Hi everybody, I am new here... well not exactly since I have been lurking for quite sometime...

I'm planning a trip to Thailand soon in Apr - 8 Apr to 20 Apr which in between will be the Songkran period which is cool other than the fact that it will be hard for me to get bus tickets as I can only buy the tickets when I am there.

So my intended itinerary will be BKK(8th) - ChiangMai(9th) - Uthai Thani - BKK - Home

I will be arriving in Bangkok on the 8th at close to 9pm so I was wondering if the bus station will be open for me at that time to buy tickets to Chiang Mai once I touchdown and take a cab to Mo Chit. Can anyone advise me the opening hours of the ticketing counters in Mo Chit?

I've tried searching everywhere and I think they do not do online reservation of seats and I tried calling them but with my lousy grasp of the Thai language and they couldn't understand much English, it's virtually impossible to communicate.

So I'm taking a very daring step to buy my tickets to Chiang Mai when I get there... what do you think my chances are?

Advice please?

(Or will there be any kind souls who will be willing to help me get tickets and send it to me? -just kidding, it's too much to ask)

Edited March 10, 200917 yr by Falerina

Im just guessing but i have passed through Mo Chit a time or two but i would say at worst you will just have to wait around an hour or two.

alternatively book a train, safer and more comfortable. As I believe you can book online

A bus leaves Mo Chit about every 10 seconds - I am sure that more than one will be going to Chang Mai.

I also believe that there will more buses at night - the Thais prefer to travel that way.

Oh thank you for your answers....

I can't be sure if there are buses to Chiang Mai at the time I will be there... But what time do the ticketing counters close? I can only reach Mo Chit at after 9pm, if I can get board an overnight bus it will be great but if not I hope that the counters will still be open for me to get tickets for the next day.... So any ideas the opening hours of the ticketing office?

a BIG thank you!!

A bus leaves Mo Chit about every 10 seconds - I am sure that more than one will be going to Chang Mai.

I also believe that there will more buses at night - the Thais prefer to travel that way.

That's alot of bus's heading north.

alternatively book a train, safer and more comfortable. As I believe you can book online

I tried the online booking but somehow the available trains cannot fit into my arrival time and some trains seemed to be blocked from booking so it's a no-go for me....

And i think train takes longer than bus? pls correct me if i'm mistaken..

thanks!

there is a bus to chiang mai at 11pm, the ticket office will still be open. you can google to find bus times, type in bus 'bangkok to chiang mai'

there is a bus to chiang mai at 11pm, the ticket office will still be open. you can google to find bus times, type in bus 'bangkok to chiang mai'

thank you so much for your input... i guess i will just go and hope for the best!

there is no time difference between fast train and bus. Around that time do expect traffic jams all over thailand, with a lot of drink driving accidents.

because it's a very busy period try to book anything, rather than turning up at the station, it might be not an hours or two waiting but a day or two.

i guess i will just go and hope for the best!

Spoken like a Thai!

there is no time difference between fast train and bus. Around that time do expect traffic jams all over thailand, with a lot of drink driving accidents.

because it's a very busy period try to book anything, rather than turning up at the station, it might be not an hours or two waiting but a day or two.

Reckon so LondonThai? I always found the bus to take around 9 and a half hours and the train about 12.

Sure, if it's the Songkran festival time, trains gotta be booked well in advance. As for a bus can get one any day of the year (long wait on eve of Songkran though, this year Friday April 10th - do not take a bus on this day! Packed jammed) Wait till couple of days after, no probs.

The bus is quicker but sure sometimes i like to take the train, restaurants serve beer and can meet new people. Should have no problems booking Chiang Mai trains after about 14/15th April as all the northern people in that time will be travelling back into Bangkok.

with that much a risk, i'm thinking of taking the domestic flight instead.

but kind of puzzled about the flight info offered on the websites of the airports....

may i have some help on this please? http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Airport-and-...fo-t249008.html

Link to Mo Chit Chiang Mai bus timetable. http://www.travelhubchiangmaitours.com/abo..._timetables.htm

Hope it helps.

thanks kevc, it helped a bunch... but becos it's the festive season for the thais i've decided not to take the risk and take a domestic flight instead but this link will be a good reference for future travel.

p/s: are those white dogs in your avatar huskies?

Can anyone give me a history lesson on why the Morchit bus terminal is not same place with the skytrain? Some old maps showed both at the same place

Can anyone give me a history lesson on why the Morchit bus terminal is not same place with the skytrain? Some old maps showed both at the same place

Well originally they were going to put it there until someone realised that in order to do so they would have to move JJ Market to where the morchit bus station is now.

Can anyone give me a history lesson on why the Morchit bus terminal is not same place with the skytrain? Some old maps showed both at the same place

Well originally they were going to put it there until someone realised that in order to do so they would have to move JJ Market to where the morchit bus station is now.

i heard that the present Morchit (Morchit mai/Morchit II)is temporary only and will move next to the skytrain station? But the terminal doesn't look anything like temporary and i dun think they have to space to do so. Anyway where was the old Morchit then?

Book with Nackonchai Air if you go by bus very comfortable and not expensive

Hi everybody, I am new here... well not exactly since I have been lurking for quite sometime...

I'm planning a trip to Thailand soon in Apr - 8 Apr to 20 Apr which in between will be the Songkran period which is cool other than the fact that it will be hard for me to get bus tickets as I can only buy the tickets when I am there.

So my intended itinerary will be BKK(8th) - ChiangMai(9th) - Uthai Thani - BKK - Home

Hi Falerina,

I live in Buriram (North East) and travel to Bangkok and Buriram regularly via Morchit (Mochit) bus station. Although a busy place Morchit booking hall is made up of about 130 different booths (cubicles) for the various routes, but there are plenty on hand to point the way.

However, as you mention yourself above, the dreaded word Sonkran (when it comes to travel during this period). Sonkran this year will take place 12th to 14th April, which is Monday to Wednesday. That means when you include the weekend of 10th and 11th, well a very nice 5 day holiday.............in which everyone not living in Bangkok will be heading home for the holiday.

Trust me when I say Morchit bus station will be chaos around the time you plan to arrive (8th / 9th).

I would strongly recommend that you fly up to Chang Mai, you can book a flight on line right now, get away from the road traffic and chaos. Book one way if necessary and then worry about booking a bus back to Uthan Thani when you are in Chang Mai. It may cost you alittle more to fly, but believe me, it will save you a lot of heart-ache in my opinion at this time of the year.

Hope this helps...............RayBan

Hi,

Is it possible to book a bus to Chiang mai online ?

Any Thai bus company which offers online booking for bus trips (not only Chiang Mai but other destinations also) ?

Thanks a lot.