Thanks to a blend of affordability, culture, and community, Chiang Mai, Thailand, has cemented its status as a digital nomad destination. As the city’s predominant gateway, the local airport plays a big part in our enduring popularity as a travel hub. If you’re visiting Chiang Mai, you’ll likely touch down at Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX), so we’ve prepared this guide to help you plan a smooth trip, from arrival to departure.
General Information About Chiang Mai International Airport
CNX is the airport code for Chiang Mai International Airport. In operation since 1921, this hub services over 30 airlines and has the capacity to handle more than 11 million passengers a year. You can find their official website at www.chiang-mai-airport.com.
Location
Chiang Mai International Airport is located just 4 kilometers southwest of Chiang Mai’s city center. If you’re staying in Nimmanhaemin, it will only take you 15 minutes traveling door to door. The airport’s proximity plays a pivotal role in the Chiang Mai’’s popularity among digital nomads because it makes the city not just an ancessible destination, but an excellent hub for further outbound travels around Southeast Asia.
Terminal Guide
CNX boasts a single terminal building, handling both international and domestic flights under one roof. The compact nature of this airport contributes to its efficiency. You won’t find yourself navigating through sprawling terminals or endless corridors, so there’s no need to run around feeling stressed.
Services & Amenities
Beyond the expected cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops, CNX has a few really useful amenities. A post office within the airport is convenient for sending postcards or last-minute parcels. Luggage storage services are available for those on a layover wanting to explore the city unburdened. You can even find telecom kiosks, such as the one for AIS, to buy a local Simcard and data plan.
Arriving at CNX
Chiang Mai airport is small so the arrival process is smooth and typically very quick. Assuming you don’t get caught in a long immigration queue, you can expect to be out the doors in 30 minutes.
Immigration & Customs
For many travelers, immigration into Thailand typically occurs in Bangkok, but a few international flights do land directly at CNX. If you’re arriving directly, the process is straightforward. Thailand offers visa-free entry for tourists from numerous countries for up to 30 days. If you’re from a country eligible for a visa-on-arrival, this is also expeditiously handled at airport immigration.
For digital nomads who travel frequently in and out of Thailand, be prepared to undergo a little more scrutiny – you could be asked to show sufficient funds or proof-of-onward-travel, for example. While these requirements are rarely enforced, it’s wise to be prepared if you’ve already got a few exit and entry stamps to the Kingdom.
Keep in mind that appearance counts for a lot in Thailand – dressing well isn’t just about showing off status, but a way of demonstrating respect. Individual immigration officers have a lot of leeway in interpreting the rules, so you might make an effort to present yourself well.
Baggage Hall
The baggage hall at CNX is small but highly efficient. Luggage typically comes in very quickly, and there are only three or four carousels, so it’s easy to find your bags. Luggage trolleys are available for free scattered around the baggage claim. If nature calls after your flight, restrooms are conveniently located.
Exchanging Cash
While bank-run exchanges provide commission-free currency services at the airport and elsewhere, it’s worth noting that you can get better rates in town. Credit and debit cards are not widely accepted in Chiang Mai, so it’s best to have cash on hand.
You can also withdraw Thai baht at an ATM using your bank card. It is fairly standard for Thai ATMs to charge about ฿200 for use of international bank cards.
There are two typical options for currency conversion when withdrawing cash from ATMs in Thailand:
- Be charged in the local currency (Thai baht): This is usually considered the best option, as you will get the mid-market exchange rate.
- Be charged in your home currency: This is often a bad option as the ATM will use its own exchange rate, which is typically much worse than the mid-market rate.
We recommend exchanging or withdrawing at least ฿3000 (equivalent to about $80 or €78) which should be more than enough to cover you for the first day or two. If withdrawing from an ATM, it’s advisable to withdraw larger amounts to avoid paying extra ATM fees.
Wi-Fi and Staying Connected
CNX provides one hour of complimentary Airport Wi-Fi with super easy registration, allowing you to quickly check messages, confirm bookings, or share notice of your arrival.
If you’d like to get a local simcard, you can find a handful of telecom kiosks at the airport. Simcards are free in Thailand, though you typically you need to show your passport to register one. Data plans are very affordable in Thailand. “Tourist SIM” packages will probably do you just fine if you’re on a short visit, but you’ll get a better deal if you sign up for a monthly prepaid plan.
Taxis, Transport & Car Rentals
Getting into town from the airport is quick and easy. As frequent travelers ourselves, we strongly recommend the official airport taxi service. Skip the agents and kiosks and head straight to the north exit of the airport – facing out from the baggage hall, you make a left and keep going. When you come outside, you’ll typically find a lady with a clipboard. Tell her where you’re going and she’ll line you up with the next available taxi. Drivers will be happy to help you with your bags.
