Chiang Mai Railway Station

Where we meet you

We wait in the car park directly in front of the station building, on the same side as the exit from the passenger hall, standing beside the car with a sign showing your name. Delivery here is free.

If you are travelling with several bags or with small children, say so on LINE when you book and we will come onto the platform instead and help you carry things out. There is a slight step down from the sleeper carriages and the platform is long — it is a genuinely useful offer, not a formality.

Overnight trains from Bangkok run late, and we plan for that

The sleeper services from Bangkok are scheduled to reach Chiang Mai in the morning, and in practice they frequently arrive one to three hours behind schedule. This is normal on the northern line and not a sign anything has gone wrong.

We check the live position of your train before we leave, which is why we ask for the train number when you book. If it is running late, we simply come later — there is no waiting charge, whatever the delay. If it arrives early, we are already there.

If you have no idea whether your train is on time, do not try to work it out from the platform. Send us the train number on LINE and we will tell you what we can see.

Where you can go from the station

The station sits east of the Ping River on Charoen Mueang Road. It is about 10 minutes to Tha Phae Gate and the old city, and about 15 to Nimman, depending on how the river bridges are moving.

The station's real advantage is that it is already on the eastern side of the city. If your first stop is San Kamphaeng (the hot springs and the craft road), Bo Sang, or Lampang and points south-east, you leave straight from here without crossing the city at all. Doi Suthep is the opposite: allow about 45 minutes, since you cross the whole city first.

Charging

There is no public charger at the station or on this stretch of Charoen Mueang Road. The nearest are in shopping-centre and hotel car parks across the river, roughly 3 to 5 km away.

This is not a problem on arrival day. The car is delivered fully charged and the first charge is on us, which is enough for several days of ordinary driving. Our Chiang Mai charging guide explains where the fast chargers actually are and how long they take.

Handover and documents

Handover takes about 15 minutes. Bring your original driving licence, held for at least a year; the driver must be 21 or over. If your licence was issued outside Thailand you also need a valid International Driving Permit and your passport. Without it we cannot hand over the car — your insurance would not cover a claim, which would leave any damage entirely with you. See the IDP guide; you must obtain it in your own country before travelling.

We photograph the car together — every corner, both bumpers, the wheels, the cabin, and the odometer and battery reading — and send the set to your LINE chat immediately. That set is the reference we compare against on return.

The deposit is ฿5,000 in cash or by PromptPay. No credit card is needed and nothing is taken online. It comes back in full on the day you return the car.

Returning the car

You can return the car at the station, or anywhere else in Chiang Mai that suits your onward plans — tell us on LINE and we will meet you there instead. If you are catching a train, allow at least 45 minutes before departure. The return involves photographing the car again, comparing it with the collection set, checking the odometer and battery, and handing back your deposit, which takes 10 to 15 minutes.

Collection or return between 22:00 and 06:00 carries a ฿200 out-of-hours fee, charged once per rental — which is worth knowing if you are on a late departure to Bangkok.

To book, message us on LINE with your dates and your train number. We reply within about 15 minutes during opening hours. Nothing is charged in advance, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before collection.