Prem Pracha

Prem Pracha is a bus company based in Chiang Mai. It operates van rides between Chiang Mai and the popular tourist destinations in Northern Thailand – Pai and Mae Hong Son.

Prem Pracha has around 40 years of experience within Mae Hong Son province and is the leading transport operator in the region.

There are 12 daily departures from Chiang Mai to Pai each day between 06.30 and 17.30.

The journey takes around four hours and follows the notoriously famous Chiang Mai–Pai route 1095 featuring 762 turns.

On their route to Pai, Prem Pracha vans pass through Soppong, the prime destination for caving.

From Chiang Mai you can also visit Mae Hong Son a bit further afield. There are buses all day through between 06.30 and 20.00 from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son.

The last bus to Chiang Mai leaves at 22.00.

Chiang Mai–Mae Hong Son route is served by both Prem Pracha buses and vans.

Note that the vans that connect Chiang Mai – Mae Hong Son also stop at Pai and Soppong on the journey.

Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang is another popular route offered by Prem Pracha, with seven services per day making the four-hour trip.

The alternative for getting to Mae Sariang is hopping onto a cheaper local bus equipped with fan ceilings only. If choosing between these two options, we highly recommend you to consider Prem Pracha vans.

The company also connects Chiang Mai with Khun Yuam with four daily services.

1. The biggest advantage with Prem Pracha is the decades of experience in the mountainous regions of Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son provinces. The company enjoys an excellent reputation and is rightfully considered one of the most reliable and popular options for travel in the northern regions of Thailand.

2. The company boasts high safety standards and outstanding safety records. Prem Pracha buses are equipped with safety belts and the staff puts a lot of effort into keeping high safety standards.

3. There are plenty of departure times to choose from on all of the routes offered by Prem Pracha so there is bound to be a service that will suit your schedule.

4. The option of an overnight service from Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai can be very useful if you have an early morning flight back from Chiang Mai airport as this will save you the cost of overnight accommodation. This option is a rarity on these routes.

1. If you suffer from motion sickness then come prepared with tablets to combat this as a lot of the journey will be on winding mountain roads and the hour or so before you reach Pai is particularly bad. Of course, this is more of an issue with the terrain and the quality of the road than with the operator.

2. Almost all the vehicles on these routes are minibuses/vans which will be fine for a shorter journey but may get a little cramped if you are making the longer trips between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son.

The level of service and the quality of the minibuses is superior with Prem Pacha compared to many other operators on these routes. It is a very popular option for both locals and visitors who wish to travel between Chiang Mai and towns such as Pai and Mae Hong Son.

Prem Pacha can boast loads of experience so visitors will feel safe on these services, something that is very important on a potentially dangerous route.

Prem Pacha drivers tend to drive more cautiously than the drivers employed by some other companies on these routes so the operator has probably done all it can to make the journey as comfortable as possible.