Practical guide
Chiang Mai to Phuket
Two hours in the air, or a day and a night on the ground
Chiang Mai to Phuket is about 1,520 km by road, the length of the country, so the answer for almost everyone is the nonstop flight. Thai AirAsia and Thai VietJet fly it about six times a day between 06:25 and 21:25, with a Bangkok Airways flight on some days, and it takes 2 hours to 2 hours 10 in the air. Door to door, Old City hotel to Patong, that's about four and a half hours.
Check live Chiang Mai → Phuket times and seats on 12Go
A flight with a change in Bangkok takes four hours at the very best and usually most of the day, so I'd only book one if every nonstop is full. Overland, one GreenBus coach runs the whole way from Chiang Mai's Arcade terminal in about 24 hours 40 minutes. The overland trip I'd actually take is the No. 10 sleeper train to Don Mueang, which stops beside the airport at 06:13, and a flight to Phuket the next morning. There is no train to Phuket at all.
Arriving in Phuket
Where to stay in Phuket
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Key Facts
It's about 1,520 km by road and 1,190 km as the plane flies
OSRM routes Chiang Mai's Old City to Phuket Town at 1,522 km and about 19 hours of driving without stops. That's why nobody ranking for this route recommends the road unless you have a reason to see what's in between.
About six nonstops a day, 2 hours in the air
Thai AirAsia flies at about 06:25, 11:40, 13:00 and 21:25, and Thai VietJet at 10:50 and 16:15. Bangkok Airways adds a 14:35 on some days of the week. Times move by a few minutes from day to day.
Door to door is about four and a half hours
Chiang Mai airport is 10–15 minutes from the Old City and Nimman, the flight is 2 hours, and Patong is about 50 minutes from Phuket airport by car. A connection through Bangkok turns that into most of a day.
There's no train to Phuket
The fastest rail trip is the No. 10 sleeper from Chiang Mai at 18:20, off at Don Mueang station at 06:13, then a covered walkway into the airport and a flight south. Going all the way by rail and bus via Surat Thani takes about 42 hours.
One direct bus a day, almost 25 hours
GreenBus leaves Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 (Arcade) at 15:00 and reaches Phuket Bus Terminal 2 at about 15:40 the next afternoon. 12Go sells it for about ฿3,650.
Phuket airport to Patong is ฿100 by bus or ฿800 by car
The Smart Bus leaves every 30 minutes from 09:00 to 22:00 and takes about 1h30 to Patong. The fixed-fare counter charges ฿800 for a car to Patong and ฿1,000 to Karon or Kata.
Every Way From Chiang Mai to Phuket, Compared
| Option | From | Time | Cost | Arrives at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonstop flightSeats on 12Go | Chiang Mai airport (CNX), about 06:25–21:25 | 2h–2h10 in the air, about 4.5 hours door to door | About ฿1,800–3,600 before bags | Phuket airport (HKT), 50 minutes from Patong |
| Flight with a change in Bangkok | Chiang Mai airport, all day | About 4 hours at best, usually 5 to 15 | Often no cheaper than the nonstop | Phuket airport |
| Sleeper train to Don Mueang + flight | Chiang Mai station at 18:20 (No. 10) | About 18 to 20 hours, one night in a berth | ฿941–1,041 for a 2nd-class berth, plus about ฿1,000–2,500 for the flight | Phuket airport |
| GreenBus directSeats on 12Go | Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 (Arcade) at 15:00 | About 24h40 | About ฿3,650 on 12Go | Phuket Bus Terminal 2, north of Phuket Town |
| Sleeper to Bangkok + night bus | Chiang Mai station at 18:20, then Mo Chit 16:45–18:00 | About 36 to 38 hours | About ฿1,725–1,825 | Phuket Bus Terminal 2 |
| Two sleepers + bus via Surat Thani | Chiang Mai station at 18:20, then Krung Thep Aphiwat at 18:50 | About 42 hours, two nights on trains | About ฿2,000–2,300 in 2nd-class berths | Phuket Bus Terminal 2 |
Flight times from 12Go's flight search for dates from November 2026 to January 2027. Fares are what the site's own itineraries and 12Go's board showed for nonstops booked a few weeks out; late December, January and Songkran cost more. Train fares are the State Railway's 5 December 2025 prices, bus fares the operators' (Transport Co. express ฿783, the Phun Phin bus ฿370). The GreenBus price is 12Go's, fee included.