The standard rate for a ride into Nimmanhaemin or the Old City is ฿150, elsewhere within the city center is typically ฿200, and it goes up from there if you’re headed out from town. These taxi drivers only accept cash or QR payment if you use a Thai bank app.
Alternatively, ride-sharing services like Grab or Bolt offer competitive rates, but you may have to wait awhile for them since they’re not allowed to park and wait on airport premises. If you’re budget-conscious, consider the public bus which departs every 15 minutes or so with drop-offs throughout the city center. For the ultimate flexibility, car rentals can also be arranged at the airport. Though if you’re staying awhile, it might be cheaper to rent a car or motorbike in town.
Departing CNX
Because the airport is small and close to the city, departing via CNX doesn’t have to be stressful. You’ll want to account for traffic depending on where you’re staying, but there’s usually no need to arrive super early at the airport. Over my many journeys from CNX over the years, I’ve raced through check-in, security and made it to my gate in time to board a domestic flight in as quick as 25 minutes! You’ll probably want to give yourself more margin than that though and arrive at least an hour before a domestic flight and an hour and a half for an international flight.
Long Term Parking
For those who have made Chiang Mai their homebase and want to drive themselves to the airport, longterm parking is available for both cars and motorbikes. To make use of the long-term parking service, simply drive to the designated area, follow the instructions for parking, and upon your return, make payment according to the airport’s fee structure before exiting. While the rates are reasonable, given how cheap taxis are, this probably makes sense just for shorter trips.
Check-In & Luggage
The check-in experience at CNX varies significantly by airline. In our experience, it’s airline like Vietjet and Air Asia which tend to be more strict about luggage restrictions that also see the longest queues. International Air Asia flights especially seem to have long lines for check-in as they handle a high volume of traffic through China.
International flights are handled at the south end of the airport and domestic flights at the north end, but if you got dropped off at the wrong entrance, it’s only a five minute walk to find the correct check-in counters.
For most airlines, check-in closes 45 minutes before departure for domestic flights, and 1 hour before departure of international flights.
Per usual, you’ll want to hand over your passport and inform the airline representative of your travel destination.
Each airline is responsible for weighing and tagging your bags, but you, the passenger, must then drop off your luggage at luggage screening after you’ve checked in. They’ll ask you to stay a moment while they scan your bags just in case they find something amiss, and then you’ll be waved onwards.
Security
Security checks at CNX are efficient and courteous. Located on the second floor of the airport, there are separate escalators to the international and domestic departures zones.
Domestic security tends to be slower/handle more passengers, but we find them to be pretty relaxed.
CNX security are not usually stressed about separating your liquids, but they will ask you to take your laptop and other electronics to separately scan. One thing they are super strict about is rechargeable lithium-ion batteries like powerbanks – these can’t be checked, they’re only permitted in your carry-on.
Immigration
If you’re traveling internationally, then once through security you’ll pass through immigration. For most, this just be a simple formality of handing over your passport to review.
If you have overstayed your visa, at this point you will be reprimanded and have to pay a penalty of ฿500 per day of overstay. A long overstay potentially gets you a black mark and you may have difficulties returning to Thailand in the future.
For digital nomads on long-term visas or those holding certain visa types, such as the Non-Immigrant O visas, you might need a re-entry permit to avoid invalidating your visa when leaving Thailand temporarily. These permits can be obtained in advance of your travels at an immigration office, but there is also a counter at the airport to do this last-minute. Ensure you have the necessary documentation, including passport photos and the required fees in cash, when applying for a re-entry permit.
Departure Hall & Lounges
The departure halls at CNX are not luxurious, but you can be very comfortable while waiting for your flight. There are coffee shops, book shops, and souvenir shops in both domestic and international departure lounges.
Be aware that if your flight departs very early, most cafes and restaurants don’t open until late morning. Plan accordingly and consider grabbing a bite in the city before heading to the airport.
Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways both have lounges at CNX – note that Bankok Airways’ lounge is located outside of the domestic departures hall before you pass through security, though. There are also Coral Lounges available for a fee in both domestic and international departure areas at CNX. These lounges offer comfortable seating areas and complimentary food and beverages.
The international departures lounge at CNX has a massage parlor, so if you’re one of those folks who likes to get to the airport super early, this can be a great way to kill time.
CNX is a great little airport. While it is neither large nor luxurious, it serves the city well, and is extremely easy to navigate for both seasoned travelers and those who are entirely new to the nomad life. With this CNX airport guide, we hope you’ve learned a little to help you plan your travels to Chiang Mai.
