Visiting Kanchanaburi or Chiang Rai?

Hi there, With little time during my trip to Thailand, which should I prioritize: the city of Kanchanaburi or Chiang Rai? Thanks for your replies

hi there, Chiang Mai is also worth visiting, you know

Hi, Both are equally worth staying in, even if you won’t be doing the same type of visits in each. The choice will mostly depend on where you’ll be coming from and where you need to go next—could you also let us know how many nights you’ve got to spend there, please?

Hi, Chiang Mai is also worth visiting, you know

..Yeah, I’m planning to go to Chiang Mai too

I’ll be coming from Bangkok, and after that, I’d like to go to Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Mae Song, and Pai, but I only have 17 days… That’s why I was thinking I might have to choose between these two places.

Mae song

Before I answer you + before, is this city correctly spelled as Mae Hong Son or Mae Salong or another one?

If you're in the northern part, forget Kanchanaburi. You can even forget Chiang Rai because your itinerary is already packed for 17 days. You’ll be spending your vacation in transit.

Mae Hong Son

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Thanks, I’ll review my itinerary

Since most of your trip will be in the north, Chiang Rai makes the most sense (though it’s not set in stone). It’s doable with 17 days/16 nights, which—if I understood you correctly—won’t include Bangkok. To avoid passing through Chiang Mai multiple times and to cut down on kilometers, I’d suggest this route (number of nights per stop is just a suggestion):

- Ayutthaya: visit and 1 night there, then head back to Bangkok’s Mo Chit bus terminal early the next afternoon to catch... - ...one of the two overnight buses from Sombat Tour* to Mae Hong Son (they don’t go via Chiang Mai), 1 night on the bus - Mae Hong Son: 3 nights - Pai: 3 nights - Chiang Mai: 4 nights - Chiang Rai: 3 nights That leaves one night for a possible overnight bus back to Bangkok, or you can add it to one of the stops above. This way, the pace won’t be super relaxed, but it won’t feel like a race either.

* https://www.sombattour.com/en/schedule/Bangkok-Mae%20Hong%20Son%20Update

If you go with this itinerary, book the Bangkok–Mae Hong Son bus the day before your departure from Mo Chit (you’ll already be there to catch the minivan to Ayutthaya).

If you’re over 30, you might find Pai’s "youth ghetto" a bit dull. Instead, consider staying in Soppong/Pang Mapha—it’s much quieter (and, dare I say, nicer), way more peaceful, and still on the same route, served by the same minivan company that has a monopoly.

If you end up choosing Kanchanaburi over Chiang Rai, note that there’s one daytime and two overnight buses from Chiang Mai to Kanchanaburi daily.

Thanks so much for the info!

I wanted to ask you about the Bangkok–Mae Hong Son bus route. Just a few months ago, this bus trip was on 12Go and could be booked through their site. Now it’s no longer listed, and I can’t seem to book it on Sombat Tour’s website either. Have you done this route recently? My main question is: does this direct overnight bus still exist?

I wanted to ask you about the Bangkok–Mae Hong Son bus route. A few months ago, this bus route was still on 12Go and could be booked through their site. Now it’s no longer listed, and I can’t seem to book it on Sombat Tour’s website either. Have you taken this route recently? My main question is: does this direct overnight bus still exist?

- 12Go and similar sites aren’t exhaustive—they only list transport companies they have commission contracts with. - On its page for this route, Sombat Tour shows an update date of 07/11/2026, which is what I rely on to confirm the route still exists. But I haven’t taken it since that date. Since the page seems finicky to load, I’ve included a screenshot below—the update date is in the bottom right*. - In my experience, unless you’re Thai with a Thai payment method, you can’t book on Sombat Tour’s site. But is it even necessary? Most of the time in Thailand, you don’t need to book A/C¹ or VIP long-distance buses far in advance. Usually, buying your ticket directly at the bus station 2 hours before departure is enough**

* Note: The 8 PM bus only goes as far as Mae Sariang. ** Except during: - Major festivals (Songkran, Loi Krathong, etc.) - Election periods - The Chiang Mai–Chiang Rai route in peak tourist season.

Thanks a lot! Next time I'm at Mo Chit, I'll check it out... I just love Mae Hong Son! But with no direct bus and the airport having closed its Bangkok route in June '25, getting there is a journey within a journey!

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