How do you get from Chiang Mai to Pai and Mae Hong Son?

Chiang Mai to Pai at a glance

Last checked 27 October 2026. Fares are approximate; dollar figures convert at our committed exchange-rate snapshot.

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Minivan from Chiang Mai to Pai

Prempracha runs the main minivan service to Pai, with Aya Service offering a smaller number of departures. Listings in 2026 show Prempracha vans from about 06:30 to 17:30, around 15 or more a day, though both companies adjust the schedule by season and day of the week. The ride takes about 3 hours for roughly 130 km.

• Departure point: Prempracha leaves from the Arcade bus terminal area (Terminals 2 and 3), about 3 km northeast of the Old City. Aya vans leave from their own office and may offer pickups; confirm when booking.

• Fare: roughly ฿200 (≈ $5.9) booked directly in 2026; aggregators such as 12Go add a fee and show around ฿250 (≈ $7.4).

• Booking: buy a day ahead from the operator counter, Prempracha's website or an aggregator, especially in the cool season from November to February, when Pai is busiest.

Vans carry about a dozen people and luggage goes on the roof or at the back. Big backpacks can be an issue on full vans, so pack light.

The road: what the curves are really like

Highway 1095 from Mae Malai to Pai is famous for being signposted with 762 curves. The road is paved and in good condition, but it climbs and twists for most of the way, and van drivers do not hang about. Many passengers feel sick.

• Take motion-sickness tablets 30 to 60 minutes before leaving and sit at the front if you can.

• Eat lightly beforehand; vans normally make one rest stop around the halfway point.

• Do not ride it after heavy rain in the wet season (roughly June to October) if you can wait a day: landslips can slow traffic.

Riding a scooter to Pai is popular, but the gradients and blind bends make it a poor choice for anyone who is not already an experienced rider, and your travel insurance may not cover you without a valid motorcycle licence.

Flying: EZY Airlines to Mae Hong Son and Pai

Scheduled flights to both towns stopped for some years, but Hat Yai-based EZY Airlines began flying 12-seat Cessna Grand Caravans from Chiang Mai in autumn 2026. Its published October 2026 schedule:

• Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son: two flights a day, EZT601 at 09:30 (arriving 10:20) and EZT605 at 14:40 (arriving 15:30).

• Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai: EZT602 at 10:50 and EZT606 at 16:00, each about an hour.

• Chiang Mai to Pai: one flight a day, EZT603 at 12:10, arriving 12:55; the return EZT604 leaves Pai at 13:25.

Fares and baggage allowances were not published in the launch reports, so check EZY's own channels. On a 12-seat aircraft, expect tight weight limits and few seats, and book early in the high season. Schedules on a new route can change, so confirm a few days before flying. Mae Hong Son airport is on the edge of town, a few minutes from the centre by songthaew or hotel pickup.

Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son by road

There are two road routes, and both take most of a day:

• North via Pai (Route 1095): Prempracha minivans run from Chiang Mai through Pai and Soppong to Mae Hong Son. Guides put the full trip at about 5.5 to 6 hours and roughly ฿250 to ฿290 (≈ $7.4–8.6). You can break it in Pai, where Prempracha vans on to Mae Hong Son run roughly hourly through the day, around 3 hours and ฿150 (≈ $4.4).

• South via Mae Sariang (Route 108): longer in distance but with gentler bends. Buses and minivans from Chiang Mai's Arcade terminal reach Mae Sariang in about 3.5 to 4 hours, and the full run to Mae Hong Son takes most of a day. This is the better road if the curves to Pai worry you.

Doing one road out and the other back is the classic Mae Hong Son loop, about 600 km, popular as a 4 to 6-day self-drive. With a car you can stop at Pai Canyon, the Tham Lot cave near Soppong, and Khun Yuam on the way.

Private car and self-drive

A private car with driver from Chiang Mai to Pai takes about 3 hours; listings in 2026 show roughly $95 to $100 for a car. It suits a family or group, and you can ask the driver to stop when someone feels unwell.

Renting a car in Chiang Mai makes sense for the full loop. Thailand drives on the left, you need an International Driving Permit with your home licence, and you should use low gears on the long descents. Fuel stations are frequent in the towns but sparse between them, so fill up in Pai, Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang.

Which should you choose, and when to go

• Pai only, on a budget: the minivan, booked a day ahead.

• Mae Hong Son, short on time or prone to sickness: fly one way at least.

• Plenty of time: minivan to Pai for 2 or 3 nights, on to Mae Hong Son, then fly back to Chiang Mai.

The cool season, November to February, is the best time, with clear mornings and cold nights in the hills: pack a fleece, as our what to wear in Thailand guide explains. From about February to April the burning season smoke can be worse here than in Chiang Mai, and it can ground small aircraft; see our burning season guide.

Our route went Chiang Mai (22 to 28 December 2022), Chiang Rai (28 December to 4 January), then Mae Hong Son (4 to 7 January 2023) before the south. If you are fitting in Chiang Rai first, see our Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai guide. Our Chiang Mai guide, how many days in Chiang Mai and the 6-week Thailand route show how the mountains fit into a longer trip.

Frequently asked questions