Hi there, have not try taking a bus from chiangmai to bangkok before...would like to do so one day, need some info..

how long is the travelling time...which type is more comfortable and price...is it best to travel in the morning or evening..

any good tour company or just go to the Arcade for one....thanks

Nakhonchai Air First Class is the only way to go if you want the best experience; only 21 seats on the bus, sane drivers and OK pricing. Just book ahead since I hear it is booked out almost every day. Website is in Thai but I gather you can book online.

Confirm above comments. Office is at rear of Bus Arcade. 10 hours approx depending on traffic entering Bangkok.Service,comfort,safety way ahead of any other bus company.

Confirm that as well. Probably the bus company with safest track record so far.

<LI class="title">Nakhonchai Air First Class is very good. I take the late night bus and sleep to arrive early. That way I do no mis work here or there.

Another option is go into the city tourist area and you will see signs at most travel offices for VIP busses. I think 300 - 350 bt. If you have a foreign passport or are traveling with someone who does. this is the cheepest way to go because they do not pay the tax the other busses have to.pay. It picks you up form your hotel or leaves from the gas station across from Airport plaze / airport entry

<LI class="title">Nakhonchai Air First Class is very good. I take the late night bus and sleep to arrive early. That way I do no mis work here or there.

Another option is go into the city tourist area and you will see signs at most travel offices for VIP busses. I think 300 - 350 bt. If you have a foreign passport or are traveling with someone who does. this is the cheepest way to go because they do not pay the tax the other busses have to.pay. It picks you up form your hotel or leaves from the gas station across from Airport plaze / airport entry

Tourist "VIP" Buses rate amongst the worst travel experiences I've had in Thailand. Slow, late, dangerous and crowded - probably not all of them, but why travel cattle class when the price is not that much better?

<LI class="title">Nakhonchai Air First Class is very good. I take the late night bus and sleep to arrive early. That way I do no mis work here or there.

Another option is go into the city tourist area and you will see signs at most travel offices for VIP busses. I think 300 - 350 bt. If you have a foreign passport or are traveling with someone who does. this is the cheepest way to go because they do not pay the tax the other busses have to.pay. It picks you up form your hotel or leaves from the gas station across from Airport plaze / airport entry

Just be careful. These buses are accident prone and in the past ,used to have a bus boy travel in the luggage bins, making farangs luggage lighter, Helpful aren't they? Much better to travel Nakornchai Air. Their 1st class is actually VIP , very good. Highly recommended

My experiences on Nakorchai Air have been good - but - once I got a bus where the seats were covered in a shiny vinyl instead of cloth, and I kept waking up in the footwell after I had slid down the seat. I guess you could duct tape yourself in if you were in that situation.

My experiences on Nakorchai Air have been good - but - once I got a bus where the seats were covered in a shiny vinyl instead of cloth, and I kept waking up in the footwell after I had slid down the seat. I guess you could duct tape yourself in if you were in that situation.

What class of bus was that? How many seats? How long ago?

<LI class="title">Nakhonchai Air First Class is very good. I take the late night bus and sleep to arrive early. That way I do no mis work here or there.

Another option is go into the city tourist area and you will see signs at most travel offices for VIP busses. I think 300 - 350 bt. If you have a foreign passport or are traveling with someone who does. this is the cheepest way to go because they do not pay the tax the other busses have to.pay. It picks you up form your hotel or leaves from the gas station across from Airport plaze / airport entry

Tourist "VIP" Buses rate amongst the worst travel experiences I've had in Thailand. Slow, late, dangerous and crowded - probably not all of them, but why travel cattle class when the price is not that much better?

Is this the "service" that drops you in Khao San Road at the crack of dawn? If it is suggest you don't use it .So many reports its uncomfortable and have drivers who are paid less and drive in a manner not condusive to safety. Nakhonchai Air is,for a few hundred baht more, by far the best.Can't put a price on safety.

Khao San Road at the crack of dawn - That's the one. Convenient if you're travelling down to Hua Hin, Chumporn, Koh Samui or Koh Tao on the Lomprayah service since they connect (if the VIP bus is on time) but a nightmare in almost every other respect.

If Nakhonchai Air don't go there; I don't want to go ! Using Mini-Bus services is only for those with a death wish, that's why so many Thai's use them. If they can't kill themselves by Motorbike or overtaking in Cars on left hand bends, then they have to try Mini-Buses.

My experiences on Nakorchai Air have been good - but - once I got a bus where the seats were covered in a shiny vinyl instead of cloth, and I kept waking up in the footwell after I had slid down the seat. I guess you could duct tape yourself in if you were in that situation.

What class of bus was that? How many seats? How long ago?

The trip to Bangkok was Gold Class and cloth seat. The trip back was 1st Class, vinyl seat and a few hundred baht more. The ride was fine on both, as was the service and professionalism of the driver. I was just very tired and kept winding up sliding into the footwell. The trip was last month.

Another option is go into the city tourist area and you will see signs at most travel offices for VIP busses. I think 300 - 350 bt.

This'll be the service that crashed last month on route to Chiang Mai last month, killing 3 people if I remember correctly...

A few years ago, I took a Chiangmai-Bangkok bus as far as Kamphaeng Phet. It took 3 1/2 hours... and I've never been so frightened in my life!

How much is the bus to Bkk?

How much is the bus to Bkk?

The 'First Class' service , which only leaves at 19.30 and 20.30, is around 650 Baht one way but you get a lot of goodies like hand cream/ extra food and drinks etc.

Another option is go into the city tourist area and you will see signs at most travel offices for VIP busses. I think 300 - 350 bt.

This'll be the service that crashed last month on route to Chiang Mai last month, killing 3 people if I remember correctly...

Exactly. As i said ,previously ,they do have a tendency to crash and they do like to lighten the luggage of farang.

How much is the bus to Bkk?

The 'First Class' service , which only leaves at 19.30 and 20.30, is around 650 Baht one way but you get a lot of goodies like hand cream/ extra food and drinks etc.

[pedantic mode]

806 Baht

[/pedantic mode]

Nakhon Chai Air first class bus is very nice, with a massaging seat and touch screen movies (in English) on demand. I've taken it a few times and, unlike the train, is always on time. I've never gotten vinyl seats however. You can book over the phone with their Bangkok office (just ask for someone that speaks English if your Thai is not good) and you can pay at the nearest 7-11. Your print out from 7-11 is your ticket.

Its better to get out at the NCA bus station in Bangkok instead of Mo Chit as its much easier to get a taxi from there than compete with the thousands of people arriving at the Mo Chit station.

Lady Heather,spot on with your comments and the toilet is actually cleaned en route.Who ever is reponsible for their operation is very smart, they have made in more like a plane,from luggage check in to service on board.I quite expected the driver to say "fasten your seat belts and prepare for take off". 8 trips,left on time, never been late.Perhaps the other bus companies will take note and hopefully follow.

> I quite expected the driver to say "fasten your seat belts and prepare for take off"

It's been a while since I last took the NCA bus, but they did indeed do that. The driver welcomed everyone, gave a brief introduction of himself and the bus lady, informed everyone of the total travelling time and where there would be a stop along the way. (Don't remember exactly, but it was that sort of a summary, similar to what you'd get on a flight. Very professional.)