Chiang Mai Airport, The 4th Best In The World

[endure]

Whenever I arrive at CNX it seems to me to be the best airport in the world.

[canuckamuck]

What do I want from an airport? In and out quick with no hassle. That is what you get at CNX, so I love it.

[DoctorG]

Shame about the misleading headline, but I am happy with CM airport.

[TheWalkingMan]

Small airports are great! Easy to check in and easy to get to the gate.

[Rosco911]

I agree with many of the posts, Chiang Mai airport is in its class one of the best.

[anterian]

If Chiang Mai is so efficient what went wrong at swampy?

[Roj]

People aren't really being critical of Chiang Mai which IS an efficient little airport, more the official embellishment of the award.

[spidermike007]

I used to travel a lot and maybe I've started to take the CM airport for granted, but it is Waaaay more convenient and user friendly than almost any other airport I could name. I live 5 minutes from the airport, yet I never hear a single jet take off or land. I can depart on a domestic flight with a 30 minute check in. About an hour for an international flight. I arrived once on an international flight originating in the USA and changing planes in Taipei. I went through a two hour shakedown in the states over the contents of my luggage, with blue lights flashing and a goon squad rushing in with rubber gloves and "swabs" to check the contents of my luggage. After the Homeland Security goons were finished (breaking my luggage BTW) I was thouroughly sickened and happy to be on my way back home. The only comment the Thai customs had about the contents of my luggage when I arived was "Aroi, mak mak". Count your blessings.

I could not agree more. Not necessarily about the Chiang Mai airport, since I have not used it for a couple of years. But, about traveling in Thailand in general. I find most of the airports here to be very pleasant, including Suvarnabhumi, which I like a lot. Samui is great too. Pleasant, easy to use, efficient, and the security is not too intrusive. Flying in the US now is a nightmare. The TSA has been given way too much power, and they do not discriminate properly. There is no contribution to "national security", when an 80 year old grandmother gets felt up, or strip searched. When was the last time a Jewish 80 year old woman has committed any act that threatens the nation in any way, other than laying guilt on her grandchildren? That does not happen in Thailand, as far as I know. Plus the airport food is better, and less expensive!

[blackthorn2005]

It has to better than Phuket airport which is usually crammed with twice as many passengers than it can handle and manned by some staff that clearly do not like foreigners, or working for a living.

[SamuiRes]

i prefer the samui airport.

A relaxing airport in many ways indeed. Not too keen on the landings there though... nor the needlessly long walk past all the shops when leaving.

As a Samui resident I hate the Samui Airport and its staff. Take a day trip to Bangkok. Leave your car in the departures car park. Walk to the check in. Walk to the Gate. Doesn't sound too bad. But then do it in the heat of the midday sun or in the pouring rain. Trolley buses? Maybe. If they can be bothered. Usually not. Then come back on the last flight in the rain and ask for a trolley bus back to the departures car park. Fat chance. But then I expect nothing less from a "Boutique Airline"!

[chasggg]

I like the fact that bags are scanned as you enter the airport building.......why don't other airports take this obviously sensible precaution?

CM airport would get my vote just for that but it's a great little airport anyway.

[folium]

CNX is a godsend to any local that flies a lot.

Personally I can do front doorto check in desk in 10 minutes without any fuss or stress. Hard to beat anywhere in the world.

Current direct international routes to Luang Prabang, KL, Singapore, Yangon, Incheon, & Kunming will be expanded to Macau with AA soon.

Talk here in Myanmar is that Air Mandalay might restart it's CNX to Mandalay route & Air Bagan is mulling a CNX to Thandwe route. An outstanding beach an hour's flight west of CM?

CNX is perfectly located as a node (avoiding the h word) for exploring Myanmar.

[Ricardo]

If Chiang Mai is so efficient what went wrong at swampy?

Swampy operates at close-to-capacity. Which is why there are plans to expand it.

CNX was expanded (doubling the size of the terminal-building for-example) over the past several years, to give it a capacity (they say 24 flights/hour) way in-excess of the actual usage, so of course it's a pleasure to use.

As others have already pointed-out, the International-Terminal end is seriously-underused, and the Domestic-end quite busy, so if we ever see a major increase in traffic then some further readjustment/reallocation-of-space may be needed.

Some single-runway airports, in other parts of the world and with far more terminal-space, can handle 30+ million PAX every year. I believe that CNX currently handles about a tenth of that amount.

Which is very good for us !

[el jefe]

It's too bad that with all the accolades that CNX is getting that it's going to be replaced by a new one in Sanpatong in a few years.

[catmac]

It's too bad that with all the accolades that CNX is getting that it's going to be replaced by a new one in Sanpatong in a few years.

Yes, I've heard that too. Hence the new road works to the South, and the new highway into CM. Great for me, I shall be home for tea in about 10 minutes!