Bookable departures · refreshed daily
Chiang Mai → Phuket: departure times you can book now
Every departure currently on sale through 12Go for this route, by class. Fares are the spread across the classes shown; the exact price for a seat and date is on the booking page.
Bus
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| VIP | 15:00 |
Times and fares as sold on 12Go, refreshed daily. Services sold only locally — ordinary trains, weekend excursion trains, walk-up pier tickets — are not listed; see the table above for those. Sponsored link: we may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Chiang Mai → Phuket
Check the GreenBus and flights from Chiang Mai to Phuket
12Go sells the nonstop flights and the one direct GreenBus coach with instant e-tickets in English. Its flight list mixes in connections through Bangkok, so check the duration says about 2 hours before you book.
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Flying Chiang Mai to Phuket Nonstop in 2 Hours
Thai AirAsia, Thai VietJet, and Bangkok Airways on some days
Three airlines fly Chiang Mai (CNX) to Phuket (HKT) without a stop. Thai AirAsia has the most flights, usually at about 06:25, 11:40, 13:00 and 21:25. Thai VietJet flies at 10:50 and 16:15. Bangkok Airways runs a 14:35 that lands at 16:40 on some days of the week only, sold under Thai Airways flight numbers too. That's four to seven nonstops depending on the day, about 40 a week, and every one is 2 hours to 2 hours 10 in the air. Thai Lion Air, Nok Air and Thai Airways show up in search results as well, but on this route they all change planes in Bangkok.
The 06:25 is the one I'd book. It lands at 08:30, you're at a west-coast beach by about 10:00, and you get the whole first day. The 10:50 and 11:40 are the comfortable middle of the day and arrive in time for a mid-afternoon check-in. The 21:25 lands at 23:25, just before the airport's last Smart Bus at 23:30, so on that flight I'd have a car booked and waiting.
Booked a few weeks out, a nonstop usually costs about ฿1,800–3,600 one way before bags, and the low-cost carriers charge less for a checked bag added online than at the airport. Late December, January and Songkran are the expensive weeks, and the nonstops fill first, which is when the connections through Bangkok start to look tempting. Check the trip length before you book one. The quickest connections take about 4 hours and many take 6 to 15, and a connection that lands at Don Mueang and leaves from Suvarnabhumi means crossing Bangkok with your bags.
Chiang Mai's airport is 10–15 minutes from the Old City and Nimman, a fixed ฿160 at the taxi counter or about ฿150–250 by Grab. Airlines ask you to be there 90 minutes before a domestic flight, so for the 06:25 you'd leave your hotel at about 04:30.
Nonstop Flights From Chiang Mai to Phuket
| Airline | Departs CNX | Arrives HKT | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thai AirAsia | 06:25 | 08:30 | Most days |
| Thai VietJet | 10:50 | 12:50 | Most days |
| Thai AirAsia | 11:40 | 13:50 | Most days |
| Thai AirAsia | 13:00 | 15:10 | Most days |
| Bangkok Airways | 14:35 | 16:40 | Some days of the week |
| Thai VietJet | 16:15 | 18:15 | Most days |
| Thai AirAsia | 21:25 | 23:25 | Most days |
Read from 12Go's flight search for nine dates between 4 November 2026 and 15 January 2027. Thai AirAsia swaps some of its times on some days (07:50 and 17:55 on one Tuesday) and runs fewer flights on some Saturdays, so check the time on your ticket.
The Overland Trip I'd Take, a Sleeper to Don Mueang and a Flight South
One night in a berth and no hotel, with the airport at the end of the platform
Thailand's railway doesn't reach Phuket, and there's no train between Chiang Mai and the south that skips Bangkok. If you want to see the north fall away from a train window, the clean way to do it is the No. 10 sleeper, which leaves Chiang Mai at 18:20 on the newest carriages on the line and stops at Don Mueang station at 06:13, 17 minutes before Krung Thep Aphiwat. Get off there. A covered walkway links the station to Don Mueang airport, where Thai AirAsia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air fly to Phuket all morning in 1h20–1h35.
