Chiang Mai International Airport

Chiang Mai International Airport is about 4 km southwest of the city center. The drive to the Old City and Tha Phae Gate usually takes 10 to 20 minutes in light traffic, and longer at rush hour or during festivals such as Songkran in April and Yi Peng in November. Nimmanhaemin and the Night Bazaar are a similar short drive away.

Chiang Mai Airport has two terminals, a domestic one and an international one, built as two wings of the same building and joined inside. Flights within Thailand use the Domestic Terminal and international flights use the International Terminal. Thai AirAsia and Thai VietJet Air use both, depending on whether your flight is domestic or international.

Thai AirAsia, which has a hub at Chiang Mai, operates the most routes, to Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai, Udon Thani, Hanoi, Taipei and Sapporo. Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai VietJet Air fly domestic routes, and Korean Air, EVA Air, China Airlines, Scoot, Malaysia Airlines, HK Express, Air China and others fly international ones.

Yes. Chiang Mai International Airport has been open 24 hours a day since April 2014, and immigration and customs work around the clock. Most flights still arrive and leave between early morning and late evening, so some shops, counters and lounges close overnight. Check the hours of any service you need if your flight lands late at night.

Airport taxi counters are in the arrivals hall on the ground floor, after baggage claim and customs. You book at the counter and are taken to your car outside. International passengers walk from the international arrivals area toward the domestic side, where the main counters are. Turn down rides offered by people inside the hall and use the official counters.

Yes. Grab operates at Chiang Mai Airport and has a designated pickup zone just outside the arrivals hall on the ground floor. Book in the app once you have your bags, and follow the app's directions or ask airport staff for the Grab pickup point. Waiting times depend on demand, and can be longer during festivals and holiday weekends.

Yes. The Chiang Mai City Bus runs two loop lines from the airport between 06:00 and 23:30, both stopping at Tha Phae Gate and the Night Bazaar. Airport shuttle vans also leave from the International Terminal, Gate 12, on routes A1 to Nimman and the Old City moat and A2 to the Night Bazaar and Chang Khlan.

Yes, on an international flight. Foreign visitors must complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) at tdac.immigration.go.th within 72 hours before arrival. Since 15 September 2026, travelers from eligible countries can enter visa-free for up to 30 days, so check the rule for your passport. Passengers on domestic flights from Bangkok or Phuket do not go through immigration.

Baggage claim is on the ground floor. Domestic flights use carousels 1 to 3 and international flights use carousels 4 and 5, after passport control. If your bag is missing or damaged, go to the baggage service counter in the arrivals hall and report it to your airline's handling agent before you leave the airport.

Yes. The Domestic Terminal has The Coral Executive Lounge, the Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge and two Bangkok Airways lounges, which sit before security. The International Terminal has The Coral Executive Lounge, next to the VAT refund office, open 07:00 to 23:00. Entry depends on your ticket, card or a pay-per-entry pass.

Yes. Direct international flights from Chiang Mai go to Seoul, Busan, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Luang Prabang, Osaka, Sapporo and several cities in China, including Beijing, Shenzhen, Xi'an and Chongqing. Many travelers also connect through Bangkok, with frequent flights to both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang.

Chiang Mai International Airport is operated by Airports of Thailand (AOT). It handled about 9.1 million passengers in 2024, and about 6.5 million from January to August 2026, close to the same period in 2025. It has one runway, 3,400 m long, and has been a hub for Thai AirAsia since 2011.

Chiang Mai uses the Thai baht (THB), and you will find currency exchange counters and ATMs in both terminals. The city is on Indochina Time (UTC+7) all year, with no daylight saving time, the same as Bangkok. Cards are accepted at the airport, but carry some cash for markets, songthaews and small shops in town.