A visa run from Chiang Mai leads to Chiang Khong on the Mekong River, about 280 km northeast, where the Friendship Bridge IV connects to Huay Xai in Laos. Agency buses can cover the distance in a single day, while public transport requires spending the night at the border, unless all connections are running. Visa-free entry by land is limited to two per calendar year. Therefore, first take advantage of the visa extension option for 1,900 baht at the immigration office in Chiang Mai.
According to local reports, entry from Mae Sai into Myanmar is blocked for foreigners. You can find the rules and other cities in our Thailand Visa Run Guide.
Where to stay in Chiang Mai
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The short answer
Drive to Chiang Khong and cross the Friendship Bridge to Huay Xai in Laos. With a rental car from an agency, the journey takes a day; by public bus, it takes an overnight trip to the border. Note that with the exemption, you are only allowed two overland trips per year. Apply for an extension beforehand for 1,900 baht at the immigration office in Chiang Mai.
The rules behind each run and how the extension works.
All visa runs from Chiang Mai
Bus and minibus fares and schedules are taken from 12Go's route pages and include the booking fee; fares at the Arcade ticket counter are slightly cheaper. Travel agency fares are published by the agencies themselves and are subject to change, so please check prices before paying. Flight times are based on current flight data. A visa is required for all travel options within Laos.
Chiang Khong and the Friendship Bridge, step by step
This is the usual route for almost everyone in Chiang Mai. You leave Thailand at the Chiang Khong border crossing, take a shuttle bus across Friendship Bridge IV, enter Laos with a Laotian visa via Huay Xai, and then return across the bridge to get a new Thai entry stamp valid for 30 days. According to travel agency websites, the border is open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
For independent travel, the GreenBus Express Combo departs from Chiang Mai's Arcade Terminal at 8:30 a.m., arriving in Chiang Khong at 2:10 p.m. The fare is 434 baht (12Go) or 663 baht (VIP). An express bus departs at 9:30 a.m., arriving at 4:25 p.m., and minivans depart at 9:00 a.m. for 700–850 baht. One traveler who took the 8:30 a.m. bus reported that the bus reached the bridge exit around 2:30 p.m., a tuk-tuk ride to the checkpoint cost 50 baht, and the entire crossing (round trip) took less than an hour.
At the border, you will receive your Thai exit stamp, purchase a ticket for the bridge bus (according to travel agencies, 20 baht off-peak, 25 baht off-peak, and 40 baht after 6:00 PM), and pay for the Lao visa on the other side. Then, return through the Lao exit, take the bus back, and join the queue at Thai immigration control with your new TDAC on your mobile phone.
The return trip on the same day depends on two afternoon buses at 3:45 pm and 4:00 pm, arriving in Chiang Mai at 8:15 pm and 8:30 pm respectively, and costing 700–750 baht. If the 8:30 am bus is on time, you'll have about 90 minutes for the crossing. 12Go doesn't specify whether the buses depart from the city or the bridge, so I wouldn't rely on that. Instead, book a room in Chiang Khong from around 250 baht and take the GreenBus back in the morning at 9:30 am or 10:30 am. You'll arrive around 4:10–4:35 pm.
Bookable departures · updated daily
Chiang Mai → Chiang Khong: Departure times you can book now
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Chiang Mai → Chiang Khong
Check the bus connections from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong.
GreenBus and minivans to Chiang Khong can be booked via 12Go, as can the morning buses and afternoon vans back.
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Agency vehicles and their fees
The agency offers a minibus that picks you up between 6:30 and 7:30 AM, takes you to Chiang Khong (approximately five hours), waits there while you cross the border, and then brings you back to Chiang Mai between 5:00 and 7:00 PM. The advantage lies in the punctuality, as the minibus waits for you, unlike the public minibuses.
Prices depend on the information in your passport. Two travel agencies list 5,300 baht for visa-free travelers, 4,300 baht for visa holders, and 2,000 baht for transportation only, which is offered exclusively to visa holders. The Lao visa is not included in either case and costs 2,000 baht, payable at the border. However, a guidebook for expats in Chiang Mai, reviewed in September 2026, lists prices of 2,500–4,500 baht including the visa. Before paying, ask what services are included in the price and how many land border crossings you have already made this year, as a reputable travel agency will ask you the same questions.
