Airplane, Chiang Mai

I shopped around to find a cheap flight from Bangkok and I was spolit for choice with airlines. Only an hours flight it is a quick and easy way to get to Chiang Mai and the Chiang Mai airport is close to town so you don't have far to travel once you get there.

We ended up flying with Thai Airways as surprisingly they were the cheapest at the time: 200B one way. Not bad!!

If you're short on time then fly, it's cheap and easy!

I flew from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with Thai Air International (a Star Alliance member). Service on this airline is very good, with friendly and efficient staff.
The flight takes about an hour.
Chiang Mai airport is quite small and easy to negotiate. It only takes about 15 minutes to central Chiang Mai.

The airport is situated at the southwest corner of Chiang Mai town. It is just a 15-minute drive from the city centre. Purchase your taxi coupon from the counter right at the Arrival Hall.

A small airport with all the basic facilities. You can sign up for tour or exchange some currencies at the Arrival Hall. At the Departure Hall, there's one shop for foot massage. A good relief for those aching soles.

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We decided to treat ourselves to a flight from Pai to Chang Mai on a 12 Seater Cessna prop plane. This is not for a nervous flyer. We had great views over Pai and Chang Mai. Our seats were directly behind the pilots. The flight took 25 minutes with a 20 minute checkin. You do feel like you are really flying. An experience that I won't forget in a hurry.

We flew with SGA who are associated with Nok air. Don't bother about booking through the website, it doesn't work and travel agents in Pai will charge you the same amount anyway. Costs 1450B a person one way.

Yes we decided to fly with Laos airlines despite its previous safety record (although it's still the safest way still to travel in Laos). The flight was fine (never have been keen on small planes). Food wasn't bad and free beer Laos. Also saved us spending two days on a boat.

Laos airlines is the only carrier to do this flight. Cost us 88 dollars each.

Nok Air is one of the major budget carriers in Thailand. They are pretty reliable, and their staff is usually young and quite friendly.

Nok Air normally has 4 flights daily between BKK and Chiang Mai. Depending on time of departure and how far ahead you book your ticket, a one-way flight (1h10min) will cost you as little as $25.

Bottom-line: For the budget traveler, Nok Air is a great way to quickly travel between major towns in Thailand.

We booked several one way tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for the one hour non-stop flight. Get a window seat because the scenery into Chiang Mai is fabulous with views of the surrounding mountains, the Ping River, and vast stretches of rice fields. Air Asia is new airline out of Malaysia witch seems to cater to budget travelers, young families, etc. I liked flying with them and have no complaints. You'll board the aircraft from the tarmac and a waiting bus will take you to & from the terminal. It's an easy flight north and cost us about $30 one way. The reason we bought one way tickets was to allow us to continue north overland and fly back to Bangkok from Chiang Rai.

I returned from Chiang Mai to Bangkok by Air Asia. There are 3 low costs airlines now in Thailand and Air Asia is the most comfortable. The booking system via website is the best among the rivals. If book early, get the cheap fare. That's great deal.