Can you take the bus from Thailand to China?

Answer 1

Well let me start of by telling you that there is no direct bus service between Thailand and China and please keep in mind that Laos separates these two Asian countries anyway. It is possible to travel from Thailand to China but it would involve changing buses several times and this would include changing buses in Laos.

A friend of mine did travel from Chiang Mai in Thailand to China and this is the route which he took:

Bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong
Cross into Laos and get to Huay Xai
Travel by bus from Huay Xai to Boten
Cross into China from Laos and get to Mohan
Travel from Mohan by bus to Mangla
Take the bus from Mangla to Kunming

Please note that this journey will probably take you around 2 full days. There are low cost airlines which fly between Thailand and China and it could actually be a cheaper way to travel between Thailand and China rather than taking the bus from Thailand to China,

Answer 2

I will be driving my own car from Chiang Mai Thailand to Dali, Yunnan, China around March 22, 2011 and am looking for other passengers to share the cost of gas. The route will pass through Chiang Rai, Luang Namtha (Laos), Jinghong (Xishuangbanna, China) before ending in Dali (near Kunming, Lijiang), and you are welcome to get off at any of these places.

It will take about 1.5 days in total versus 3-4 days by bus or boat. Depending on how many of us there are, I estimate the cost per person at $50-90 (not including the $30laos visa you will need to obtain to pass through laos on the way to China), which means it is the fastest, cheapest, most convenient, and probably most comfortable way to get from chiang mai to China.

If you are interested, e-mail me asap at adamkritzer [a] gmail [dot] com