Some agencies also organize trips to Chiang Saen, where a boat crosses the Mekong to Ton Pheung in Laos, near the Golden Triangle. These trips are offered individually and are not sold as regular tours. Like crossing the bridge, they are considered entry by land.
Mae Sai, Huay Kon and the other northern crossings
Mae Sai, the popular gateway to Tachileik in Myanmar, has been closed to foreigners since mid-2024, according to Chiang Mai travel guides (as of September 2026). No reopening date is known. I could not find an official Thai statement on this matter. The British Foreign Office advises against all non-essential travel to the part of Shan State where Tachileik is located. This may affect your insurance coverage. Some travel agencies still include Mae Sai in their names, so you should carefully check what they are offering.
Huay Kon in Nan Province is an international border crossing into Laos, but it's quite a distance from Chiang Mai. According to the Laotian Times, Laos hasn't issued visas on arrival there since 2019. I couldn't find more recent information, so this route isn't practical. The route from Mae Sot to Myawaddy is completely out of the question, as the UK advises against all travel to Kayin State.
Extension at the immigration office in Chiang Mai
The extension, costing 1,900 Baht, extends your stay by 30 days without requiring you to leave Thailand. Neither of your two land-based entries will be counted towards this extension. The Chiang Mai Immigration Bureau website lists the address as 71 Moo 3, Sanam Bin (Airport) Road, in Suthep, near the airport. The bureau also operates a branch on the second floor of the Central Chiangmai shopping mall (formerly Central Festival), located off the superhighway, which processes tourist extensions from 9:00 AM on weekdays. Our Chiang Mai Immigration Bureau guide will direct you to both locations. The counter in the old Promenada Mall is closed.
Bring your passport, the completed TM.7 form, a passport photo (4x6 cm), and 1,900 baht in cash, and submit your application before your visa stamp expires. A visa service also recommends bringing copies of your passport pages and proof of accommodation. Waiting numbers are issued starting at 8:30 a.m. and can run out as early as 3:00 p.m. on busy days, so arrive early. Chiang Mai is one of eight provinces participating in the Immigration Bureau's online e-Extension system and utilizing the 30-day exception. You apply for the extension at thaiextension.vfsevisa.com for 1,900 baht plus a 500 baht service fee, wait one to seven business days for a decision, and then must appear in person at the office to receive the stamp. The extension is at the officer's discretion, and a passport with multiple consecutive applications may be refused.
The best-rated hotels in Chiang Mai
Here is my ranking of the 10 best hotels in Chiang Mai. Each button will take you directly to the hotel's page on Booking.com, where you can enter your travel dates.
The expansion, step by step.
Instead, they fly
Chiang Mai Airport offers direct flights to three major destinations. AirAsia flies daily to Kuala Lumpur at 9:10 a.m., with a second flight on most days around 3:40 p.m. (flight time approximately three hours). Scoot flies daily to Singapore at 12:05 p.m. (landing at 4:20 p.m.). Lao Airlines flies once daily in the afternoon to Luang Prabang (flight time approximately 50 minutes). The airport there accepts the Lao e-visa. Returning by plane does not require entry via land, however, security checks will remain in place from November 2025. Therefore, a multi-day trip is more advantageous upon arrival than a same-day return.
There is no direct flight to Vientiane. You would have to change planes in Bangkok or fly to Udon Thani, which Thai AirAsia serves several times a week from Chiang Mai, and then cross the border at Nong Khai, which is considered entry by land. There is also no direct flight from Chiang Mai to Penang.
Vientiane for a Thai visa
If you need a valid visa and not just a new stamp, the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane is the nearest consulate. The procedure has changed. Foreigners in Vientiane and the northern Laotian provinces, including Bokeo and Luang Prabang, apply for their visa online at thaievisa.go.th. According to the embassy, processing takes approximately 5 to 10 business days after payment is received. The fee must be paid in cash (in Baht) at the consular section on Bourichan Road on weekdays between 9:00 and 12:00. You do not need to present your passport.
This makes the trip a week or longer, not the two or three days described in older guidebooks. And since August 31, 2026, the embassy has only accepted applications for a Thailand visa from Laotian citizens or people with permanent residence in Laos. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to travel to Vientiane to obtain such a visa.
