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Search round tripsDomestic route HKT to CEI
Phuket to Chiang Rai flights: beach to the far north nonstop
Thai VietJet Air flies Phuket to Chiang Rai nonstop in a little over two hours. The route returned in January 2026 and runs a few days a week.
Fares
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Nonstop, Thai VietJet AirEconomy
HKT
Phuket
CEI
Chiang Rai
- Distance
- 1,327 km
Return
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Looking for Phuket to Chiang Rai 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
Phuket to Chiang Rai flight guide
Flying from Phuket to Chiang Rai
In short
Thai VietJet Air is the one airline flying directly from Phuket (HKT) to Chiang Rai (CEI). The airports are about 1,327 km apart, near enough the length of Thailand, and the flight takes a little over two hours, against a full day of connections through Bangkok.
The route has had a stop-start history. Thai VietJet first launched it in November 2023 and dropped it in May 2024; it came back in January 2026, flying a few days a week rather than daily. That pattern is the main thing to plan around, so put your dates into the search before you book hotels at either end.
Thai VietJet fare bundles and checked bags
Thai VietJet sells its seats in fare bundles. The cheapest covers a seat and a cabin bag, while higher bundles add checked baggage and other extras. If you are travelling with a suitcase, compare the bundle price with buying a bag on its own.
Phuket's Domestic Terminal at Mai Khao
Phuket has two linked buildings, and domestic flights use the Domestic Terminal, five minutes' walk from the International Terminal along a covered walkway. The airport is at Mai Khao on the island's north-west coast, about 38 km from Patong and 32 km from Phuket Town, so allow an hour by road from the southern beaches and more in afternoon traffic. Arrive two hours ahead in high season.
No airport bus at Chiang Rai since August 2024
Mae Fah Luang – Chiang Rai International Airport has a single, compact terminal about 8 km north of town. The airport bus stopped running in August 2024, so plan on the fixed-fare taxi counter in arrivals, a ride-hailing app or a pre-booked car. App drivers are thin on the ground in the evening, so request a car as soon as you have your bags. Chiang Rai town is 15 to 25 minutes away, the White Temple about half an hour, and the Golden Triangle roughly an hour north.
Cool northern months and smoke around Chiang Rai
November to February brings cool, clear weather in the far north and dry days in Phuket. Between about February and April, smoke from fires across the north can cut visibility around Chiang Rai.
About Thai VietJet Air
Thai VietJet Air is the Thai associate of Vietnam's VietJet Air. It received its air operator's certificate in November 2014 and started scheduled flights in March 2015, with Suvarnabhumi to Phuket among the first. Suvarnabhumi is its main hub. In November 2025 the fleet included Airbus A320s, Airbus A321s and Boeing 737 MAX 8s, with more 737 MAX aircraft on order.
Phuket airport traffic in 2025
Phuket International Airport, run by Airports of Thailand, handled 17,474,051 passengers in 2025, of whom 6,636,760 flew domestically. It has a single 3,000 m runway, and traffic grew from 17,215,315 passengers in 2024. Terminal 2 handles international flights and Terminal 3 domestic ones, and a separate Terminal X for charters opened in February 2014.
Chiang Rai airport since 1992
Chiang Rai's airport opened on 5 August 1992 and has been managed by Airports of Thailand since 1998. Its runway is 3,000 m long. Traffic reached 1,981,088 passengers in 2025, only 7,161 of them international, still short of the 2,928,881 recorded in 2019. Thai VietJet flies from there to Suvarnabhumi and Phuket; Thai AirAsia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air serve Don Mueang, and Thai Airways serves Suvarnabhumi. Scoot has listed a Singapore service, but no international flights were operating when we checked.
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.
Phuket to Chiang Rai flights at a glance
Thai VietJet Air flies nonstop from Phuket (HKT) to Chiang Rai (CEI) 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 February |
| Distance | 1,327 km |
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Airlines flying Phuket to Chiang Rai
Thai VietJet Air is the only airline on the route. It relaunched the flight in January 2026 after a break from May 2024.
The cheapest fare bundle includes a cabin bag only. Higher bundles add checked baggage; compare them with buying a bag separately.
Departure and arrival airports
HKT Phuket International Airport
- Codes
- IATA HKT, ICAO VTSP
- Terminal
- Domestic Terminal, linked to the International Terminal by a covered walkway
- Location
- Mai Khao, north-west Phuket; about 32 km from Phuket Town and 38 km from Patong
- Check-in
- Two hours ahead; more between November and April
CEI Mae Fah Luang – Chiang Rai International Airport
- Codes
- IATA CEI, ICAO VTCT
- Location
- About 8 km north of Chiang Rai town on the road to Mae Chan
- Into town
- Taxi counter, ride-hailing apps or a pre-booked car, 15 to 25 minutes
- Note
- The airport bus stopped in August 2024
How to book Phuket to Chiang Rai for less
Plan these before you fly north.
2026route relaunched in January
Check the flying days first
The flight runs a few days a week, not daily. Fix the flight before the hotels, and keep a connection via Bangkok in mind as a back-up.
38 kmPatong to the airport
Leave the beaches early
Phuket's airport is at the island's northern tip. From Patong, Kata or Karon allow at least an hour by car, more in the late afternoon.
8 kmCEI to Chiang Rai town
Sort transport for Chiang Rai arrival
With no airport bus, use the taxi counter in arrivals or pre-book a car. A driver who waits makes a stop at the White Temple on the way into town easy.
Flight, train or bus to Chiang Rai
Overland, Phuket to Chiang Rai is close to two days by bus 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 |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Getting there
Yes. Thai VietJet Air flies it nonstop a few days a week. The route returned in January 2026 after being dropped in May 2024.
A little over two hours. The airports are about 1,327 km apart, almost the length of Thailand.
About 50 to 60 minutes by car for the 38 km, longer in afternoon traffic. From Kata or Karon allow over an hour.
Not any more; the airport bus was withdrawn in August 2024. Take a taxi from the arrivals counter, a ride-hailing car or a pre-booked transfer, 15 to 25 minutes to town.
Yes, if you land with a few hours of daylight left. Wat Rong Khun is about half an hour by car, and a driver can stop there before taking you into town.
Yes. The airport is on the road north, and the Golden Triangle and Chiang Saen are about an hour away by car. Mae Sai on the Myanmar border is in the same direction.
Rarely. It has one small terminal, and queues only build around the main Bangkok departures and during Thai holidays.
General
The Domestic Terminal. If you are dropped at the International Terminal by mistake, the covered walkway between the two takes about five minutes.
Connect in Bangkok. Thai Airways and Thai VietJet fly Chiang Rai from Suvarnabhumi, while Nok Air, Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air fly it from Don Mueang, and both Bangkok airports have plenty of Phuket flights.
What's included
Not on the cheapest bundle, which covers a cabin bag. Higher fare bundles include checked baggage, or you can buy a bag on its own when booking.
Timing & weather
From about February to April, smoke from fires across the north can cut visibility and air quality. Carry a mask and check your flight status on the day.
