How to Get to Sukhothai: Flight, Bus & Train Routes

Sukhothai doesn’t sit on Thailand’s main tourist rail or highway corridor, so getting there takes a bit more planning than a straight shot to Chiang Mai or Phuket. The upside is that once you understand the layout, it’s a genuinely simple trip: one flight, one direct bus, or one train-plus-bus combo, followed by a short local hop to the ruins. This guide breaks down every real route from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phitsanulok, with current times and fares, and clears up the New Sukhothai vs. Old Sukhothai confusion that trips up a lot of first-time visitors.

All fares below are drawn from airline, bus operator, and current 2026 transport-guide sources, listed in the Sources section. Figures are in Thai baht (THB) with US dollars in parentheses, converted at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026). Once you’ve worked out how to arrive, see outthailand.com’s things to do in Sukhothai pillar guide and the dedicated Sukhothai Historical Park guide for what to do once you land.

Routes to Sukhothai at a glance

Figures compiled from airline and bus operator pages plus 2026 transport guides; see Sources. Prices at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).

How do I fly to Sukhothai?

Bangkok Airways is the only carrier flying directly into Sukhothai Airport (THS), connecting from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi in about 1 hour 20 minutes. There are typically 2-3 flights a day, and one-way fares commonly start around ฿1,500-3,500 (about US$45-106), rising the closer you book to departure.

The airport itself is a small, privately built facility that Bangkok Airways constructed and still effectively controls, which is why there’s no competing budget carrier undercutting the fare. It sits roughly 25-30km north of New Sukhothai town. Bangkok Airways runs a shuttle minivan timed to flight arrivals into town and on toward the historical park for around ฿300 (about US$9) per person, which is the standard way to bridge that last stretch since metered taxis aren’t a fixture here.

Flying is the right call if your time is tight or you’re combining Sukhothai with a short northern loop, but it’s genuinely the most expensive way to cover the distance per kilometer of any route in this guide.

How long is the bus from Bangkok to Sukhothai?

A direct bus from Mo Chit (Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal, also called Chatuchak) to Sukhothai takes roughly 6-8 hours, and costs about ฿330-500 (about US$10-15) depending on the operator and bus class. Operators including Sukhothai Wintour and Phitsanulok Yanyon run multiple departures across the day, with the first buses typically leaving early morning and later options running into the evening. VIP and overnight services add air-conditioning, more legroom, and sometimes a snack, for a bit more than the standard fare.

This is the budget default for anyone not in a hurry. The trade-off is the ride itself: it’s a long haul on a coach seat, and depending on the service, the bus may make several stops along the way, some of which push the trip closer to the 8-hour end of the range. A handful of buses also stop at Old Sukhothai near the park entrance before continuing on to the New Sukhothai bus station, so if you’re staying near the ruins, it’s worth checking your ticket or asking the conductor rather than assuming you’ll get off at the main terminal.

Can I take the train to Sukhothai?

Not directly. Sukhothai has no rail line of its own, so the common train route is really a train-plus-bus combination: ride from Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat (Bang Sue) station to Phitsanulok, then switch to a local bus for the final stretch.

The Bangkok-to-Phitsanulok train takes about 5.5-7 hours, with fares from roughly ฿200 for a third-class seat up to ฿800 for a second-class sleeper, depending on the service and class. From Phitsanulok’s train station, it’s about a 2km hop (by local bus, tuk-tuk, or short taxi) to Phitsanulok’s Bus Terminal 1, then a roughly 1-hour local bus covering the 57km to Sukhothai for about ฿40-70 (about US$1.20-2.10).

Add it up and the train route usually takes about as long as the direct bus once you count the transfer, sometimes longer, but it’s a more comfortable, scenic ride if you’d rather sit in a train seat than a coach seat for most of the journey, and a sleeper class lets you cover the distance overnight.

How do I get from Chiang Mai to Sukhothai?

Direct buses from Chiang Mai’s Arcade bus station to Sukhothai run about 5-6 hours and cost roughly ฿250-520 (about US$8-16), with close to a dozen daily departures spread across multiple operators (Sukhothai Wintour and Win Tour both run this route). It’s a single, no-transfer trip, which makes it one of the more straightforward legs in this guide if you’re already working your way around northern Thailand from things to do in Chiang Mai and heading south toward the old capitals.

There’s no direct flight between Chiang Mai and Sukhothai, so the bus (or a Chiang Mai-Bangkok-Sukhothai flight combination, which rarely makes sense on time or cost) is the practical choice for this route.

Why is Phitsanulok the real hub for reaching Sukhothai?