What you should bring
A passport valid for at least six months
Thailand requires a passport valid for six months, Laos requires two blank pages. Four stamps are needed for transit through Huay Xai.
Clean US dollars or 2,000 baht for Laos
The Lao visa on arrival costs approximately US$30–42 in cash, depending on your passport. Travel agencies indicate that an additional fee of around 2,000 baht is charged at the border. Bring a passport photo. Citizens of some countries, including Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland, do not require a visa to enter Laos.
A new TDAC for the return journey
Submit your application within three days of your re-entry at tdac.immigration.go.th. You can do this on the bus heading north. It's free.
Proof of financial resources, which the official may request.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) states that the minimum entry fee for certain visa-free entries is 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family, while the Royal Thai Embassy website states 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 baht per family. Carry cash or bank statements and do not rely on card payments or app balances being accepted.
A connecting ticket
The official may require that you have left Thailand within the last 30 days. Booking a cheap flight via your mobile phone is advantageous.
The rules in brief
Since September 15, 2026, the visa-free stay has been 30 days, and visa-free entries via land borders are limited to two per calendar year. Malaysian, Bruneiian, Indonesian, and Singaporean citizens are exempt. Since November 2025, immigration authorities at airports and borders have been able to deny entry to anyone who has made more than two visa-free entries without a valid reason. Thai authorities have not yet commented on whether entries made via land borders in early 2026 will count towards the two entries this year. However, an agency in Chiang Mai informed its clients that the count restarted on September 15. I wouldn't rely on this information. For the full regulations and official sources, please see our guide to visa-free travel.
The rules, the long-term visas, and the journeys that a run can turn into.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the visa run from Chiang Mai.
From Chiang Khong to Huay Xai in Laos via the Friendship Bridge IV. It is the only land crossing near Chiang Mai that foreigners use for running; the journey by bus or van takes about 5.5 to 7 hours each way.
Yes, you can take a shuttle bus from an agency that departs between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. and returns in the evening. Using public transport only works on paper: the bus leaves at 8:30 a.m. and a shuttle bus returns at 3:45 p.m., leaving you about 90 minutes at the border. If you're traveling independently, plan for an overnight stay in Chiang Khong.
Agencies charge approximately 2,000–5,300 baht, with the higher prices for exemption stamps often not including the Lao visa, which costs around 2,000 baht. Traveling independently, the bus trip with 12Go costs 434–850 baht each way, plus the cost of the transfer bus, visa, and accommodation in Chiang Khong.
Depending on your passport, you will need approximately US$30–42 in cash or the equivalent of about 2,000 baht, payable at the Laotian Immigration Bureau in Huay Xai. Bring a passport photo. Some passports, including Japanese, South Korean, and Swiss, do not require a photo.
According to local reports, the Mae Sai to Tachileik railway line is closed to foreigners. Chiang Mai travel guides, updated in September 2026, state that the line has been closed to foreigners since mid-2024 and no reopening date has been set. I could not find any official statement on this matter.
Yes, to the same bridge. Chiang Khong is about 106 km from Chiang Rai; the journey takes approximately two hours. Local buses run there from Terminal 1. Chiang Saen, also near Chiang Rai, offers a ferry service to Laos, which travel agencies can arrange upon request.
First, extend your stay. The extension, costing 1,900 baht, at the immigration office in Chiang Mai on Airport Road, extends your visa by 30 days and does not require either of your two land entries. Apply for the extension shortly before your visa expires if you need more time.
Yes. AirAsia flies at least daily nonstop to Kuala Lumpur, Scoot daily to Singapore, and Lao Airlines daily to Luang Prabang. Arrivals by air do not count towards the limit for land travel, but repeat flights are also checked at airports.
Only if you are Laotian or have permanent residence in Laos. Since August 31, 2026, the embassy only accepts DTV applications from Laotian citizens. Other Thai visas are applied for online via thaievisa.go.th and processing takes approximately 5 to 10 business days.
Yes. A separate card is required for each entry and must be submitted free of charge within three days of arrival at tdac.immigration.go.th.
Sources
The rules, office information, and flight times listed here are from these websites. Rules are subject to change; please check the official regulations before your trip.
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I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.
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