Pai, located about a 3-hour drive from Chiang Mai, is typically reached by booking a bus. While you can buy tickets in person, it’s much easier and faster to book them online. In this post, I’ll introduce how to book bus tickets online for a hassle-free trip to Pai.
1. Visit the bus booking website.
https://premprachatransports.com
Access the bus booking website by clicking the link above.
To switch to the English version of the site, click on “English.”
2. Select the From/To/Departure date, number of passengers
Set the from/to station like below
From station : Chiangmai Arcade Bus Station
To station : Pai
3. Select Schedule
Select Bus Schedule
The bus ticket costs 150 Baht per person, which is approximately $5.
4. Input your profile
input your profile
5. Select seat
Select your seat. As you can see, the bus is about the size of a minivan.
Once you have selected your seat, only the payment step remains.
After completing the payment, you’ll receive an email within 30 minutes. Be aware that it may end up in your spam folder, so make sure to check there as well.
6. Payment
Including the seat price and service fees, the total payment comes to approximately 200 Baht.
7. Check your mailbox
If you receive an email from “AVIA BOOKING” like the one above, your booking was successful. The email will contain a PDF and a QR code.
Just in case, print out the PDF and keep the file stored safely on your phone.
8. Go to Chiangmai bus station
The location of the Chiang Mai bus station is as shown below.
Search for “Chiangmai Arcade 2” on Google Maps, and it will appear.
I showed my ticket to a random staff member at the station, and they guided me to the correct bus.
The driver checked my ticket and seat number, loaded my luggage, and then we departed for Pai.
The journey to Pai takes about 3-4 hours, but the winding mountain roads can be quite rough. If you are prone to motion sickness, make sure to bring motion sickness medicine and a sanitary bag just in case.