Kanchanaburi to Chiang Rai -
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| Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal |
This part of the journey required taking 2 buses. One from Kanchanaburi to Chiang Mai, another from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. Due to a shortage in time, I skipped Chiang Mai, but for those with more than enough time on your hands, do pop by Chiang Mai as it is culturally rich and definitely worth a visit.
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| Bus 875 | Kanchanaburi - Chiang Mai |
For the first leg of the journey, you'll need to take bus 875 from Kanchanaburi to Chiang Mai. The bus ride will cost you 594 bahts (~S$24) and will take you a good 12 hours. The bus (the only bus), runs from 7pm from Kanchanburi Bus Terminal. The good thing about night buses is that you'll get the chance to get some much needed rest on the way (and save on accommodation).
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| Bus 875 |
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| Bus 875 (Interior) |
Upon reaching Chiang Mai at around 6.30AM (yes, this was the only bus that I took throughout the trip that was ahead of schedule), I looked around and found the counter to get bus tickets for the second leg from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai.
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| Chiang Mai Bus Terminal |
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| Green Bus Ticket Counter for bus to Chiang Rai |
The bus from Chiang Mai (fortunately) only needed 2 hours. The bus starts running at 7.30AM and they have a couple that runs throughout the day. Tickets costed me 180 baht (~S$7). There are several counters here that bring you to different parts of Thailand, so if you have time, you could look around for your next destination.
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| Bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai |
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| Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 1 |
Do note that there are two bus terminals in Chiang Rai. The old bus terminal right smack in the middle of town, and the new one just outside of town. The old terminal brings you to destinations nearby, while the new one's for long haul buses. When your bus comes in from Chiang Mai, it will first stop at the new terminal, do not alight. It will bring you to the old terminal after stopping at the new one.
However, if you missed the above information and alighted at the new terminal, which is pretty secluded and not a taxi or tuk-tuk in sight, you can take the shuttle songthaew for 15 baht (S$0.60) to the new terminal. It runs to and fro the two bus terminals whenever it is full, which also is pretty much every 10 minutes or so, so don't worry too much about it.
Exploring Chiang Rai, up next.
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