Public transport to Mae Hong Son

Dont have a personal car? Here are methods to wander around in Mae Hong Son. 

Cars are mostly expensive and requires many amounts of payments. So, not everyone has personal cars. But that’s not a problem, however. Even if you don’t have one, you can still enjoy touring Mae Hong Son, as there are some public vehicles available for you.

Let’s see how can you wander around the province if you don’t have a car.

1. By a bus

You can start using a bus from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son directly. Or you may travel to Mae Hong Son by a plane, then just start using a bus to get from Chiang Mai to Pai or Mae Hong Son. That’s up to you. Bus service  from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son is simply taking too long at 17 hours. Besides that, Chiang Mai is also an attraction which is worthwhile to spend a few days before exploring the foggy, charming and tranquil Mae Hong Son.

You can even start your trip from other provinces of northern Thailand too. Take Chiang Mai as an example. You can get to Mae Hong Son from Chiang Mai by a bus. There are two different lines of that. The first line goes along the Highway No.108. And the second lines take you along the Highway No.107. Both lines require about 4 hours of travel.

2. By a van

A van can take you from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son. Just ask the driver first, in order to be assured. Some van may be able to directly get you to famous counties like Pai and Muang. That will be very convenient. However, the van may not be suitable to bigger size passengers because it would be cramp when the van is full. With the winding mountain road ahead, bigger size passengers are not recommended to take van especially for those having motion sickness.

Bus Chiang Mai - Pai $ 6.67 4h 20m
  •   Minivan 07:30, 14:30

3. Just rent a car

This is the last choice. If you want to have a personal trip and don’t want to be among any large group of people, then just rent a car from a car company. You can rent one and drive it to Mae Hong Son by yourself. But that will make you feelquite exhausted. Therefore you may just travel my a plane or a bus to Mae Hong Son first. Then you just rent a car when you arrive at the province. Now you can go anywhere freely. This method is good if you’re an accurate driver and have the app Google Map.

4. By Plane

It takes about 35 minutes for small prop planes to travel between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son’s much smaller airport. This is located on the community’s northern edge, but within walking distance of Nong Chong Kham Lake. Approaching the mountains of Mae Hong Son aboard these tiny planes is a truly unforgettable experience.

Bus Chiang Mai - Mae Hong Son $ 9.49–10.60 6h – 6h 5m
  •   Minivan 07:00, 08:00, 08:30, 09:30, 13:30, 14:30, 15:00
Taxi Chiang Mai - Mae Hong Son $ 138.11–272.85 3h – 7h
  •   Van 9pax
  •   Economy
  •   SUV 4pax
  •   Economy 2pax
  •   VIP Van 9pax

Bus Chiang Mai - Pai $ 6.67 4h 20m
  •   Minivan 07:30, 14:30

There are daily flights between the two locations. Flights can be frequently delayed or cancelled, however, because of smoke from burning fields during the dry season and mist during the wet season. Kan Air and Bangkok Airways offer these direct Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son flights. Read More…

5. By train

The nearest train station is at Chiang Mai. One can travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by rail and then continue to Mae Hong Son by bus.

Train Bangkok - Chiang Mai $ 7.72–31.62 10h 10m – 13h 50m
  •   2nd Class Sleeper AC 14:32, 18:40, 18:57, 20:22, 22:30, 22:47
  •   2nd Class AC seats only 09:05, 09:20
  •   2nd Class Fan seats only 14:15, 14:32, 20:05, 20:22, 22:30, 22:47
  •   Class 3 Fan 14:15, 14:32, 20:05, 20:22, 22:30, 22:47