A second-class berth on No. 10 is ฿941 upper or ฿1,041 lower, and booking opens 90 days ahead. Trains on this line often run 30 to 60 minutes late, so I'd book a flight from about 09:30 onward rather than the first one. That puts you in Phuket around midday, 18 to 20 hours after leaving Chiang Mai, having spent the night in a bed instead of a hotel. The Chiang Mai to Bangkok guide has every train, the fares and which berth to pick.
Going the whole way on the ground takes much longer. You can ride No. 10 to Krung Thep Aphiwat, spend the day in Bangkok, and take the evening Transport Co. bus from Mo Chit at 16:45, 17:25 or 18:00 (express ฿783, 12–14 hours to Phuket Bus Terminal 2), 36 to 38 hours in all. Or stay on the rails with Express No. 83 south at 18:50, into Surat Thani's Phun Phin station at 04:58, and the 06:40 bus from the station forecourt to Phuket, about 6 hours for ฿370. That arrives around 12:40 on the third day, about 42 hours after you left Chiang Mai, for roughly ฿2,000–2,300 in second-class berths and the bus. It's a fine trip if Bangkok or Khao Sok is a stop anyway. As a way to get to the beach, it isn't.
Book No. 10 to Don Mueang and a mid-morning flight from Don Mueang to Phuket on the same day. Don't book the flight for before 09:30, in case the train runs late.
Arriving in Phuket
Top-Ranked Hotels in Phuket
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Phuket. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#2SAii Laguna Phuket4.7 (5,335 reviews)
A beachfront resort on Bang Tao Beach offering a relaxed lagoon setting within the Laguna Phuket complex.
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#3Banyan Tree Phuket4.8 (4,448 reviews)
Award-winning luxury resort in Phuket's north, known for private pool villas and an exceptional spa.
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#4Kalima Resort & Spa4.7 (4,782 reviews)
A hillside Patong resort with infinity pool, spa, artificial beach, and highly praised staff and dining.
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The Direct Bus, GreenBus From Arcade in About 25 Hours
One coach a day, and why I'd only take it for the ride itself
There is one bus that goes the whole way. GreenBus leaves Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3, the Arcade terminal about 3 km east of the Old City, at 15:00 and reaches Phuket Bus Terminal 2, north of Phuket Town, at about 15:40 the next afternoon, a scheduled 24 hours 40 minutes. 12Go sells seats for about ฿3,650. Older listings put the departure at 12:30 or 16:00 and the fare nearer ฿1,600–1,900, so check the time at the Arcade counter if you're buying there.
That's more than most nonstop flights cost, for twelve times the journey. A passenger who rode it in January 2026 wrote on 12Go that the coach had a toilet and meal coupons for dinner and breakfast, but that the night was broken by stops and an early wake-up, and that they wouldn't do it again. I'd only take the bus if you can't fly or want the overland trip for its own sake. Phuket Bus Terminal 2 is in Phuket Town, so Patong or Kata is a further 30 to 60 minutes by taxi or Grab.
Phuket Airport to Your Beach
| Where you're staying | By car | Fixed-fare car (up to 3) | Smart Bus (฿100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patong | 41 km, about 50 min | ฿800 | About 1h30 |
| Karon | 47 km, about 55 min | ฿1,000 | About 1h40 |
| Kata and Kata Noi | 50 km, about 1 h | ฿1,000 | About 1h50–2h |
| Phuket Old Town | 35 km, about 46 min | ฿650 | Not on the route; the airport bus is ฿100 |
Fixed fares from Phuket Airport Limousine's own zone tables; a metered taxi to Patong is ฿600–700 on the meter plus a ฿100 airport fee, and Grab shows about ฿750–950. The Smart Bus leaves from Exit 3 of the domestic terminal at 08:15, then every 30 minutes from 09:00 to 22:00, then 22:40 and 23:30 (timetable from 16 January 2026). The Phuket Town airport bus runs about hourly from 08:30 to 20:30.
Phuket Airport (HKT) → Patong
Landing on the 21:25, or with the family
A flight from Chiang Mai lands at the domestic terminal, a short walk from the Smart Bus stop at Exit 3. The bus is ฿100 and takes about 1h30 to Patong, and the fixed-fare counter is ฿800 for a car. If you're on the late flight that lands at 23:25, a car booked on 12Go (sedans for three about ฿950) is waiting with your name, because the last bus leaves at 23:30.
