TOP SECRET: routes/times for air-con 15 baht local bus service!

[Chris Pirazzi]

Imagine stepping into a new, air-conditioned bus at Arcade bus station, the Airport, Central Airport Plaza, Tha Pae Gate, the Train station, Chiang Mai Zoo, or other popular locations, paying a fixed fare that is less than red taxis with no stress or haggling, and riding across town on a hassle-free trip with cool and clean air.



This is reality NOW and has been (on and off) for more than 10 years: Chiang Mai has a public aircon bus system that is run by the Chiang Mai local municipality (the Chiang Mai เทศบาล têet-sà~baan).

I want to spread the word as far and wide as possible about this service: as frequent users of CM public transit, it's our only hope in the never-ending battle with surly, greedy red-taxi (รถสองแถว rót-sɔ̌ɔng-tɛ̌ɛo) drivers and their super-heated carbon monoxide coops!

It's always been the best kept (or best suppressed) secret in Chiang Mai. The service was originally created both to decrease use of private cars and to address the huge number of Thai and foreign tourists getting ripped off at Arcade, Airport, etc. Though the management and funding of this service has been lacking to say the least, though their promotion has been virtually nonexistent (and what ads they manage to put up are all in Thai and quickly get torn down by jealous red-taxi drivers), and though their routes and times seem to change randomly all the time with no notice, they DO have a great service if you can work out the routes/times.

I contacted the têet-sà~baan bus staff at Arcade, collected the latest route/time info available, and translated it to English.

As far as I know, this is the first time any route/time information about this service has ever been presented in English.

You can find the latest route/time information available here:

Click here for latest route/time info for the Chiang Mai air-con local bus!

I will update that page as often as I can and indicate the date of the information at the top of that page.

Please use and enjoy this valuable bus service so that it can survive well into the future!

Edited April 10, 2016 by Tywais
Updated OP with his new information

[cdnvic]

Hid a bizarre post that I can only assume was alcohol induced.

[TheSiemReaper]

Thank you for the effort you have put in; though the thing about randomized service times puts me off even trying to use this service. Standing out in the heat of the day for hours for a bus isn't my idea of a lot of fun.

[NancyL]

This is all very nice for getting CMU students to-and-from the Arcade Bus station but no stops along the busy Huay Kaew or on the North or South side of the Old City. Nothing to get anyone out to the airport or any of the malls. Isn't exactly a comprehensive transport system is it?

I don't think the red taxi and tuk-tuk drivers have much to worry about. Little competition here with this limited route map.

Edit: Oops, sorry! See that there is a stop at Central Airport Plaza and Star Avenue "Mall" (if that counts as a mall). I stand corrected. Still maintain it's not very helpful for the average person who lives in the city and relies on tuk-tuks and songthaews to get around. And I know, I'm one of those people.

[FolkGuitar]

I've often seen the bus stop signs. I've never seen the bus, nor spoken to anyone who's ridden on one. Are you sure they really travel the streets?

[TheAppletons]

Those bus stop signs are present on Huay Kaew Rd too....but apparently Huay Kaew Rd is not part of the route map? Odd.

[flashlight92]

Thanks loads for the timetables. I have taken both B1 and B2 buses and I'm normally the only passenger. It's a great service though I miss the old 11 bus out to Airport Plaza and Royal Flora.

[Beng]

Very helpful !

[elektrified]

The problem with these is that the schedule is rarely the same from day to day. Luck of the draw - coming from a Thai cousin who tried to use these buses to get around during a time when she had a job in the city that required here to go from location to location. After 2 weeks she gave up. She said sometimes there was no bus for 3 hours according to shopkeepers, etc with nearby businesses whom she asked.

Good effort OP! But not anything to depend on.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I've often seen the bus stop signs. I've never seen the bus, nor spoken to anyone who's ridden on one. Are you sure they really travel the streets?

I see them often. ( They only run during the day. )

Red buses are vastly more convenient though. Happy to have them and drivers by and large are great people.

[Mickeem]

Thanks for your time making a route map - there is a mistake on the marker 'I' on the Airport route you have labled it as Chiang Mai Gate (inside) it's Thapae Gate

[Chris Pirazzi]

Thank you for the effort you have put in; though the thing about randomized service times puts me off even trying to use this service. Standing out in the heat of the day for hours for a bus isn't my idea of a lot of fun.

Totally agreed that the random schedule is a problem, however the thing that I was surprised to find out yesterday is that we don't have to wait hours but rather 40 minutes at most on weekdays and 60 minutes at most on weekends (see the post).

I loathe the haggling process with the red-taxis and even more than that I loathe sucking in vast quantities of exhaust fumes and sweating like crazy every time I cross town.

