Chiang Mai Airport car hire – find cheap car hire in northern Thailand

Rent a car Thailand - compare Chiang Mai car hire prices

Chiang Mai Airport – CNX is the main airport of northern Thailand and one of the busiest airports in the country.

The airport is situated approx. 4 miles south-west of the city centre of Chiang Mai, the capital of Chiang Mai province.

Find Chiang Mai Airport on the map (click to enlarge).

How to fly to Chiang Mai – airlines and destinations
Chiang Mai Airport receives both domestic and international flights.

There are no direct flights to Chiang Mai from Europe but a convenient connection is available from Bangkok with several local airlines, for example Orient Thai Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Thai Air Asia or Thai Smile.

International routes at Chiang Mai Airport include destinations in Malaysia, Burma, South Korea, Hong-Kong, Laos, Singapore, Macau and Taiwan. Main airlines operating international routes in Chiang Mai are: Air Asia, China Airlines, Korean Air and Thai Air Asia.

Chang Mai tourist attractions
A great number of the 3 million passengers using Chang Mai Airport annually are tourists.

The Chang Mai Province abounds with all sorts of attractions, ranging from unique historic sites and impressive buddhist temples to stunning landscapes of lush, exotic vegetation not less appealing to visitors than the beaches of southern Thailand.

Amongst the most popular tourist attractions in Chiang Mai are:

Doi Suthep Doi Pui National Park - this large, protected area is favourite with hikers from all over the world for its unique trails set amongst beautiful nature with many exotic species of fauna and flora, picturesque waterfalls and architectonical wonders, such as the temple of  Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep and the Bhubbing Palace.

Chiang Mai Zoo– exotic species of animals can be seen here in their natural or close-to-natural habitat. The true star of Chiang Mai Zoo is a family of Panda bears.

Wat Chiang Man, Wat Chedi Luang and Wat U Mong are the most popular of the wide selection of temples available for visiting in Chiang Mai city and province.

Chiang Mai Aquarium – although Chiang Mai is situated far from the sea it boast the biggest aquarium in South-East Asia, with over 8.000 aquatic species on show. The Chiang Mai Aquarium is located within the city’s zoo.

Chiang Mai Airport car hire
More and more tourist opt for Thailand car hire as the most convenient way of visiting the wealth of attraction of Chiang Mai province.

Those who would like to pick up their rental car at Chiang Mai Airport can choose from several well known car hire brands, such as Avis Rent a Car, Sixt and Hertz, as well as from the local brand Thai Rent a Car.

The prices of the cheapest Chiang Mai Airport hire cars usually start from around £150 for a week of Thailand car hire of an economy class car, such as Kia Picanto, Hyundai Getz or similar.

For the full comfort of driving on the sometimes hilly roads of northern Thailand, a four wheel drive (4x4) rental vehicle may be a better option. In Chiang Mai Airport, in the high season , the offers of four wheel drive cars can be found with prices starting from £310 for a 7-days rental of an Hyundai Tucson, a Toyota Fortuner or similar.

Tourist in Thailand travelling in a larger group may find it more cost effective to rent a big people carrier in Chiang Mai Airport. The cheapest minibuses, with capacity for up to 9 people, can be found here with a rather moderate price of approx. £250 for a week of northern Thailand car hire.

Cartrawler Thailand - compare car rental companies in Chiang Mai Airport

Chiang Mai weather - when to visit Thailand?
Chiang Mai enjoys a milder climate than Bangkok and southern Thailand, with slightly lower temperatures and less humidity.

However, the division in distinct seasons is the same in Chiang Mai as in the rest of Thailand. The hot season, lasts from March till June, the rainy season, from July until late September and the cool season, in the remaining moths.

The cool season is the best time to visit Chang Mai as for most of the time temperatures remain around 28 degrees celsius and rain is very rare. The cool season in Thailand is also the high season for tourists, with its peak around Christmas and New Year’s time. In order to secure the best offers of Chiang Mai car hire, any car bookings for this time of the year should be done well in advance.

Should you be planning a self driven holiday in Thailand off season, the chances of finding very affordable car rental in Chiang Mai increase. Do consider, however, the weather conditions: in the hottest time of the year (April) the average daily temperatures in Chiang Mai exceed 35 degrees, while in the months of August and September days of unstopped, heavy rainfall are frequent in Thailand.

See Chiang Mai climate chart.