Travel from Phitsanulok to Chiang Rai

The only way to travel direct from Phitsanulok to Chiang Rai by public transport is to take a bus. The alternative to travelling the whole way bus is to take a train to Chiang Mai and from there to take a bus to Chiang Rai.

Bus Times from Phitsanulok to Chiang Rai

There is currently 1 direct bus service a day from Phitsanulok to Chiang Rai available to book online.

• The scheduled journey time by bus from Phitsanulok to Chiang Rai is 7 hours 00 minutes.

Buy Tickets from Phitsanulok to Chiang Rai

Use the Search Box below to buy your tickets from Phitsanulok to Chiang Rai.

Phitsanulok Bus Stop

Bus services from Phitsanulok to Chiang Rai depart from Phitsanulok Bus Terminal 2.

Trat Bus Stop

Bus services from Phitsanulok to Chiang Rai terminate at Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 2.

About Travel to Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai is best known for its many impressive temples and these temples are the main reason tourists come to Chiang Rai, which is a small city with a disproportionately large number of hotels and restaurants given the size of the local population. The temples fit into two groups, the older more traditional temples in the city centre, which are often overlooked by tourists, and the newer temples featuring innovative designs, located out of town in the surrounding countryside.

New Temples in Chiang Rai

The three most popular new temples are:

• The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun): Located 13 km by road from Chiang Rai, this highly elaborate temple is a work art and construction to complete it is ongoing. Designed by a respected artist, the temple is designed to convey the complex theology of Buddhism through the cycle of life, death and re-birth.
• The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Seur Ten): Located 4 km from Chiang Rai, the Blue Temple was completed in 2016. As the name suggests, this temple features a striking blue colour scheme and similarities in materials and style to the more famous White Temple.
• Wat Huay Pla Kang: This massive temple complex is located 8 km from Chiang Rai. Wat Huay Pla Kang features a massive statue of Guan Yin, the Mahayana Buddhist goddess of mercy, a 9 storey pagoda, and a large Thai style white shrine hall.

Old Temples in Chiang Rai

The temples in Chiang Rai itself attract few foreign visitors but are worth exploring because of their age, the art within them and their interesting history:

• Wat Phra Kaew: Founded in either the 13th or 14th Century, according to legend the famous Emerald Buddha was discovered inside a chedi at this temple in 1434. As well as wooden temple buildings and gardens, this temple has an interesting museum.
• Wat Phra Sing: Established in the 14th Century, this temple has a magnificent Lanna style wooden ordination hall.
• Wat Mung Muang: Elaborately designed and decorated small temple in the city centre featuring lots of paintings of important local historical figures. The wooden prayer hall is a work of art.