So for me, and I think many, the fact that I "only" have to wait 40/60 max in the shade by the bus stop takes it from something I wouldn't even consider using to something I actually did use successfully twice this week.

The other problem is changing schedules and routes...see my response below...

[Chris Pirazzi]

Those bus stop signs are present on Huay Kaew Rd too....but apparently Huay Kaew Rd is not part of the route map? Odd.

I've often seen the bus stop signs. I've never seen the bus, nor spoken to anyone who's ridden on one. Are you sure they really travel the streets?

Yes, the bus actually did come for me twice! It works!!!

I totally understand your sentiment: many people who also wanted to use the service observed that the bus never came: and that's because the company has changed their route without telling anyone and has left up wave after wave of obsolete bus stop signs, maps, and schedules, including the stops in front of Kat Suan Keaw and other locations that are not currently served at all.

Right now, if you go by the signs posted throughout the city, I believe you are more likely than not to wait forever for a bus that never comes. This company has experienced waves of budget plenty and desperation (mostly desperation) that has seen the number of routes fluctuate between 1 and 9.

That sucks for sure, but we can mitigate this problem by sharing information about route changes here on this thread.

The thing that was missing before is nobody was even attempting to collect the latest info in one place that's easy to find.

And other key piece of advice is: don't ever trust the signs at the stops.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Chris Pirazzi

[Chris Pirazzi]

The problem with these is that the schedule is rarely the same from day to day. Luck of the draw - coming from a Thai cousin who tried to use these buses to get around during a time when she had a job in the city that required here to go from location to location. After 2 weeks she gave up. She said sometimes there was no bus for 3 hours according to shopkeepers, etc with nearby businesses whom she asked.

Good effort OP! But not anything to depend on.

I agree the schedules are uncertain from day to day and that means that these buses are totally unsuitable for a certain type of customer: the type that goes so often from point A to point B every day (e.g. going to work) that their main criteria is to always do it in as little time as possible (i.e. so they don't have to get up early).

However because they are aircon and comfortable and haggle-free (and also cheaper than the red-taxis) I think they still have value for someone who:

• understands that the service is flaky and that they must allot about 30 minutes of extra time in case they need to fall back to using a red-taxi. For example, today I had to catch a bus out of Arcade and so I left my place 30 minutes earlier than I would have if I wanted a red-taxi. The bus came in 10 minutes.

• understands NOT to trust the posted city bus signs/schedules: a key piece of advice which is completely counter-intuitive (but strangely like traveling in Italy ).

• understands to check threads like these (which did not exist before, to my knowledge) for the latest information so that they have a reasonable chance of actually catching the bus

That's not everyone, but I think it's a huge percentage of people who currently wouldn't even think of trying the aircon buses, because they've been burned by following the posted street signs and the lack of pooled information like this before.

[Chris Pirazzi]

Thanks for your time making a route map - there is a mistake on the marker 'I' on the Airport route you have labled it as Chiang Mai Gate (inside) it's Thapae Gate

Thanks! My "Edit" button on the OP has expired but once I figure out how to get it back I will make that fix.

[uptheos]

"I loathe the haggling process with the red-taxis"

I would say that the majority of the time there is no haggling if just going around town, just give the 20 baht unless you're naive enough to ask "how much". Even on trips a little bit far or out of the way there's little haggling and I find most will stick 3 or 4 fingers up and it's up to you meaning 30/40 baht. I can't say that I've found the majority of songtheaw drivers, greedy.. Chiang Mai without songtheaws would be a disaster, though I conclude a bus would be nice if you ever get lucky and see and stop one before melting away into the sidewalk concrete. These songtheaws are the life line for Thai's (forget foreigners this is Thailand) going to work, college or who live down an off beat soi. I can't see them walking in the heat / rain a half mile to a bus stop., when they know a songtheaw will be along. I agree some strict criteria should be enforced regarding exhaust emissions. No, I'm afraid I couldn't care less about nice white shiny buses and waiting at bus stops, I want the first available vehicle that comes along even if it's a dreaded tuk tuk, who you do have to haggle with (sometimes), but it's all part of living here isn't it?

[TheSiemReaper]

Thank you for the effort you have put in; though the thing about randomized service times puts me off even trying to use this service. Standing out in the heat of the day for hours for a bus isn't my idea of a lot of fun.

Totally agreed that the random schedule is a problem, however the thing that I was surprised to find out yesterday is that we don't have to wait hours but rather 40 minutes at most on weekdays and 60 minutes at most on weekends (see the post).

I loathe the haggling process with the red-taxis and even more than that I loathe sucking in vast quantities of exhaust fumes and sweating like crazy every time I cross town.

So for me, and I think many, the fact that I "only" have to wait 40/60 max in the shade by the bus stop takes it from something I wouldn't even consider using to something I actually did use successfully twice this week.

