Chiang Mai Bus Terminal Guide: Arcade Terminals 2 and 3

The Arcade Bus Terminal, made up of Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 facing each other across a short road, is where nearly all intercity buses and minivans start and end in Chiang Mai. Buses to Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Pai, Mae Hong Son, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Udon Thani and the Laos border leave from here. Use Chang Phuak station (Terminal 1) only for local services inside Chiang Mai Province, such as Mae Rim, Chiang Dao and Fang.

Location and how to get there

Arcade is at the eastern end of Kaew Nawarat Road in Wat Ket, near the junction with the superhighway (Highway 118), roughly 3 km northeast of the old city. The two terminals are close enough to walk between. The terminals are owned by Chiang Mai Municipality. Terminal 2 opened in 1980, and the larger, air-conditioned two-storey Terminal 3 opened on 28 November 2011.

• Red songthaew or Grab: the usual choice from the old city. A shared red songthaew costs around 20 to 30 THB from the centre, according to a local guesthouse guide. Grab or a taxi is easier with luggage.
• On foot: Wikivoyage puts the walk to the centre at an hour or more, so it only suits light bags.
• Tuk-tuks at the gate: drivers often quote high prices. Walk out to the road or use a ride-hailing app.

Terminal 1, Chang Phuak bus station, is on the north side of the moat on Chang Phuak Road. It does not serve long-distance buses, so choose Arcade when you search for a ride to Bangkok or Chiang Rai.

Operators and destinations

There is no strict logic about which company uses which terminal, and Wikivoyage calls the layout confusing. As a rule, many larger companies moved to Terminal 3, while Terminal 2 keeps cheaper standard buses and most minivans. The Nakhonchai Air terminal is a separate building behind Terminal 2. Check the terminal printed on your ticket.

GoAsia route pages for the main destinations:

• Chiang Mai to Bangkok and Bangkok to Chiang Mai: about 9 to 12 hours, with day coaches and overnight VIP coaches. Bangkok services go to Mo Chit.
• Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai and Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai: Green Bus, about 3 hours.
• Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong: Green Bus via Chiang Rai to the Laos border at Huay Xai, 5 to 7 hours.
• Chiang Mai to Pai: Prempracha minivans from Terminal 2, with around 12 departures a day (06:30 to 17:30) and a scheduled 4 hours 20 minutes.
• Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang: Prempracha buses and vans, about 6 to 7 hours to Mae Hong Son.
• Nan, Lampang and Mae Sot: Green Bus northern routes.
• Sukhothai and Phitsanulok: Sukhothai Win Tour, about 5 to 6 hours to Sukhothai.
• Udon Thani: Phetprasert buses, which end near Central Plaza in Udon Thani.
• Chiang Mai to Pattaya and Pattaya to Chiang Mai: Nakhonchai Air, about 11 hours.
• Chiang Mai to Phuket and Phuket to Chiang Mai: one daily Green Bus from Terminal 3 to Phuket Bus Terminal 2, about 24.5 hours and around 2,000 THB as of 2025.
• Surat Thani and Luang Prabang: long-haul services listed from Arcade. The Transport Co. bus to Luang Prabang combines bus, taxi and a sleeping bus.

Tickets and facilities

Every company has its own ticket counter. Terminal 2 has a number of ticket windows in the main building, a separate booth at the minivan platform and a separate booking office in the rear car park for Pai and Mae Hong Son minivans. Terminal 3 has an air-conditioned waiting room, ATMs, food vendors and ticket counters, including the Green Bus window. The Green Bus website and app sell tickets for northern routes. Aggregators such as 12Go sell most other routes online.

Terminal 2 has an information counter at the entrance, a tourist police office, ATMs, minimarts, restrooms (a few baht to use) and an open-air seating area. Terminal 2 has no left-luggage service, while Terminal 3 has one and a wider range of facilities. The bus platform building next to Terminal 2 has little seating and gets hot, so wait in the main building until about half an hour before departure.

Tips

• Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early, or an hour before departure around holidays, to collect your ticket and find your platform.
• Book ahead for overnight Bangkok buses, Chiang Rai and Chiang Khong connections, and travel from December to February.
• Air-conditioning on long-distance buses is cold. Carry a layer, and keep your phone, cash and electronics with you rather than in the luggage hold.
• Buy tickets from counters or trusted booking apps. Ignore touts who say a bus is full and push a pricier private van.
• Minivans to Pai follow a road with hundreds of bends. Sit near the front if you get motion sickness.