Northern Thailand · 690 km from Hua Hin by air

Chiang
Mai

Thailand's northern capital — a moated old city, Lanna temples and cool green mountains, now one short flight from Hua Hin.

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Old city temples
Night bazaar
Lanna culture
Mountain roads
Coffee farms
Sunday walking street
Introduction

The old capital of the north

Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 as the capital of the Lanna kingdom, and the square moat that once defended it still frames the old town. Inside those two kilometres of water sit more than thirty temples, a grid of small lanes, and a café culture that has made the city a favourite for long stays. Around it rise the mountains that keep the air a few degrees cooler than the rest of Thailand.

Tha Phae Gate in the old city wall of Chiang Mai

For anyone travelling the Gulf coast, Chiang Mai is the natural counterweight: forest instead of sea, hill villages instead of fishing villages, and evenings cool enough for a jacket. Until recently it meant a detour through Bangkok — but Hua Hin now has a direct flight, which makes the north far easier to reach from Ban Krut than most people realise.

Transport

Tickets & connections

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Tours

Tours & activities

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Quick facts

Chiang Mai

  • 690 km north of Hua Hin — 1 hour 15 minutes in the air
  • Capital of the Lanna kingdom from 1296
  • Moated old city with more than thirty temples inside the walls
  • Cool season November to February; hazy burning season March to April
  • Base for Doi Suthep, Doi Inthanon and the Mae Sa valley
Wat Phra Singh temple in Chiang Mai
Getting there

Getting there from Ban Krut

The quickest way is also the newest. Take a northbound train from Ban Krut to Hua Hin — roughly 2½ to 3½ hours — and fly from there. Thai AirAsia operates the only scheduled route out of Hua Hin: flight FD3901 leaves at 17.35 and lands in Chiang Mai at 18.50, four days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) until 24 October 2026, and daily from 25 October. The return, FD3900, leaves Chiang Mai at 15.40.

The alternative runs through Bangkok. Train, bus or minivan to the capital, then one of the many daily flights from Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi — about an hour and twenty minutes in the air. The romantic option is the overnight sleeper from Krung Thep Aphiwat: you board in the evening and wake up in the north some twelve hours later.

Chiang Mai's own airport sits barely fifteen minutes from the old city, so the last leg is short whichever route you choose. Songthaews, Grab and metered taxis all wait outside arrivals.

Good to know

Before you fly

  • Hua Hin airport is at Bo Fai, about 7 km north of the town centre — 10 to 15 minutes by car.
  • Check in two hours ahead. The terminal is small, so security rarely takes more than half an hour.
  • Book early: this is the only scheduled route from Hua Hin, and the aircraft is a single A320.
  • November to February is the best window. March and April bring agricultural smoke to the northern valleys.
Thai AirAsia Airbus A320
See & do

See & do in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
Market

Night Bazaar

The city's long-running evening market on Chang Klan Road — handicrafts, lanterns, food halls and live music every night of the year.

Sunday walking street in Chiang Mai
Market

Sunday Walking Street

On Sunday afternoons the old town closes to traffic and fills with stalls from Tha Phae Gate inwards. Come early: by eight it is shoulder to shoulder.

Nimmanhaemin Road in Chiang Mai
Neighbourhood

Nimman

The university quarter west of the moat, and the reason Chiang Mai has a reputation for coffee: roasteries, design shops and small bars in one walkable grid.

Terraced fields at Mon Cham in the Mae Rim valley
Mountains

Mae Rim & Mon Cham

An hour north the road climbs into terraced hills and hill-tribe villages. Cool enough for strawberries — and for a blanket in the evening.

Yi Peng lantern festival in Chiang Mai
Festival

Yi Peng

Every November thousands of paper lanterns rise over the city during Yi Peng and Loy Krathong. Book beds and flights months ahead for that week.

Where to stay

Where to stay in Chiang Mai

Inside the moat you are walking distance from the temples and the Sunday market, but the lanes are quiet after dark. Nimman suits longer stays — cafés, co-working and restaurants on your doorstep. Along the Ping river you get the bigger hotels and the space, at the cost of a short ride into town.

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Where next

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