The other problem is changing schedules and routes...see my response below...

40-60 minutes? They'd have to pay me to wait that long. I'd rather pay for a taxi than wait that long.

[Chris Pirazzi]

"I loathe the haggling process with the red-taxis"

I would say that the majority of the time there is no haggling if just going around town, just give the 20 baht unless you're naive enough to ask "how much". Even on trips a little bit far or out of the way there's little haggling and I find most will stick 3 or 4 fingers up and it's up to you meaning 30/40 baht. I can't say that I've found the majority of songtheaw drivers, greedy.. Chiang Mai without songtheaws would be a disaster, though I conclude a bus would be nice if you ever get lucky and see and stop one before melting away into the sidewalk concrete. These songtheaws are the life line for Thai's (forget foreigners this is Thailand) going to work, college or who live down an off beat soi. I can't see them walking in the heat / rain a half mile to a bus stop., when they know a songtheaw will be along. I agree some strict criteria should be enforced regarding exhaust emissions. No, I'm afraid I couldn't care less about nice white shiny buses and waiting at bus stops, I want the first available vehicle that comes along even if it's a dreaded tuk tuk, who you do have to haggle with (sometimes), but it's all part of living here isn't it?

I agree with what you say for haggling and general use of red-taxis and tuk-tuks across town, but I believe things are the exact opposite at Arcade and anywhere else a large number of (Thai and farang) travelers are going through and the red-taxis have a captive audience. The level of greed there is palpable. The only way out of Arcade for less than 2-3x the normal rate is to take the "shared" red-taxi that only goes to Warorot and Tha Pae gate, and in that case you are almost always waiting for 15-30 minutes while they cram it full of people. I have many Thai friends who express the same angst about getting a red taxi at Arcade. I always end up walking 5 minutes out to the main street and flagging down a red-taxi there.

It's important for everyone to keep a few things in perspective:

• The question is not "should we have red taxis/tuk-tuks or should we have aircon buses?" Nobody is arguing that the aircon buses can/should be a complete replacement for red taxis and tuk-tuks. It is indeed great that everyone can hail one so easily, and it would be impossible to cover their huge area with aircon buses. Nobody is proposing to remove any access to red taxis and tuk-tuks for anyone, Thai or farang.

• The aircon bus service was originally created, in part, because of the huge number of Thais and farangs being ripped off by red taxis and tuk-tuks at the transit points like Arcade. This terrible first impression for visitors was a huge embarrassment for Chiang Mai. So that is one reason why the buses go to those transit points specifically.

• The main goal of the aircon bus service was to be available on routes that are popular enough that people would ride the bus instead of riding private cars, reducing traffic and smog. If you ride the aircon buses in the afternoon you will see the main users are currently school kids, so that could be a success. But it wouldn't be reasonable to expect the buses to go everywhere a given individual wants to go. The bus is a success if it can make a large number of potential drivers choose the bus instead, but this doesn't mean people who are a half mile away from the stop would or should choose that.

• The problem, of course, is that the company has done a terrible job of announcing routes, times, and changes, and has left up wave after wave of misleading obsolete signage, virtually guaranteeing a frustrating experience for new users. I think this has led to nearly all the problems with the service.

[uptheos]

Unless you're laden down with heavy luggage or an invalid, just walk up to the main road (5 minutes) and get as many songtheaws as you like for 20 baht, no haggling. It sounds to me that you need to explore a little more, you don't need to stand in the Arcade a helpless victim.

[Chris Pirazzi]

40-60 minutes? They'd have to pay me to wait that long. I'd rather pay for a taxi than wait that long.

That's cool--to each his own.

For my personal choice, not choking on exhaust fumes on the way across town is worth the wait. Also if your nearby bus stop happens to have shade, and even better a market like Talat Somphet or Talat Ton Pha Yom, the waiting is not so bad.

Also keep in mind 40 (weekday) or 60 (weekend) minutes is the maximum wait, so on average it will be half, and some people might even choose to wait say 10 minutes before falling back to red-taxis or tuk-tuks.

Up to you!

My goal in making this post is to let people know the facts about the service so they can make an informed choice for themselves. Because the bus company has done such dismal promotion/signage, I think most people were not even aware that there is a schedule!

[Chris Pirazzi]

Unless you're laden down with heavy luggage or an invalid, just walk up to the main road (5 minutes) and get as many songtheaws as you like for 20 baht, no haggling. It sounds to me that you need to explore a little more, you don't need to stand in the Arcade a helpless victim.

I said exactly that in my post Check it out.

[CNXBKKMAN]

Thank you for the effort you have put in; though the thing about randomized service times puts me off even trying to use this service. Standing out in the heat of the day for hours for a bus isn't my idea of a lot of fun.

