Chiang Rai to Bangkok

Flying south, the airport you land at decides the rest of your day. Suvarnabhumi is Bangkok's long-haul airport, and Thai VietJet and Thai Airways fly there from Chiang Rai, seven flights a day between about 08:30 and 20:00. If your flight home leaves from Suvarnabhumi, take one of these and you can check in for it in the same building. Don Mueang has the other 13 flights, on Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air and Nok Air, and it's the closer airport to Khao San, the Old Town and Chatuchak if you're staying a few more nights.

If you land at Don Mueang and fly out of Suvarnabhumi, the free shuttle bus between the two airports is for passengers with a connecting ticket, so carry the booking, and I'd leave at least four hours between landing and an international departure from the other airport. The 08:30 VietJet into Suvarnabhumi, landing at about 09:55, or Thai Airways' 10:15, landing at about 11:45, are the ones I'd book for a same-day long-haul flight in the afternoon or evening.

On a November date fares started at about ฿1,400 on Thai VietJet and Thai Lion Air, ฿1,540 on Nok Air and about ฿1,960 on Thai AirAsia, and Thai Airways ran about ฿2,100 to ฿2,700. Getting to the airport is easy. Mae Fah Luang is about 8 km from the town center, 15 to 20 minutes and ฿150–200 by Grab from the hotels around the Night Bazaar and the clock tower.

The latest you can leave Chiang Rai and still sleep in Bangkok is Thai AirAsia's flight at about 21:20, which lands at Don Mueang at about 22:35. Thai Lion Air's 20:35 and Thai VietJet's 20:00 into Suvarnabhumi are the next latest. That makes a full last day in Chiang Rai possible, the White Temple in the morning, the Blue Temple after lunch and an evening flight.

The first flights leave at about 08:30 to Suvarnabhumi and 08:55 to Don Mueang. Times move by a few minutes from week to week as the airlines adjust their schedules, so check the board above for your date rather than trusting a time from a blog.

Every bus to Bangkok uses Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 2, the new station on the highway about 7 km south of town, not the old station by the Night Bazaar where the Green Bus to Chiang Mai boards. Some buses start at the old station and call at Terminal 2 on the way out, but Terminal 2 is the one on the ticket, so go there unless yours says otherwise. A shared songthaew runs between the two terminals for about ฿15 during the day, and after dark you'll need a Grab or a tuk-tuk.

Most departures are in the evening. Transport Co., the government line, leaves at 16:30, 17:00, 17:15 and 18:30 from about ฿810. Cherdchai Tour leaves at 17:00 and 18:00, Kasemthara at 17:30 and Thaibus Tour at 19:00 and 19:05, for about ฿870 to ฿930. Nakhonchai Air runs its own Gold Class coaches at about 17:45 and 18:00 from its own Chiang Rai station to its own station in Bangkok, about ฿960. Bangkok Busline is the only one with day buses, at 10:30 and 13:00, plus an 18:30, for about ฿930 to ฿1,030 and about 12 hours 40 minutes. The 10:30 gets in at about 23:10.

The night buses take 11 to 13 hours and reach Mo Chit at about 05:30 to 06:30. Mo Chit is a short taxi ride from BTS Mo Chit and MRT Chatuchak Park, and the A1 and A2 buses to Don Mueang airport start from BTS Mo Chit for ฿30, which makes the bus a cheap way to reach a Don Mueang flight the next morning. It's a poor way to reach a hotel, though, since nobody will check you in at 06:00.

A private car takes 10 to 11 hours and on 12Go started at about ฿8,000 to a Bangkok address and ฿8,500 to either airport. It suits a family with bags, or anyone who wants to stop on the way. For two people a flight costs a fraction of it and takes an hour and a half.

Suvarnabhumi has the Airport Rail Link in the basement, 26 minutes to Phaya Thai, where it meets the BTS. Don Mueang is on the SRT Dark Red Line to Krung Thep Aphiwat and has the A1 and A2 buses to BTS Mo Chit for ฿30. Mo Chit bus terminal is a short taxi from BTS Mo Chit and MRT Chatuchak Park, and the sleeper trains from Chiang Mai end at Krung Thep Aphiwat, with the MRT Blue Line underneath.

The same 20 or so flights run north from both Bangkok airports, the first at about 06:30, and the buses leave Mo Chit through the day and evening, most of them overnight. Our Bangkok to Chiang Rai guide has the times, fares and the airport taxi into town.