Direct Bus from Chiang Mai to Phuket

The Chiang Mai to Phuket bus by Green Bus Thailand

In the past, if you wanted to take a bus to southern Thailand then you would have to change buses in Bangkok. This usually meant taking a bus from Chiang Mai at the busy Mochit Northern Bus Terminal in Bangkok then taking a taxi across the city to the Southern Bus Station. Then you would have to get on another bus to Phuket or other destinations in the south of Thailand. Now there is a very comfortable direct bus option from Chiang Mai to Phuket! This new service is run by Green Bus Thailand  They have their own ticket offices at Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station in both the terminal 2 and 3 buildings. There is one departure a day at 16:00 but it is a gruelling 22-hour journey! The buses are new and modern and are of the best 24 seat VIP class layout which means large comfortable seats which recline to a near-horizontal position. From past experiences of travelling on Green Busses before (mainly from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai) I always remember the air-conditioning being icy cold!!! Be prepared for this especially at night and make sure you carry on a warm pullover or jacket! The bus seats are fitted with small TVs in the headrests (just like the TV’s you get on long haul flights). I do not know what type of programming is on offer and if any English language programming is available but it would be interesting to find out!

Inside the Chiang Mai to Phuket Bus
Inside the Chiang Mai to Phuket Bus

The bus will take in the following route and will have intermediate stops at Lampang,  Tak, Nakhon Sawan, Petchaburi, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Chumpon, Surat Thani, Phangnga and then on to its final destination in Phuket. So if you are heading from Chiang Mai to the Islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao then Surat Thani or Chumpon is your jumping-off point for the ferry.

Chiang Mai to Phuket Bus Time Table

Departs Chiang Mai 16:00 Arrives Phuket 14:00

Chiang Mai to Phuket Bus Price

The current one-way ticket price is 1826 baht

Booking the Chiang Mai to Phuket bus

Green Bus Ticket Office at Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station
Green Bus Ticket Office at Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station

The ticket can be booked online on the Green Bus Thailand website. There is an English version of the website. We have done a dry run-through of the booking process and the booking function seems to be functioning as it should. You can choose to pay by credit card or there is a 7/11 counter service option. Alternatively, pop down to Arcade Bus Station and buy a ticket from the Green Bus ticket office there are Green bus ticket counters in both the terminal 2 and 3 buildings. (If you go through the online booking process you can also see seat availability which could be useful before making a trip to the bus station). Travel Hub are also appointed agents for Green Bus Thailand so if you are in Chiang Mai please drop by our office to book your tickets.

Chiang Mai - Phuket Bus At Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station
Chiang Mai – Phuket Bus At Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station

Green Bus Thailand runs plenty of routes around the north of Thailand and further afield all with online booking. You can find their route map here.

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21 Thoughts to “Direct Bus from Chiang Mai to Phuket”

  1. Hi

    Thank you for your post, we ride today this route and we hope everything will be nice

    1. bfadmin

      How did the bus ride go Peppi? After doing this route would you say that you would do it again or take the the plane the next time?

  2. bfadmin

    Travel hub are now selling Green Bus tickets on all their routes throughout Thailand including the route from Chiang Mai to Phuket, contact us or drop into the office for more information

    1. urb

      sorry can i buy this freen bus ticket in lampang bus station

      lampang-phuket and if yes what time it goes from lampang thank you very much

      1. bfadmin

        Yes Green Bus tickets can be bought at Lampang Bus Station. For the trip to Phuket the bus departs Lampang about 16:20 evening

  3. Thinking about taking this route on the 5th June to say paying baggage charges for a flight…wish me luck!

    1. bfadmin

      Good Luck Sara!

  4. Linda S

    Hallo Green Bus,

    We will have holiday in Thailand in Jul 21 untill Agust 7, glad to find this website… first we want to travel fro Chiang Rai to Chiang mai on 29, how much will cost?

    Second we will travel from Chiang Mai to Phuket on 1 August, is that any Idea to visit other place ( get down somewhere else)?

