bangkok or chiang mai?
Both are easy direct flights from KL, and both are big on food and temples. Bangkok is a huge, busy capital with malls, markets and nightlife, while Chiang Mai is slower and smaller, with mountains on the horizon and cooler air in the hills.
bangkok
Dear group chat,Boat noodles, night markets and a mall for every mood.Read the guide →To: whoever’s drivingBangkokTH, Bangkok
chiang mai
Dear group chat,Old-city temples, khao soi at every meal and cooler air up in the hills.Read the guide →To: whoever’s drivingChiang MaiTH, Chiang Mai
- From KL
- bangkokAbout 1,190 km
- chiang maiAbout 1,760 km
- Best months
- bangkokNov–Feb
- chiang maiNov–Feb
- Vibe
- bangkokBig, loud capital that never quite stops
- chiang maiLaid-back northern city with mountains around it
- Food
- bangkokBoat noodles, street food, mall food halls
- chiang maiKhao soi, sai oua and night-market grazing
- Getting there
- bangkokAbout 2 hours' flight from KL
- chiang maiAbout 2.5 hours' direct flight from KL
- Shopping
- bangkokMalls everywhere, plus Chatuchak at the weekend
- chiang maiThe night bazaar and the Sunday Walking Street
- When to go
- bangkokNovember to February; March to May is very hot
- chiang maiNovember to February; avoid the March–April smoke
- Best for
- bangkokShopping, eating and city nights
- chiang maiTemples, cafés and nature day trips
Go bangkok if…
- you want to shop until your bags are full
- you like a city that stays busy late into the night
- you want the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun in one trip
- you can time it for Chatuchak at the weekend
Go chiang mai if…
- you'd rather slow down than keep up
- you want temples without big-city crowds
- you'd like to visit an elephant sanctuary that doesn't offer rides
- a day trip to Doi Inthanon appeals
The verdict
Bangkok is the better first Thailand trip if your group wants to shop and eat; Chiang Mai suits a slower trip with temples, cafés and the hills. Just avoid Chiang Mai in March and April, when smoke from the burning season hangs over the north. Can't decide? It's a short domestic flight between them, so start in Bangkok and finish in Chiang Mai to wind down.