Totally agreed that the random schedule is a problem, however the thing that I was surprised to find out yesterday is that we don't have to wait hours but rather 40 minutes at most on weekdays and 60 minutes at most on weekends (see the post).

I loathe the haggling process with the red-taxis and even more than that I loathe sucking in vast quantities of exhaust fumes and sweating like crazy every time I cross town.

So for me, and I think many, the fact that I "only" have to wait 40/60 max in the shade by the bus stop takes it from something I wouldn't even consider using to something I actually did use successfully twice this week.

The other problem is changing schedules and routes...see my response below...

40-60 minutes? They'd have to pay me to wait that long. I'd rather pay for a taxi than wait that long.

Waiting 40-60 minutes is way too long. I will have been there and come back within 40-60 mins on my bicycle.

[uptheos]

40-60 minutes? They'd have to pay me to wait that long. I'd rather pay for a taxi than wait that long.

That's cool--to each his own.

For my personal choice, not choking on exhaust fumes on the way across town is worth the wait. Also if your nearby bus stop happens to have shade, and even better a market like Talat Somphet or Talat Ton Pha Yom, the waiting is not so bad.

Also keep in mind 40 (weekday) or 60 (weekend) minutes is the maximum wait, so on average it will be half, and some people might even choose to wait say 10 minutes before falling back to red-taxis or tuk-tuks.

Up to you!

My goal in making this post is to let people know the facts about the service so they can make an informed choice for themselves. Because the bus company has done such dismal promotion/signage, I think most people were not even aware that there is a schedule!

It sounds to me that your 'goal' in making this post is to try and clean up the air in Chiang Mai

Try adjusting it for locals.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

40-60 minutes? They'd have to pay me to wait that long. I'd rather pay for a taxi than wait that long.

That's cool--to each his own.

For my personal choice, not choking on exhaust fumes on the way across town is worth the wait. Also if your nearby bus stop happens to have shade, and even better a market like Talat Somphet or Talat Ton Pha Yom, the waiting is not so bad.

Also keep in mind 40 (weekday) or 60 (weekend) minutes is the maximum wait, so on average it will be half, and some people might even choose to wait say 10 minutes before falling back to red-taxis or tuk-tuks.

Well, if I would find myself near a bus stop anyway then I can kind of see picking that spot to try some red bus songthaews, and maybe be a little less inclined to pay more for a longer trip, knowing that at some point a bus may come along. But I wouldn't pass up on any Songthaews though. As for air, it's no worse than riding a motorbike or bicycle.

Good to spread the word about the buses though. It may very well again be a case of 'use 'em or lose 'em'.

[CMX]

While I'm unlikely to be able to take advantage of this information, generally motor biking or driving during hours unrelated to the busiest times, I am grateful for this information. Maybe 4 years ago (5?) we had mixed news about the lines - then 4, as I faintly recall. Seeking knowledge is noble.

Schedules then gave times of regular service. But right about the period of my interest, maps and schedules disappeared and were not available again, at least as long as I searched. Somehow, all but invisibly, information was throttled, choked out of existence. News of them disappeared. Comfy inexpensive travel (and yes, cleaner air) - all gone.

It's funny about information sometimes; transparency is not always superb hereabouts. Nevertheless, whatever facts we can glean beats anger or anecdotal information every time.

[Asiantravel]

hi OP.

very well done with your detailed information

I don't live permanently in Chiang Mai but I do visit regularly.

I posted some information on this subject in January and I received some very strange responses just like you have

I don't know what is wrong with some people . You provide them with information and all they want to seem to do in response is try to impose their own standards and values and tell you why it won't work or it's no good

anyway I agree with your sentiment wholeheartedly that it's a great way of travelling to the airport

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/884001-transport-from-chiang-mai-city-to-airport/

Edited April 3, 2016 by Asiantravel

[orang37]

Thanks very much for your hard work on these maps, and the information !

cheers, ~:37;

[CMX]

Why I'm hard copying your maps, OP!

Next time I have neophyte visitors to CM, I'll go to Arcade Bus Station, make them pay 15 baht, and take a tour - maybe go to the zoo, Airport Robinson Mall, or others - and the reverse, costing them in total 60 baht for cool jolly tours with friends. (Yes, have to figure out return times by testing it myself.) Your labors (or labours) shall result in benefits, and thanks again.

[MilesofSmiles]

Nice find, cheers for the post.

It's a bit of a shame about Thai's inability to maintain things or keep a regular schedule, it would be an awesome service otherwise.

But still, very cool.

[Chris Pirazzi]

Here's an update: as mentioned in the OP, the service will shut down during Songkran (go figure): I called and found that the exact dates of shutdown are April 12-17. I will update the OP soon (currently communicating with moderators to determine how I will update the OP in the future).