Trains from Chiang Rai to Ayutthaya

At the moment the first part of the journey from Chiang Rai to Ayutthaya needs to be completed by road. A railway line extension to Chiang Rai is still under construction. Nonetheless, the majority of the journey (from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya) can currently be completed by rail.

Stage 1: Bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai

The first stage of the journey from Chiang Rai to Ayutthaya is by bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. Bus services from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai are operated by GreenBus.

• Buy bus tickets from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai.

Stage 2: Train from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya

The second stage of the journey from Chiang Rai to Ayutthaya is by train from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya. There are 5 trains a day to choose from.

• Buy train tickets from Chiang Mai to Bangkok.

Location of Chiang Rai Bus Station

GreenBus services from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai depart from Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 1.

Location of Chiang Mai Bus Station

GreenBus services from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai terminate at Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3.

Location of Ayutthaya Train Station

Read more about Ayutthaya Train Station.

About Train Travel to Ayutthaya

By train the journey from Chiang Rai to Ayutthaya takes from 16 to 17 hours depending upon which bus and train services you take. What makes travelling by train from Chiang Rai to Ayutthaya a more pleasant option than travelling by bus is that passengers can book sleeper berths on all of the overnight trains.

Bus Services to Chiang Mai

GreenBus services to Chiang Mai depart from Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 1, which is a city centre bus station located close to Chiang Rai Night Bazaar.

GreenBus is one of Thailand’s larger bus companies which offers a reliable service to both leisure travellers and local residents. They operate types of bus service from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai, Express and VIP. There are two main differences between these services:

• VIP services are scheduled to complete the journey from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai in 3 hours 20 minutes. Express services are scheduled to take 3 hours 45 minutes.
• Passengers have more leg room in VIP services than in Express services.

Arrival in Chiang Mai

GreenBus services from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai terminate at Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3, which is located 2.2 km walking distance to the north of Chiang Mai Train Station.

In order to complete the next stage of the journey from Chiang Rai to Ayutthaya passengers need to make their own way from Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 to Chiang Mai Train Station. Walking from the bus station to the train station takes around 30 minutes, however, because of the afternoon heat and because most travellers will be carrying luggage, we advise taking local transport.

A variety of different vehicles, including tuk-tuks and shared taxis, wait for customers outside Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3. Passengers need to approach drivers and ask for the cost of travelling to Chiang Mai Train Station. Expect to pay around 100 THB in a tuk-tuk for this short journey.

Train Services to Ayutthaya

There are 2 daytime trains from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya (Train #102 and Train #8) and 3 overnight trains from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya (Train #52, Train #14, and Train #10). Passengers wishing to take one of the daytime trains from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya (to enjoy the scenery) will need to stay overnight in Chiang Mai because the 2 daytime train services depart before the first bus services from Chiang Rai arrive in Chiang Mai.

There are also other differences between the 5 train services from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya. One those differences is how long they are scheduled to take to complete the journey:

• Train #102: 12 hours 32 minutes
• Train #8: 9 hours 18 minutes
• Train #52: 12 hours 29 minutes
• Train #14: 11 hours 41 minutes
• Train #10: 11 hours 3 minutes

Another difference between the 5 train services is the seat types available on each train:

• Train #102: 2nd Class Fan Seat, 3rd Class Fan Seat
• Train #8: 2nd Class A/C Seat
• Train #52: 2nd Class A/C Sleeper, 2nd Class Fan Seat, 3rd Class Fan Seat
• Train #14: 1st Class A/C Sleeper, 2nd Class A/C Sleeper, 2nd Class Fan Seat, 3rd Class Fan Seat
• Train #10: 1st Class A/C Sleeper, 2nd Class A/C Sleeper

How useful was this page?