Pai to Sukhothai via Chiang Mai - Day Bus

We had a look around Pai for buses going to Sukhothai but we couldn't find any on offer. The only choice we had was to get a minibus to Chiang Mai and then a bus onwards. We manged to do this for 357 baht each.

In Pai, we booked a minibus with a company called Prempacha. We decided to use them instead of aYa Services as they drop you off at the bus station in Chiang Mai. This cost 150 baht each which included a bottle of water. We booked onto the 8am minibus and arrived 10 minutes prior to departure. 3 minibuses were leaving at this time so check your receipt for the bus number and your seat numbers. Big backpacks go onto the roof and they are covered in case of rain. The journey again took around 3 hours with a short stop in the middle.

We arrived around 11am at Chiang Mai bus station and quickly found a company called WinTour offering bus tickets to Sukhothai for a reasonable price of 207 baht leaving at 12. Please be aware that this was a second class bus, I'm unsure what time first class buses leave.

We boarded the bus straight away in order to get good seats as you aren't allocated any. We managed to sit on the back row upstairs in front of the emergency exit with extra legroom however bags will get piled up here too! 

At Chiang Mai bus station, there are toilet facilities, some food/drink stalls and a 7- eleven around the corner. Stock up for 6/7 hours as you won't be stopping again to buy anything.

We left bang on 12 with a full bus mainly of locals but a few tourists. It was a very basic bus, with cracked windows, a broken toilet and very weak aircon. It got quite hot at times! On a positive note, the seats were comfy and we arrived on time. Throughout the journey, the bus stopped many times picking up and dropping off locals. They also stop at Lampang and Tak bus stations which is the best chance to use a toilet.

We pulled into Sukhothai bus station around 6.45pm which is located 1km away from New Sukhothai. We then got a tuk tuk to our hotel in New Sukhothai for 120 baht which we now know was 40-60 baht too much. They also have wooden buses that go to the New and Old Sukhothai for 30 baht per person but I think they stop running around 6pm.

3 out of 5

A quick note about New Sukhothai; it is a very quiet place with limited restaurants/bars/cafes and things to do. It costs 30 baht to get the bus to the historical park which is very nice!