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Search round tripsDomestic route CEI to HKT
Chiang Rai to Phuket nonstop: from the hills to the Andaman
Fly Chiang Rai to Phuket in a little over two hours with Thai VietJet Air, the only airline on the route, which runs a few days a week.
Fares
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Nonstop, Thai VietJet AirEconomy
CEI
Chiang Rai
HKT
Phuket
- Distance
- 1,327 km
Return
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Looking for Chiang Rai to Phuket air tickets and not sure what to pay? Thai VietJet Air flies this route, and fares change with demand, so the same seat can cost noticeably more close to a holiday weekend. Put your dates in the search above to compare today's fares and book with bookingMentor.
Everything you should know
Chiang Rai to Phuket flight guide
Flying from Chiang Rai to Phuket
In short
Few domestic routes cover more ground than this one. Thai VietJet Air flies from Chiang Rai (CEI) to Phuket (HKT) nonstop, about 1,327 km from the far north to the Andaman coast, in a little over two hours. It is the only airline on the route, which it reopened in January 2026 and flies a few days a week.
Without the nonstop you would change in Bangkok, so it is worth shaping the trip around the days it operates. Check them in the search before you commit to a hotel.
Ride-hailing or a hotel taxi to Chiang Rai airport
Chiang Rai's airport is about 8 km north of town, and the airport bus no longer runs (it stopped in August 2024). Order a ride-hailing car, ask your hotel for a taxi, or book a car with a driver; the trip takes 15 to 25 minutes. The single terminal is easy, but AOT still advises arriving two hours before departure. Food is limited and nothing stays open late, so eat in town before an evening flight. The Coral Executive Lounge sits near Gates 1 and 2.
Choosing a Thai VietJet bundle with checked baggage
Thai VietJet's cheapest fare bundle includes a cabin bag only. If you are bringing beach gear and a suitcase, look at the higher bundles, which include checked baggage, or add a bag on its own.
The Smart Bus down the west coast from Phuket
Domestic flights arrive at Phuket's Domestic Terminal, the older of two linked buildings at Phuket International Airport. That is convenient for the Phuket Smart Bus, which boards at the Domestic Terminal arrivals exit and runs down the west coast via Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon and Kata to Rawai. Patong is about 90 minutes by bus or 50 to 60 minutes by car. For Phuket Town, take the hourly Airport Bus or a taxi for the 32 km. Meter taxis wait at the stand outside to the right; ignore offers inside the hall, and say no to any detour to a travel agent on the way.
Phuket's dry season and escaping the northern haze
November to April is the dry season on Phuket's west coast, with calmer seas. If you fly in the haze months, February to April, an Andaman beach is a good place to wait out the smoke in the north.
Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai airport in figures
Mae Fah Luang – Chiang Rai International Airport opened on 5 August 1992, and Airports of Thailand has run it since 1998. One 3,000 m runway serves a single terminal. In 2025 it handled 1,981,088 passengers, only 7,161 of them on international flights, against a pre-pandemic high of 2,928,881 in 2019.
The domestic schedule is mostly Bangkok: Nok Air, Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air to Don Mueang, and Thai Airways, Thai AirAsia and Thai VietJet to Suvarnabhumi. Phuket is the one nonstop to the south.
The airline on this route
Thai VietJet Air, associated with Vietnam's VietJet Air, received its operating certificate in November 2014 and began flying in March 2015. Its main hub is Suvarnabhumi, and its November 2025 fleet mixed Airbus A320s and A321s with Boeing 737 MAX 8s. From Phuket it also flies to Suvarnabhumi.
Phuket airport's terminals and runway
Airports of Thailand handled 17,474,051 passengers at Phuket in 2025, 6,636,760 of them domestic. Domestic flights use Terminal 3 and international flights Terminal 2; the single runway is 3,000 m long. The airport is in Mai Khao subdistrict of Thalang district. Chiang Rai's own traffic rose from 1,912,859 in 2024 to its 2025 total, and in 2013 it had handled about 1.09 million.
Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk
Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change
We check practical details such as entry rules, seasons and costs against official government and tourism sources.
Chiang Rai to Phuket flights at a glance
Thai VietJet Air flies nonstop from Chiang Rai (CEI) to Phuket (HKT) a few days a week. The 1,327 km flight takes a little over two hours.
| Flight time | 2h 10m nonstop |
|---|---|
| Best time to go | November to April |
| Distance | 1,327 km |
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Airlines flying Chiang Rai to Phuket
Thai VietJet Air is the only airline flying Chiang Rai to Phuket without a stop, on a few days each week.
The base bundle includes a cabin bag. Checked baggage comes with higher bundles or can be bought separately.
Departure and arrival airports
CEI Mae Fah Luang – Chiang Rai International Airport
- Codes
- IATA CEI, ICAO VTCT
- Location
- About 8 km north of Chiang Rai town
- Getting there
- Taxi, ride-hailing app or pre-booked car, 15 to 25 minutes; no airport bus since August 2024
- Lounge
- The Coral Executive Lounge near Gates 1 and 2
HKT Phuket International Airport
- Codes
- IATA HKT, ICAO VTSP
- Terminal
- Domestic Terminal, linked to the International Terminal by a covered walkway
- To the beaches
- Phuket Smart Bus from the Domestic Terminal down the west coast to Rawai
- Distances
- Phuket Town about 32 km, Patong about 38 km, Kata about 48 km
How to book Chiang Rai to Phuket for less
Three ways to make the long hop south go smoothly.
2024airport bus withdrawn
Book the ride to CEI the night before
With no bus and few app drivers early or late, ask your hotel to book a taxi or arrange a car with a driver for the 8 km run.
Rawaiend of the Smart Bus line
Take the Smart Bus from the Domestic Terminal
Domestic arrivals are already at the right building for the Smart Bus. It stops at the main west-coast beaches, so check the timetable for the next departure on the day.
38 kmairport to Patong
Skip the travel-agent stop
Some vans and limousines pull in at an agency halfway to Patong. Give your hotel's name and ask to go straight there.
Flight, train or bus to Phuket
By road, Chiang Rai to Phuket takes the best part of two days with a change in Bangkok. The nonstop flight takes a little over two hours.
| Mode | Journey time | Total trip time | One-way fare | Operators and timings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight (nonstop) | A little over 2 hours | About 5 hours door to door | Search fares | Thai VietJet Air |
| Flights via Bangkok | Two flights with a change at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang | Most of a day | Search fares | Thai VietJet Air |
Where to stay in Phuket
Most visitors stay on the west-coast beaches at Patong, Karon and Kata, or in Phuket Old Town; Nai Yang beside the airport suits a short stay.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
Yes, on Thai VietJet Air, which flies the route a few days a week. On other days you would connect in Bangkok.
All flights from Chiang Rai arrive at the Domestic Terminal. If someone collects you from the International Terminal by mistake, a covered walkway links the two in about five minutes.
Getting there
A little over two hours for about 1,327 km, one of the longest domestic nonstops in Thailand.
By taxi, ride-hailing app or a pre-booked car, 15 to 25 minutes for the 8 km. The airport bus has not run since August 2024.
Allow two hours, as Airports of Thailand advises. The terminal is small and moves quickly, but check-in counters shut well before departure.
The terminal has a few cafés and a bakery, with more choice landside than after security. Nothing stays open late, so eat in town before an evening departure.
The Smart Bus from the Domestic Terminal takes about 90 minutes; a meter taxi or pre-booked car takes 50 to 60 minutes for the 38 km.
Yes. The Airport Bus leaves hourly from outside arrivals during the day and runs to the Phuket Town bus terminal, taking 1 to 1.5 hours.
On the cheapest bundle, yes. Higher fare bundles include checked baggage, or you can add a bag when you book.
Yes. Nai Yang beach, just south of the runway, has several resorts a short drive from the terminal, useful if you land late or fly out early.
Timing & weather
November to April, the dry season on Phuket's west coast. It also lets you escape the northern haze that often settles from February to April.