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Coming Back From Phuket to Chiang Mai
Five or so nonstops north, mostly in the morning
The flights north are mostly in the morning, Thai VietJet at about 08:15 and 13:25 and Thai AirAsia at about 09:00, 10:40 and 18:55, so leave Patong about two and a half hours before your flight. The Phuket to Chiang Mai guide has every departure, the bus and the train via Bangkok, and how early to leave each beach.
Landing in Phuket, or still planning the north?
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chiang Mai to Phuket.
Fly nonstop. Thai AirAsia and Thai VietJet run about six flights a day from Chiang Mai airport to Phuket airport, 2 hours to 2 hours 10 in the air, and Bangkok Airways adds one on some days. Overland, the No. 10 sleeper to Don Mueang plus a flight south takes 18 to 20 hours, the direct GreenBus about 24 hours 40, and trains and buses via Bangkok 36 to 42 hours.
Yes. Thai AirAsia (usually about 06:25, 11:40, 13:00 and 21:25), Thai VietJet (10:50 and 16:15) and Bangkok Airways (14:35 on some days) fly nonstop, about 40 flights a week in all. Thai Lion Air, Nok Air and Thai Airways also sell the route, but with a change in Bangkok.
2 hours to 2 hours 10 minutes nonstop. Door to door, from an Old City hotel to Patong, allow about four and a half hours with the short ride to Chiang Mai airport, check-in, and the 50-minute drive from Phuket airport.
About 1,520 km (945 miles) by road and about 1,190 km (740 miles) as the plane flies. Driving it is about 19 hours at the wheel without stops, which is why nearly everyone flies.
A nonstop usually runs about ฿1,800–3,600 one way booked a few weeks out, before bags, and more in late December, January and Songkran, when the nonstops sell out first. Check the trip length on any cheaper fare, because it's probably a connection through Bangkok.
No. Phuket has no railway, and every rail trip south changes in Bangkok. The quickest way to use the train is the No. 10 sleeper from Chiang Mai at 18:20, off at Don Mueang station at 06:13, then a flight from Don Mueang airport next door. All the way by rail and bus via Surat Thani takes about 42 hours.
One a day. GreenBus leaves Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 (Arcade) at 15:00 and arrives at Phuket Bus Terminal 2 at about 15:40 the next day, about ฿3,650 on 12Go. Otherwise you change in Bangkok, a night bus to Mo Chit and an evening bus from Mo Chit to Phuket.
Usually the nonstop flight booked a few weeks ahead, once you count the time. The cheapest ground trip is the sleeper to Bangkok and a night bus south, about ฿1,725–1,825 in fares, but it takes 36 to 38 hours and a day in Bangkok, and food and a day room soon close the gap.
Direct. The nonstop is 2 hours, and the fastest connection through Bangkok is about 4 hours, with many taking 6 to 15. A connection only makes sense when every nonstop on your date is full, and then pick one that lands and leaves from the same Bangkok airport.
The Smart Bus is ฿100 and leaves every 30 minutes from 09:00 to 22:00 (plus 08:15, 22:40 and 23:30), about 1h30 to Patong. A car takes about 50 minutes, ฿800 at the fixed-fare counter, ฿700–800 by meter with the airport fee, or about ฿750–950 by Grab.
Where to stay in Phuket
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Onward from Phuket
The next leg, with the fastest and cheapest way to do it.
- PhuketBangkokFastest Flight, 1h 20–35m (+ airport time)Cheapest Van + sleeper train via Surat Thani, $17–57 by classCompare all 4 ways
- PhuketKhao LakFastest Airport taxi counter, 80–100 minCheapest Public bus, ฿130–250 at the counter, about ฿270 onlineCompare all 5 ways
- PhuketKhao SokFastest Car or transfer, booked ahead, 2.5–3 hours from the airport, 3–3.5 from the southern beachesCheapest Bus, ฿370 on 12Go, less at the counterCompare all 4 ways
- PhuketKoh LantaFastest Speedboat, About 1h30Cheapest Minivan via Krabi, About ฿750 (door to door about ฿1,300)Compare all 5 ways
- PhuketKoh LipeFastest Other speedboats from Rassada on 12Go, 5–7 hours, some with a change of boatCheapest Bus to Hat Yai, then van and speedboat via Pak Bara, ฿440–684 plus ฿950Compare all 4 ways
- PhuketKoh PhanganCheapest Phantip bus + ferry, About ฿600–900Compare all 7 ways
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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