Just returned from my fitness park 8 kilometers from the Chiang Mai city center. In a field next to the park about a hundred tourists were left stranded from 4 different buses that arrived within a 30 minute period between 6 and 6:30AM on the Lampang - Chiang Mai highway. Talking with some of them they all bought their bus tickets from agencies and guest houses on Khaosan road in Bangkok. To get onto town they had a 5 kilometer walk to where they could catch a songteaw into the city. I tried to help by phoning a few of my friends who have songteaws but they were busy transporting children to school and would not be free until after 9AM. There were 3 families with small children in tears and 2 Thai people who exercise at the park had pick up trucks took the families into town.

WARNING: Get all you bus tickets to Chiang Mai from the Mor Chit bus station or companies who say you need to go to Mor Chit bus station to get your bus. The illegal bus companies who operate from Khaosan road do not have permits to go into the city. You have been warned.

KSR buses have been doing this for years and years. You get dropped on the edge of town and then offered a free transfer in a songtaew if you agree to the songtaew taking you to a guest house that will attempt to sell you a room and a trek.

I was there when they got dropped off, no songteaws around.

^ Either way those buses are bad news, and give other (legal) buses a bad name.

Thank you for posting, I didn't know it was still going on after all these years.

Thai culture!

Should this be shared in the Bangkok forum? It sounds like that is where the problem starts.

"WARNING: Get all you bus tickets to Chiang Mai from the Mor Chit bus station or companies who say you need to go to Mor Chit bus station to get your bus. The illegal bus companies who operate from Khaosan road do not have permits to go into the city. You have been warned."

I'll second that. NEVER buy a bus ticket from an agent in Thailand. The warning applies everywhere in TH and not only KSR.

Always buy direct.

Without exception every time I have bought from an agent I have either received substandard service, or been outright cheated, or both.

A couple of people have told me over the years of paying for trek tours and stuff in Bangkok and then arriving in Chiang Mai to find no-one knows about it.

The sad thing to see was the young children as young as 4 years old and their parents wondering how they were going to get into town. The Thais who volunteered to help them and take them into town free showed the true heart of the Chiang Mai people. No one asked them they just volunteered. The greedy tour operators and guest houses in Bangkok have no shame putting young children on the bus they know will not take them into Chiang Mai city.

I hate KSR more than Pattaya. Did do the night bus thing, and bought the ticket from an agent. Edge of town, then onto a van. We were taken to Varachai Court Hotel, which is actually a pretty popular hotel. We were greeted by someone who spoke English pretty well (common), and rooms were 450 per night with a/c. I knew another place close by for 300, and was on my way. 6 others followed me, because they knew I was sort of local. We got a dirty look, that was all, and if we had stayed it would have been decent, trek or no trek. There could have been far worse options.....that was in October, so very low season.

Happens all over Thailand.

Only time I've had trouble on a regular bus was going from Nakhon Si Thamarat to Hat Yai. Just outside Hat Yai, the bus stopped, a Songthaew was waiting. The conductor came and told me to get off. I told him I was going to the bus station, he told me the bus didn't go there, I had to get off now. I told him I'd get off when everyone else did. We rolled into the bus station 10 minutes later. Bloody southerners.

I happen to like Khao San Road (kind of). I've bought some great stuff there. O.K. for a few hours once a year. But I would never buy a bus ticket there! Actually after he last horrific ride from Hua Hin to C.M. on Sombat Tour 2 years ago, I'll never take a bus in Thailand again. Flying is so cheap and soooo much safer.

I happen to like Khao San Road (kind of). I've bought some great stuff there. O.K. for a few hours once a year. But I would never buy a bus ticket there! Actually after he last horrific ride from Hua Hin to C.M. on Sombat Tour 2 years ago, I'll never take a bus in Thailand again. Flying is so cheap and soooo much safer.

The el cheapo night bus to Khao San Rd from CM ,at around 350 baht,is very popular with budget travellers but take it at your peril.

Sombat Tours, CM to HH leg is the pits.I would never consider it again, ever, and we have done it a few times.If Nakorn Chai Air had that route is might be a goer.

Going to HH ,or where we go slightly south (Bangsahan) is not easy unless you want to drive..Even you fly to Don Muang its either a train ride or bus to HH and a long way to the bus terminal or railway station. Alternative take a van and risk life and limb

A direct flight CNX to Hua Hin would be a winner but can't see the airport at HH there being used for commercial flights.

vans go from Victory Monument to HH every thirty minutes...cost is 140ish.....a lot better than the bus. I hear they're still doing the bus that always breaks down from Ekami to Pattaya scam...been going on since the Vietnam Era...I think it is even the same bus. Always go to the counter. People that bring young kids to KSR should be marched....to re-education. Sukhumvit Rd. used to be 100 times better than KSR, and parts of it still are...just too expensive, but for 300-400 per night; you can get a pretty good room in Pattaya......completely grotesque at KSR. That Sawasdee Smile Chain makes my skin crawl. Chiang Rai on the worst day of the year is a lot more pleasant than KSR.

I happen to like Khao San Road (kind of). I've bought some great stuff there. O.K. for a few hours once a year. But I would never buy a bus ticket there! Actually after he last horrific ride from Hua Hin to C.M. on Sombat Tour 2 years ago, I'll never take a bus in Thailand again. Flying is so cheap and soooo much safer.

I take the green VIP bus all the time. Great service, never had an issue and not too expensive. If I have time, I prefer the bus, but when need to get there in a hurry, I fly.