To travel to Pattaya Chiang Mai you can take a bus, a minivan or you can take a plane from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
Pattaya has three bus stations: North Pattaya (Pattaya Nua), Central Pattaya (Sukhumvit Road) and Jomtien Beach. Ask at the counter for the service and destination. You can go directly from Pattaya to Chiang Mai. Via Bangkok.
The Nakhon Chai Airbus company offers daily buses from Pattaya to Chiang Mai. It is actually the bus route from Rayong to Chiang Mai, but the bus makes a stop at the Nakhon Chai Airbus station on Sukhumvit road. The end station is the Arcade Bus Terminal in Chiang Mai.
There are three different classes of buses available, Economy, Silver, and Gold. There are a total of 8 buses per day, but the Gold Class buses who cost 725 baht pass Pattaya between around 17:00 and 20:00.
Upon arrival in Chiang Mai, you will depart at Arcade Bus Station which is located approximately 3 km from the city center. Be pre-warned that as soon as you depart the bus, you will be bombarded by drivers looking for business
Pattaya Bus Station phone – +66 (0) 38424871
It will take around 11-12hours through a minivan. There is one daily minivan traveling from Pattaya to Chiang Mai. You can buy tickets at any travel agency in Pattaya. The minivan will pick you up from your hotel.
The trip takes about 11 hours depending on traffic; traveling such a distance by minivan is not really comfortable. Expect to pay 1900 baht for a one way trip.
Best is to take a flight from Suvarnabhumi airport. You can take a direct bus from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi airport
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There are a couple of routes to take when driving from Pattaya to Chiang Mai. Look for the signs to Ayuthaya. Approximately 850km, the road can be relatively free of heavy traffic. Goods vehicles and buses usually travel the route at night, so a daytime journey may actually be a better choice.
Plus, driving during daylight hours will be a much safer trip. The main route is by expressway, so a straight-forward drive, with plenty of motorway services and garages on the route.
Also check how to reach Chiang Mai from Bangkok.