing you want is to arrive in an intense and confusing environment and get ripped off. So how do you get from Chiang Mai Airport to the Old City?
In this article, we will give you plenty of specific, helpful information, including exactly where to go, what options are available to you, and how much you should expect to pay to get from Chiang Mai Airport to your hotel.
This article is based on our own first-hand travel experience. Having visited Chiang Mai many times, we have a lot of knowledge and tips to share.
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Journey in brief
INBRIEF – It is 5.4km from the Exit of Chiang Mai Airport to Thapae Gate of the Old City. The journey generally takes around 15-20 minutes depending on traffic.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE – How to get around in Chiang Mai – Full Guide
What is it like to arrive at Chiang Mai Airport?
Chiang Mai Airport is a relatively small and peaceful airport situated to the south of Chiang Mai Old City. Most arrivals in Chiang Mai Airport are either connecting flights from Bangkok or from other destinations around Thailand (although Chiang Mai does also receive some international flight traffic).
Chiang Mai Airport is pretty nice and relaxed compared to most international airports around the world. It is also one of the nicest and most relaxed airports in Thailand. In our experience the locals are not particularly intense or risky in this area. Your chances of being scammed at Chiang Mai Airport are relatively low (although we do always recommend being vigilant when you arrive at an airport).
Getting out of Chiang Mai Airport step by step
The first step is to go to immigration to present your passport for inspection. Always remember to check that your entry stamp is correct at the airport. If there are any problems, you need to check it now.
Once you have cleared immigration, you will then need to go to baggage reclaim and wait for your bags to arrive (with fingers crossed, of course).
Once you have your bag, you can go through customs (you may need to scan your bag at this point), and once you have made it through customs, you will find yourself in the arrivals hall.
What is the Arrivals Hall like at Chiang Mai Airport?
The arrivals hall has a calm and relaxed atmosphere, not intense. The arrivals hall at Chiang Mai Airport also has free Wi-Fi for 1 hour. This is useful if you want to use a taxi app to get to your accommodation.
1 Take an Airport Taxi
The most efficient, convenient, and affordable way to travel from Chiang Mai Airport to your hotel is to use the official Airport Taxi Service. You do not need to pre-book this in advance, and the service is available 24/7 (so you can get a taxi anytime you arrive).
When you exit from customs, you will notice a desk called “Airport Taxi Meter Chiang Mai.” It is a small desk situated just outside the Customs exit in arrivals. The taxi price is standardized, so you do not need to negotiate. The price depends on the area you need to go to. You need to tell them your destination. Top tip: it is helpful to have your hotel address available on your phone and a map pin so that you can show the staff at the desk. They will be able to tell you which zone you are traveling to and the taxi price.
How much do the official airport taxis cost?
- Small car: 150 – 200 baht (around £3 – £4 or $3.50 – $5)
- Large car/SUV: 250 – 300 baht (£5 – £6 or $6 – $8)
You need to pay for your taxi at the desk. Go to the waiting point with your receipt (normally outside Exit 11). If you’re traveling with kids, they may give you a larger vehicle (they gave us a larger vehicle for the price of a small car. Thai people are lovely like this!)
The official airport taxi should arrive and pick you up. You will notice a car number on your receipt so you can get the correct taxi. The airport taxis are clean, comfortable, and spacious. They have air conditioning and plenty of room for lots of baggage in the back. The drivers are also very friendly and professional and will know exactly where they are taking you, so all you need to do is throw your bags in the back and then sit back and enjoy the journey.
2 Take a Grab Taxi
FULL GUIDE – Everything you need to know about Grab in Thailand
If you’re not able to take an official airport taxi, you can use taxi apps in Chiang Mai. Grab and Bolt are both commonly used, and if you request a taxi from the airport, you should be matched up with a driver very quickly. As long as you allow the app access to your phone’s location, your driver should be able to come to the correct pickup point and meet you. The app will tell you the color and number plate of the car so that you can watch out for your driver. We found that taxi app prices were very slightly cheaper than the official airport taxi. However, most people do not have internet when they first arrive in Chiang Mai, so you will probably need to use the airport Wi-Fi. Most Grab taxis from the airport to the Old City cost around 140 – 180 baht.
Top tip: taxi apps in Thailand often have an additional fee for airport pickup and drop-off services. You may need to pay this additional fee directly to the driver, and the price may end up being more than the official airport taxi.
Can you take a bus from Chiang Mai Airport to the Old City?
Yes, it is possible to take red buses (songthaew buses) from Chiang Mai Airport to the Old City. However, the red buses are not public buses, and they often act as private taxis (and even then, they may pick other people up along the way!). In which case, you will need to negotiate the price. In most cases, it is more expensive to take a red bus than to use a taxi app or the official airport taxi. So, in short, we do not recommend trying to take a bus from Chiang Mai Airport to your accommodation.
Chiang Mai Airport Travel Tips
1 Withdrawing Money at the Airport
There are several ATM machines in the arrivals hall in Chiang Mai Airport. These ATM machines are pretty reliable and accept foreign bank cards. There is a standard fee of 220 baht for international transactions (this is roughly £4 or $5, and it is a pretty standard charge in Thailand). If possible, we do recommend bringing a handful of baht when you arrive in Thailand in case you have any problems withdrawing money when you first arrive.
2 Purchasing SIM Cards at the Airport
You can find places selling SIM cards. If possible, we recommend picking up your SIM card from an AIS shop in Chiang Mai rather than buying an overpriced tourist SIM in the airport (the deals are a lot better if you go to one of the AIS shops in a mall in Chiang Mai). To give you a feel for the price of local data deals, you can normally get 30-day prepaid deals offering 50 GB of high-speed shareable data for as little as 400 baht (which is around £8 or $10). Most of the shopping malls in Chiang Mai have an AIS store where you can get these deals. This includes the Central Airport Mall, Maya Mall, and Central Festival Mall. You do need to bring a passport to register your SIM card.
