Chiang Mai Red Truck (Songthaew): How to Ride and Pay

Red songthaews in the city do not follow fixed routes: flag one down and tell the driver where you want to go. They only operate in the city centre. Short city rides usually cost 30–60 baht. Pay in cash after you arrive, because cards and transport cards are not accepted.

By Vincent Nguyen

On this page
  1. How to hail and ride a red songthaew
  2. What a red songthaew costs
  3. Paying: cash only
  4. The Tha Phae Gate price trap
  5. Red songthaews at the Arcade bus station
  6. Colour-coded trucks from Chang Phueak and Warorot
  7. Red songthaews at the airport
  8. Private hire and Doi Suthep
  9. Songthaew, Grab or tuk-tuk
  10. Step by step
  11. Common questions

On this page

  1. How to hail and ride a red songthaew
  2. What a red songthaew costs
  3. Paying: cash only
  4. The Tha Phae Gate price trap
  5. Red songthaews at the Arcade bus station
  6. Colour-coded trucks from Chang Phueak and Warorot
  7. Red songthaews at the airport
  8. Private hire and Doi Suthep
  9. Songthaew, Grab or tuk-tuk
  10. Step by step
  11. Common questions

You flag one down and tell the driver where you want to go.

Red pickup truck with a covered passenger bed driving along a city street
A red songthaew, the shared truck taxi of Chiang Mai.

How to hail and ride a red songthaew

Red songthaews in the city do not follow fixed routes. Red ones only operate in the city centre. The coloured trucks to other districts are different: they leave from named stands, covered below.

If the driver passes your stop, push the red button on the roof to make the driver pull over.

Red covered pickup truck seen from behind parked at the kerb of a tree-lined street
A red songthaew waiting at the kerb behind Chiang Mai University.

What a red songthaew costs

These are the fares for a red songthaew.

Trip Fare per person unless stated
Short city ride 30–60 baht

There is no published tariff. Routes inside the urban area cost THB 30 per person for the whole line.

Trips off the route are charged by distance and can be negotiated. A THB 20 fare seen in June 2022 was below the level set by the Department of Land Transport.

A person riding a red truck alone may be charged a chartered price, which costs more than usual. Ask the price before you climb in, since a charter for a short city trip has no fixed rate. Longer or uphill trips, such as Doi Suthep, cost more.

Two red pickup trucks parked in line at the roadside outside a shop front
Red songthaews queued at the roadside near Chiang Mai Zoo.

Paying: cash only

Cards, GrabPay, PayWave and transport cards are not accepted.

  • Carry 20–50 baht notes.
  • Pay after arriving at your destination, not beforehand.

The Tha Phae Gate price trap

Old red-brick city wall with a stone plaque and a pale paved street in front
The brick wall at Tha Phae Gate.
Tha Phae Gate
Tha Phae Road, Chang Khlan Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Red songthaews at the Arcade bus station

A red-truck queue forms at the Chiang Mai bus station, also called Arcade 2.

Row of red pickup trucks parked under a roof at a bus station
Red songthaews waiting at the Arcade bus station.
Chiang Mai Arcade 2
Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Colour-coded trucks from Chang Phueak and Warorot

Songthaews to other towns are colour-coded.

  • Yellow songthaews take people from Chiang Mai to other towns outside the city. Those to Chom Thong, Wiang Kalong, Wiang Pa Pao and Mae Rim depart from the Chang Phueak Bus Terminal. Those to Doi Saket depart from Warorot Market (ตลาดวโรรส).
  • Blue songthaews travel to Lamphun Province and leave from Warorot Market.
  • White songthaews travel to Mae Taeng district. Those to Mae Taeng depart from the Chang Phueak Bus Terminal.
  • Green songthaews go to Mae Jo district, make stops along the way and leave from Warorot Market.
  • Orange songthaews travel to Fang District and leave from the Chang Phueak Bus Terminal.
Bus terminal forecourt with yellow and red trucks parked beside a roundabout and palm trees
The forecourt of Chang Phueak Bus Terminal.
Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 1 (Chang Phueak Bus Terminal)
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Red songthaews at the airport

The red songthaew is a service within Chiang Mai city or to the caller’s destination, and it also runs to and from the airport.

The airport options are compared in Chiang Mai Airport to the City.

Private hire and Doi Suthep

Three red pickup trucks lined up on a road below a large painted billboard of a temple
Red songthaews queued on the road to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

Songthaew, Grab or tuk-tuk

Passengers favour app cars: they come to the door, have cool air-conditioning and seat several people for one price. App cars also cost less than a red truck.

Red pickup truck with a covered bed on a street with a motorbike beside it
A red songthaew sharing the road with motorbikes.

Compare both before a longer trip. The apps are covered in Grab vs Bolt in Chiang Mai. All the ways to move around the city are in Getting Around Chiang Mai.

Photo credits

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Step by step

  1. Flag a truckFlag one down and tell the driver where you want to go.
  2. Signal your stopPush the red button on the roof if the driver passes your stop.
  3. Pay in cashPay after arriving at your destination, in 20–50 baht notes.

Not confirmed: Official fare: no Land Transport Office tariff was found. Other districts: confirm the truck colour and stand on the day.

Common questions

How much is a red songthaew in Chiang Mai?

Short city rides usually cost 30–60 baht.

Do songthaews take cards or apps?

Cards, GrabPay, PayWave and transport cards are not accepted. Carry 20–50 baht notes.

How do I stop a red songthaew at my destination?

If the driver passes your stop, push the red button on the roof.

Do red songthaews follow fixed routes?

Red ones in the city do not: you flag one down and tell the driver where you want to go, and they only operate in the city centre. The coloured trucks to other districts do leave from fixed stands.

Is a red songthaew cheaper than Grab?

App cars cost less than a red truck, come to the door and have cool air-conditioning. Check the price in the app and agree the songthaew price first.

Do red songthaews go to the airport?

Yes. The red songthaew runs to and from the airport. The airport article covers the five options available today.

Where do songthaews to Mae Rim or Lamphun leave from?

Yellow songthaews to Mae Rim leave from Chang Phueak Bus Terminal. Blue songthaews to Lamphun leave from Warorot Market.

Places in this guide

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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