Bus from Chiang Mai to China.

[inasia]

I'm making a trip from Chiang Mai to China soon.

I've made this trip a few times, via Laos, crossing the Chinese border at Boten. But I've heard rumours of a Chinese bus that makes the entire trip all the way to/from Thailand. (Which would save me changing busses). Does anyone know anything about it?

[Torrens54]

Given the way our Thai friends drive, I can only imagine how our Chinese friends behave behind the wheel of a thumping great bus.

Think I'd be Flying. Wouldn't worry so much about changing Buses........

More like, how many pairs of trousers would I need to change, if you get my drift?

[Goshawk]

i personally wouldn't go from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao, never mind China, on a bus! (lot's of Ch's there...). But hey, each to their own. Good luck.

[mal60]

Ayaservice.com Take a look at their web site.

Their office is near the railway station.

They do a minibus service to Boten on the China Laos border for 1200 baht.

[Tomtomtom69]

Not true, Chinese buses can't enter Thailand, while Thai buses have not yet received permission to enter China either. From Chiang Mai, you can either catch a Thai bus bound for Luang Prabang, getting off at Luang Nam Tha and changing to a China bound bus (for either Mengla, Jinghong or Kunming) there or catching a bus to Huay Xai, from where a Kunming bound bus leaves a few times a week, passing through Mengla and Jinghong along the way.

Either way, you're going to need to change buses at least once. The journey from Huay Xai to Kunming by bus is said to be 20+ hours of misery (compared to only 14-16 hours by car) along winding, mountainous roads almost all the way. The expressway starting in Jinghong is good, but still winding. I've driven it and it was OK but the inevitable delays going by bus would really make it a test of nerves.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Tomtomtom69

[inasia]

Not true, Chinese buses can't enter Thailand, while Thai buses have not yet received permission to enter China either. From Chiang Mai, you can either catch a Thai bus bound for Luang Prabang, getting off at Luang Nam Tha and changing to a China bound bus (for either Mengla, Jinghong or Kunming) there or catching a bus to Huay Xai, from where a Kunming bound bus leaves a few times a week, passing through Mengla and Jinghong along the way.

Either way, you're going to need to change buses at least once. The journey from Huay Xai to Kunming by bus is said to be 20+ hours of misery (compared to only 14-16 hours by car) along winding, mountainous roads almost all the way. The expressway starting in Jinghong is good, but still winding. I've driven it and it was OK but the inevitable delays going by bus would really make it a test of nerves.

I've taken the overnight sleeper bus to Kunming before. Once, from Pu'er (where the tea comes from), and once from somewhere else (Can't remember... Simao I think) - it was never 20 hours, and I slept well.

@Mal60... Thanks for the lead.

I may fly. The problem is that I won't know what date to arrive until last minute - So I can't book in advance. And the land route is actually quite quick, and easy to take spur-of-the-moment. But, if anyone has advice about budget airlines (to Chengdu) - I'm listening.

[Tomtomtom69]

Not true, Chinese buses can't enter Thailand, while Thai buses have not yet received permission to enter China either. From Chiang Mai, you can either catch a Thai bus bound for Luang Prabang, getting off at Luang Nam Tha and changing to a China bound bus (for either Mengla, Jinghong or Kunming) there or catching a bus to Huay Xai, from where a Kunming bound bus leaves a few times a week, passing through Mengla and Jinghong along the way.

Either way, you're going to need to change buses at least once. The journey from Huay Xai to Kunming by bus is said to be 20+ hours of misery (compared to only 14-16 hours by car) along winding, mountainous roads almost all the way. The expressway starting in Jinghong is good, but still winding. I've driven it and it was OK but the inevitable delays going by bus would really make it a test of nerves.

I've taken the overnight sleeper bus to Kunming before. Once, from Pu'er (where the tea comes from), and once from somewhere else (Can't remember... Simao I think) - it was never 20 hours, and I slept well.

@Mal60... Thanks for the lead.

I may fly. The problem is that I won't know what date to arrive until last minute - So I can't book in advance. And the land route is actually quite quick, and easy to take spur-of-the-moment. But, if anyone has advice about budget airlines (to Chengdu) - I'm listening.

Simao and Pu'er are the same place. Coming from Thailand, there are buses from Huay Xai to Jinghong and Kunming and from Luang Nam Tha to Mengla, Jinghong and Kunming (as already mentioned) as well as from Luang Prabang and Vientiane to Kunming.

From Pu'er to Kunming should only take 5-6 hours but 20 hours is an accurate estimate for the trip from the Thai/Lao border at Huay Xai. Apparently the bus makes lengthy stops for lunch/dinner en-route taking up considerable amounts of time (not to mention the border crossing which probably takes around an hour alone). Although the bus is a sleeper with bunks (such buses don't exist in Thailand, although both Laos and Vietnam also have such buses on various routes) I wouldn't necessarily call it comfortable though it's significantly more comfortable than a normal sit down bus of the type common in Thailand.