Travel from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot

There are two routes you can take to travel by public transport from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot:

• Direct: Travel by bus direct from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot.
• Via Phitsanulok: Travel by train to Phistanulok, and from there take a bus or minivan to Mae Sot.

Bus Times from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot

Direct bus services from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot are operated by the Green Bus Company.

• The journey by bus is scheduled to take 6 hours 45 minutes.
• Express Bus services include a snack and the bus has an on board toilet.
• Direct bus services to Mae Sot depart from Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3:

• Direct bus services from Chiang Mai terminate at Mae Sot Central Bus Station:

Buy Tickets from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot

Use the Search Box below to buy your tickets from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot.

• For train tickets from Chiang Mai to Phitsanulok change the destination to ‘Phitsanulok’.

Travel by train via Phitsanulok

The closest train station to Mae Sot is Phitsanulok, which is on the Northern Train Line running from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Travelling by train via Phitsanulok is a longer journey overall and you still end up travelling by bus, although the amount of time you need to spend on the bus is around 90 to 110 minutes less than taking a bus the whole way.

Stage 1: Train to Phitsanulok

There are 6 direct trains services a day from Chiang Mai to Phitsanulok.

• See more information about train travel from Chiang Mai to Phitsanulok.

Stage 2: By road to Mae Sot

The next stage of the journey is by bus or minivan from Phitsanulok to Mae Sot.

• The journey takes around 3 hour 40 minutes and costs around 190 to 220 THB per person depending on which service you take.
• Minivans and bus services from depart regularly from Phitsanulok’s new out of town bus station known as Phitsanulok Bus Station 2:

Bus and minivan tickets from Phitsanulok to Mae Sot can be purchased from the ticket counters at Phitsanulok Bus Terminal 2. There are frequent services from Phitsanulok to Mae Sot up until around 15.30 when services stop running for the day.

We recommend that if you are travelling via Phitsanulok you check departure times at the bus station take the first available bus or minivan service. Minivan services tend to depart when they are full rather than following a strict schedule.

About Travel to Mae Sot

Mae Sot is a border town with an interesting mix of ethnic groups, many of whom are in Mae Sot having fled from Myanmar.

Refugee Camps

Estimates of the number of refugees from Myanmar now living in the Mae Sot area range from 100,00 to 200,000 and comprise mostly people from minority ethnic groups such as the Karen and the Hmong. This diversity of ethnic groups gives Mae Sot a unique vibrancy. It attracts a lot of foreign visitors ranging from sightseers to people working for organisations offering support to these stateless refugees. The refugees are hosted by Thailand, but not recognised as being permanent residents of Thailand with rights to access public services in the same way at Thai nationals.

Travel from Mae Sot

Mae Sot is a transport hub:

• Myanmar Border: The border with Myanmar is 3.6 km down the main road from Mae Sot Central Bus Station. You can take a songthaew shared taxi there fir a just few Thai baht. Once you cross over the border you come to the town of Myawaddy in Myanmar. For onward travel from Myawaddy the most popular route is to take a taxi to Mawlamyine (around a 5 hour drive away) from where you take a train or bus to Yangon.
• Umphang: 186 km by road to the South of Mae Sot is the isolated village of Umphang. Umphang is the starting point for trekking and rafting activities. To reach Umphang from Mae Sot its a journey of around 4 hours by road in a shared songthaew taxi. You can also book organised trekking and rafting tours with adventure travel companies located in Mae Sot. Shop around for the best deals.