Phitsanulok is the nearest major transport junction to Sukhothai; it has the region’s train station and a busier bus terminal, and sits only about 57km away. Local buses between Phitsanulok’s Bus Terminal 1 and Sukhothai run roughly hourly through the day, take about 1 hour, and cost around ฿40-70 (about US$1.20-2.10).

If you’re flying into a different northern airport, coming from Isaan, or your Bangkok train or flight only gets you as far as Phitsanulok, this short hop is how you close the gap. It’s cheap, frequent, and doesn’t need advance booking, you just buy the ticket at the counter or on board.

What’s the difference between New Sukhothai and Old Sukhothai?

This trips up a lot of first-time visitors, so it’s worth being direct about it. New Sukhothai is the modern, working town: it has the bus station, the train-to-bus connection point, most guesthouses and restaurants, and the local markets. Old Sukhothai is Sukhothai Historical Park, the UNESCO-listed ruins of the 13th-century capital, and it’s a genuinely separate town about 12km away, connected by a single road, Jarodvithi Road.

Both places are simply labeled “Sukhothai” on maps and booking sites, so it’s easy to book a hotel in one thinking it’s a short walk from the other. If you want to be at the park gates for the cooler early morning light, staying in Old Sukhothai (right by the historical park, covered in the Sukhothai Historical Park guide) makes more sense; if you want restaurant variety, nightlife, or the bus and train connections, New Sukhothai is the better base.

How do I get between New Sukhothai and Old Sukhothai?

A shared songthaew (an open-air pickup truck used as a shared taxi) is the standard way to cover the 12km between the two towns, running along Jarodvithi Road for ฿30 (about US$0.90) per person and taking 20-25 minutes. They operate through the day, roughly 6am to 6pm, picking up passengers as they fill rather than on a fixed timetable, so there’s usually a short wait rather than a long one.

If you’d rather go direct without waiting for other passengers, a private tuk-tuk or taxi covers the same route for more, and is worth it for an early sunrise run to the park before the songthaews are running, or with luggage. Some visitors also rent a bicycle in New Sukhothai and cycle out, though 12km each way in Thailand’s heat is a real undertaking, not a casual pedal.

Honest downsides of getting to Sukhothai

None of these routes is without a catch. The flight is fast but pricey and inflexible, since Bangkok Airways is effectively the only option and there are just a couple of flights a day to build your schedule around. The direct bus is cheap but long, six to eight hours on a coach seat, with some services adding extra stops that push it toward the longer end. The train-plus-bus combo takes about the same total time as the direct bus once you count the Phitsanulok transfer, so it’s a comfort trade rather than a time-saver. And the New Sukhothai/Old Sukhothai mix-up catches enough travelers that it’s worth triple-checking your hotel’s exact location before you book, since a wrong guess means an extra songthaew ride (or two) tacked onto an already long travel day.

Getting the most out of your trip

Once you’ve made it in, whichever route you took, start with outthailand.com’s things to do in Sukhothai pillar guide to plan your days, then head straight to the Sukhothai Historical Park guide for the ruins themselves. If Sukhothai is one stop on a wider northern Thailand trip, pair it with things to do in Chiang Mai and check outthailand.com’s live events listings for what’s on while you’re in the region.

Sources

• How to Get to Sukhothai: Bus, Plane & Train Guide (thelongestwayhome.com): flight duration/frequency, airport minivan fare and distance, bus fares from Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok bus fare/time, New-Old Sukhothai 12km distance
• Bangkok to Sukhothai: All Travel Options (thatbangkoklife.com): flight fares from ~฿1,500, airport transfer cost, Mo Chit bus operators and fares, train-plus-bus fares and durations
• Sukhothai Transport Guide: How to Get There (theo-courant.com): Sukhothai Airport distance, Chiang Mai bus operators/schedule, Phitsanulok bus schedule, New-Old Sukhothai local bus/songthaew details
• How to get to Sukhothai: Bus, train & Phitsanulok connections (travelfish.org): Bangkok Airways schedule and pricing note, Bangkok/Chiang Mai bus times and fares, Phitsanulok bus fare, Old/New Sukhothai distance
• How To Get From Bangkok to Sukhothai? (geckoroutes.com): train to Phitsanulok schedule and fares, bus connection details
• Sukhothai City Guide: Old City, New City & What to Do (thelongestwayhome.com): New Sukhothai vs Old Sukhothai distinction, songthaew route and fare
• Sukhothai – Travel guide at Wikivoyage: Jarodvithi Road route, songthaew schedule, fare and travel time between New and Old Sukhothai