Trains from Chiang Mai to Phrae

By train the journey from Chiang Mai to Den Chai Railway Station (near Phrae Town) is scheduled to take from 4 to 5 hours depending upon which train you take.

Trains Times from Chiang Mai to Phrae

There are currently 5 long distance train services per day from Chiang Mai to Den Chai Railway Station (near Phrae Town).

• The fastest train from Chiang Mai to Phrae is Train #8 departing from Chiang Mai at 07:30 and scheduled to complete the journey in 3 hours 57 minutes.
• The slowest train from Chiang Mai to Phrae is Train #52 which departs at 15:30 and is scheduled to arrive in Phrae 4 hours 45 minutes later.

Buy Tickets from Chiang Mai to Phrae

Use the Search Box below to buy your train tickets from Chiang Mai to Den Chai Railway Station (near Phrae Town).

Phitsanulok Train Station

Chiang Mai Train Station is located 3.3 km by road to the east of the Tha Phae Gate.

Den Chai Train Station (near Phrae Town)

Den Chai Railway Station is located 26 km by road to the south of Phrae Town.

About Travel to Phrae

The second stage of the journey by train from Chiang Mai to Phrae is to travel by road from Den Chai Train Station to Phrae Town itself.

Transport services at Den Chai Railway Station

Den Chai Railway Station is located in a small town, and about 1 km walking distance from the main road that goes to Phrae Town. Passengers arriving by rail in Den Chai could attempt to walk south to the main road and flag down a bus or minivan heading towards Phrae Town but we advise that a better option is to take shared taxi from the train station direct to Phrae town instead.

Shared taxis in Thailand are converted pick up trucks with two benches and a metal rain cover fitted in the rear of the vehicle as passenger seating. Shared taxis carry multiple passengers on a largely fixed route. Shared taxis on the Den Chai to Phrae Town route wait outside the front of Den Chai Railway Station for the arrival of long distance trains. When trains arrive into Den Chai a large proportion of passengers alighting at the station will go straight to the shared taxis in front of the station. For a private taxi you need to order one through Grab or another mobile taxi app.

Staying in Phrae Town

Phrae is a relatively small town with a population of around 20,000 which receives some (but not in great numbers) foreign and domestic tourists. Phrae’s tourist infrastructure is a lot less well developed than other more popular tourist destinations, such as Chiang Mai, as a consequence.

Phrae does not have a single compact area with a cluster of hotels and restaurants catering to leisure visitors. The tourist accommodation is spread across Phrae Town. Visitors have a choice between staying in one of the larger town centre hotels, such as the Maeyom Palace Hotel, or at a smaller independent hotel, such as the Come Moon Loft, on the edge of the town.

One of the factors to bear in mind when selecting a hotel in Phrae is that Phrae Town has few formal restaurants, particularly ones which are open in the evenings. In the evenings many visitors choose to eat either at the night market in Phrae Town or in their hotel. The larger town centre hotels, including the Maeyom Palace Hotel, tend to have the best restaurants in terms of catering to foreign visitors.

Teak Mansions in Phrae

Phrae Town has a variety of attractions for visitors, including a museum and some interesting temples. What Phrae is most famous for, however, is its teak farming industry and the buildings made from teak wood in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. There are lots of great examples of teak wood buildings in Phrae located all over the town. Visitors can see a wide range simply by walking around the small communities on the edge of the town.

The most famous of the two teak buildings are located in the centre of Phrae Town and both were residences of Phrae own royal family until the early 20th Century:

• Khum Chao Luang: The Khum Chao Luang was completed in 1892 and used as the main residence of the Chao Luang, who was effectively the King of Phrae although he never used that title. The building has been fantastically preserved with furnishings, clothes and paintings belonging to the family on display in the various different rooms within the house. The Khum Chao Luang is now a museum which is free to visit and is very much the focal point of Phrae’s tourist industry.
• The Vongburi House: The Vongburi House was also built at the end of the 19th Century, but is different in design and usage to the Khum Chao Luang. The Vongburi House was the private residence of the first wife of the Chao Luang and was intended to become the home of her adopted daughter. The pink colour scheme of the building and the layout of the rooms make this less of a formal building and more of a private residence. The building is still owned privately and visitors need to pay a small fee to go inside and look around.

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