On Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturdays and Sunday throughout the year there is a direct bus service from Luang Namtha in Laos to Chiang Mai in Thailand. The journey takes 12 hours 30 minutes by bus to travel the 463 km from Luang Namtha to Chiang Mai.
Travel Times to Chiang Mai
There is are 4 direct bus services a week from Luang Namtha to Chiang Mai which are available to book online.
Luang Namtha | Chiang Mai | Cost | Company |
02:30 | 15:00 | $38.95 USD | Naga Travel |
- This service does not currently operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
- The bus used on this route has A/C, on board toilet, and a TV.
Buy Tickets to Chiang Mai
Use the Search Box below to buy your bus tickets from Luang Namtha to Chiang Mai.
Luang Namtha Bus Station
Bus services to Chiang Mai depart from the New Bus Station in Luang Namtha.
Chiang Mai Bus Station
Bus Services from Luang Prabang terminate at Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3.
About Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is Thailand’s 5th largest city with around 170,000 people living within the city limits. Chiang Mai is a unique town with a unique atmosphere that attracts large numbers of foreign and domestic tourists. The city itself is split into several different parts. The most visited part of the city is its old town surrounded by a wall and a moat. This is the area with the highest concentration of temples and historical buildings. The old town is also the area with the largest number of budget hotels and guesthouses, as well as many of the city’s liveliest bars and restaurants. Every Sunday night the old town in Chiang Mai hosts a very popular Walking Street market on the main road running through the centre of Chiang Mai. The Sunday Night Walking Street is a popular event for both local people and visitors with the grounds of several temple sopened to the public to buy food from any of hundreds of food stall vendors which set up in the temple grounds on Sunday nights and eat at tables free provided for the convenience of the visitors.

Many visitors to Chiang Mai, however, choose to stay near the riverside close to the covered Night Bazaar rather than in the old town. This area has a large number of mid-range hotels at very affordable prices, as well as mid-price range restaurants and seafood eateries in the Night Bazaar. A short walk from this area across the other side of the Ping River are several very popular riverside bars and restaurants including the very famous Riverside Bar & Restaurant which has live music and great food. A third part of Chiang Mai which is becoming increasingly popular with a younger fashion conscious group of local and visitors is around the Nimmanahaeminda Road to the north east of the old town. This area has some interesting boutique style hotels and guesthouses, uber-cool bars, and modern restaurants. The contracst between the Nimmanahaeminda Road and the nearby old town is striking and a visit to this part of the city will add a new dimension to a stay in Chiang Mai.