Mae Hong Son

Getting there

By plane There are no flights operating to Mae Hong Son Airport, as of Aug 2025.

By road Mae Hong Son is 924 km from Bangkok. Drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and then choose a route to Mae Hong Son. There are two road options from Chiang Mai, each taking 5–6 hours by car:

Chiang Mai—Hot—Mae Sariang—Khun Yuam—Mae Hong Son (Rte 108) totals a distance of 349 km. This is the easier drive, especially the Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang part. Chiang Mai—Mae Malai—Pai—Mae Hong Son (Rte 1095), a distance of 236 km but with 1,864 curves. While this is the more scenic route, it is more demanding of the driver.

By bus Regular bus services connect Mae Hong Son with Chiang Mai (Arcade Bus Terminal). The trip will take at least 7–8 hours. A better option is the minibus, also leaving from Arcade in Chiang Mai, which only takes 5.5 hours but costs 250 baht. If you're going by bus, you can choose the northern (Pai) or southern (Mae Sariang) route. The northern route is a little faster. If you want to reserve a seat in advance online, you can use the Prempracha website. After payment (credit card/PayPal/7-11), an e-ticket will sent to you via email. You need to come to Arcade bus station 10 minutes before departure time, showing the e-ticket on your mobile phone to the stuff. Alternatively, you can buy the ticket at AVIA booking office in Arcade bus station. You can also take the minibus from Pai Bus Station. It takes about 3 hours and costs 150 baht. You can buy the ticket at Pai Bus Station (cash only, credit card or Thai bank QR code not supported). The new bus station in Mae Hong Son is about a 15-minute walk from the centre of town to the southwest. The bus station is set on a seemingly deserted street that runs parallel to the main road in town. There is also an overnight bus to Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit) which takes about 15 hours. Sombat Tour, operates an air conditioned bus which runs directly from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son daily. The bus departs from Chatu

Getting around

This is a small town so walking is the way to get around. There are bicycles for rent from Titan Internet shop (across from the 7-11 and post office). To do anything in the surrounding areas a motorbike, or at least a bicycle, is needed. The new bus station seems like it is in the middle of nowhere and the tuk-tuk and motorbike taxi guys love that. A ride to the centre (including most guest houses) costs 80 baht, but it's a 10- to 15-minute walk to the centre of town. You can turn left out of the bus station and walk straight until you hit the golden statue. Walking up next to the statue, the station is just a bit further towards the city center.

See

Walk around the picturesque lake and visit the surrounding wats. Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu (aka Wat Phai Doi) overlooks the town from the west and offers superb views.

Ban Rak Thai (Mae Aw). A Kuomintang (KMT) village near the Myanmar border. On your way up (or down), you can stop by Pang Ung (Ruam Thai), a picturesque Shan minority village high in the mountains. Pang Ung. Often referred to as Ruam Thai on some signs and maps, is a Shan Minority Village near Mae Hong Son. It should be combined with a trip to Ban Rak Thai. It is a picturesque village of bamboo houses, probably dolled up a bit for the tourist industry. Bamboo grows everywhere, including one stand at least 25 m tall. There are one or two restaurants. It is unclear what they serve. Shopkeepers and restaurant owners speak some English, but this is not as heavily touristed as one might expect, so communication will be limited if you don't speak Thai. There are at least two homestays here, and another guesthouse in the town between Pang Ung and the main road. From Mae Hong Song, follow signs for Ban Rak Thai, but at the village of Na Pa Paek, turn left, following the signs for "Pang Ung Reservoir," or something of the sort. The signs are not exactly consistent, but if it indicates a reservoir, you are going the right direction. It is about 5.5 km from the turn-off, at N19 29.955, E097 54.705. Fish Cave (Thumpla) (near the village of Huay Pha, about 17 km from Mae Hong Son via Hwy 1095). This is a beautiful spot to escape the heat. A water channel that wends its way out of a small submerged cave. What is inside the cave is still unknown, but it astoundingly draws thousands of the "Pluang-Hin" fish into the cave, with only a small number of them coming back out. Pha Sua Waterfall (26 km from Mae Hong Son on the road to Pai). This waterfall, which is about 20 m high and 30 m wide, consists of six levels and offers some fine walks. It is said to be the most beautiful waterfall in Mae Hong Son Province

Do

Hiking. One of the main reasons for tourist to go to Mae Hong Son is to go hiking in the surrounding mountains and visiting hill tribe villages. Nearly every guesthouse offers tours. Mae Hong Son Loop. The provincial capital of Mae Hong Son is only one part of this vast and beautiful mountainous province. Explore the rest of the province by taking the popular Mae Hong Son Loop which travels through the province on a circuit that starts and ends in Chiang Mai.

Buy

Night Market (At the lake). Interesting market where you can buy art and handicrafts from hill tribe people.

Eat

Typical northern food consists of:

Nam phrik ong - a type of nam phrik chili paste that is made of minced pork and tomatoes. It is usually eaten with soft-boiled vegetables, pork crackling or deep-fried crunchy rice cakes. Nam phrik num - another kind of paste that is popular in the north and eaten by Thais of all regions. It is often eaten with pork crackling. Sai ua - a local sausage that is very aromatic and spicy, and usually is eaten with sticky rice. Kaeng - a Thai curry Kaeng Hang-Le - a northern-style pork curry. Kaeng Om - a spicy curry made with intestines. Kaeng khae - a spicy vegetable curry. Khanom Chin Nam ngiao - a traditional northern chicken noodle dish. Khao Soi - a noodle dish that can be made from chicken, pork, or beef. It contains coconut milk and is garnished with garlic. Khao Som - cooked rice mixed with turmeric and tomato. Eaten with fried chilies and green peas. Khao Lhueng - cooked rice mixed with turmeric. Made into a small ball and sprinkled with fried onion. It is usually eaten with pork balls. Khaow Kan Chin - cooked rice mixed with the blood of fowls and steamed with fried onion. It is eaten with fried chilies. Tua Pae Yee - dipped fried soybeans Tau Pae Lau - fried soybeans with salt. Souy Tamin - a dessert, made of sticky rice, coconut milk, and cane sugar. Many restaurants are along the main road and the night market where there are also many food-stalls. There is a nice evening food market by the old jail, nowadays a table tennis club, close to the monument to the Shan king.

Bai Fern Restaurant, 87 Khunlumprapas Rd—87 ถนนขุนลุมประพาส, ☏ +66 53 611374. An upscale restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere featuring Northern Thai specialties. Live (easy listening) music in the evenings. Affiliated with the Fern