    Please be advised…. when the best to book the ticket? thank you very much

    Best Regards from Belgium

    Linda S

  5. Linda S

    Hi,

    I want to book the Green Bus thicket from Chiang Mai to Phuket (on line).. what should I do? because I tried by Green bus Website but doesn’t come out, please help me, I want to travel from Chiang Mai to Phuket on August 1, 2015, now we are still in Bangkok.

    Thank you in advance,

    Best Regards,

    Linda S

    1. bfadmin

      I hope you managed to get your ticket booked. Yes the Green Bus website does not seem to function very well! If you have any issues with online booking on their website you will either have to go to the bus station and book at the ticket counter or you can drop by at The Travel Hub office in Chiang Mai. I hope you made it to Phuket

  6. christian hensch

    this link in your website is not workinh
    cannot be found

    Green Bus Thailand website.

    1. bfadmin

      Thanks! Yes you were right the links were not working. They should be working now 🙂

  7. DEAR SIR

    WE ARE PLANNING FOR PHUKET TO CHIANGMAI IN APRIL 16 PL LET ME KNOW IS IT RIGHT TIME TO TRAVEL TO CHIANGMAI ALSO GIVE BUS DETAILS AND DISTANCE AND APPROX FAIR FOR THE SAME

    DARSHAN

    1. bfadmin

      April 16th is the day after the biggest Thai holiday of the year! Lots of people will travel on this date as they will be travelling back from their home provinces to their places of work. Make sure you make advance bookings as public transport does get fully booked during this period.

      The fare is 1826 baht and departs at 15:00 from Phuket Bus Station, Journey time is around 24 hours!

  8. sarah

    Thanks for the info regarding green bus.

    We are not currently in Chiang Mai until the day we need to catch the bus, are there any other travel agents you can think of in Chiang Mai that do advance tickets online/over the phone? Thanks in advance!

    1. bfadmin

      Hello Sarah

      I am not aware of any travel agents where they will accept advance bookings. Due to the way the tickets are booked Travel Hub can only accept bookings from walk in customers 🙁

      Have you tried booking online direct on their website? I have just done another quick dry run through the booking process and the booking system appears to be working now!!

      http://www.greenbusthailand.com/website/en/

  9. Kim

    So no comments yet from any one whose made the journey! We are off on the trip today, pick up at our hotel at 3pm, family of four, I will let you know how it goes! Wish us luck.

  10. MArina

    Hello,

    thank you for all the given information. I will be in Chiang Mai next week and i would like to take the bus from Chiang Mai to Phuket after. I found some information that greenbus is traveling from north to south but on the website I cannot find any bus just from Phuket to Chiang Mai but not otherwise. Do you know anything about that?

    Thank you!!!!

  11. Andras Fuchs

    Hi!

    Thank you for your post and the valuable information! After reading it we decided to try the bus.

    The bus itself was a very positive surprise: big space, toilette, aircon, seatbelt, movies and massage chairs! 🙂
    The service was also very good I think: we got two hot meals, biscuits, potato chips, cookies and water.

    We chose the first row which was a good choice, because you have more space for your legs. The only disadvantage is that the monitors are a little far, but to be honest the movies are old, so we didn’t mind.

    The bus was late by an hour, and the 22 hour ride is not short, but all-in-all we had a good experience, and we would choose the bus again, especially if we don’t book the flight tickets on time. The airplane prices went up, so the 3200 THB for the two bus tickets were really good. It’s 1400kms, and you even spare one night’s accomodation 🙂

    Make sure you bring earplugs and sleeping masks, and you will have no problem whatsoever.

    Have a safe ride!

  12. CHEONG SOON LEE

    Hello,how to buy bus ticket to Chumphon and Chumpton to Hua Hin.Thanks

    1. Travel Hub

      Hello Cheong

      Do you want to book from Chiang Mai to Chumphon? If so you can book at our office in Chiang Mai or online direct on The Green Bus website. For the Chumpon to Hua Hin bus you can book this locally at Chumphon bus station (there are probably multiple departures daily)

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