Chiang Mai and Phuket are some of my favorite places to visit in Thailand. Phuket is known for its beautiful beaches and island life while Chiang Mai is known for its mountainous atmosphere, great food, and lots of cultural attractions.
In this article, I will compare Chiang and Phuket, focusing on their location, accommodations, nightlife, shopping, food, beach & mountain activities and attractions. I’ll outline the similarities and differences between these two places based on my personal experiences, to help you decide which one to visit.
I’ve traveled extensively around Thailand, visiting many places including Phuket and Chiang Mai, so I’m familiar with the culture and local way of life. If you’re searching for which area is better, Chiang Mai or Phuket, keep reading.
Is it better to stay in Chiang Mai or Phuket?
The simple answer is that Phuket is the better choice if you want a beach holiday, and Chiang Mai is the better choice if you want a mountainous atmosphere, good food, and rich cultural experience.
Another factor to consider is their location. If you want to explore Southern Thailand, head to Phuket. If you want to explore Northern Thailand, go to Chiang Mai. Each place has an international airport, making it a key gateway to its region.
From Phuket, you can easily take boat trips to other islands in the Amadan Sea like James Bond, Phi Phi, Koh Yao, Ao Nang/ Railay, or Koh Lanta. From Chiang Mai, it is easy to take day trips to Chiang Rai, Chiang Dao, and Doi Inthanon National Park.
I enjoyed my stay in both Phuket and Chiang Mai. Each place gave me a different experience, and I feel lucky to have explored them all.
I like renting a scooter to explore Phuket. I like visiting the historic Old Town at night, hiking to some famous viewpoints, browsing night markets, and visiting different beaches. Some of my favorite beaches are Patong, Karon, Kata, Freedom, Nai Harn, and Mai Khao Beach.
In Chiang Mai, I like the cool mountainous atmosphere, friendly locals, beautiful ancient temples, and lots of hiking opportunities. My favorite things to do are wandering around the old town, hiking on the Monk trail to Wat Doi Suthep, visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary, and taking a cooking class.
Chiang Mai is cheaper and has a more relaxing vibe than in Phuket, which is more ideal for long term travelers and digital nomads.
My top pick hotels in Chiang Mai:
- Luxury: InterContinental
- Mid-range: The Wing Boutique Hotel
- Budget: BaanBooLoo Village
My top pick accommodations in Phuket:
- Luxury: Phuket Graceland Resort
- Mid-range: Quality Beach Resort
- Budget: Seven Seas Hotel
Location & How to Get There
Phuket and Chiang Mai are located in two different parts of Thailand, around 1500km apart. Phuket is located in South Thailand, and Chiang Mai is located in North Thailand.
Phuket is located in the Andaman Sea, 800km South of Bangkok. Chiang Mai is located along the Ping River, 650km north of Bangkok. Both places are easily accessible by air and by road.
Both Phuket and Chiang Mai have their own international airport. The direct flight between Phuket and Chiang Mai is around 2 hours. You can take long distance buses but it will take around 24 hours to travel on the road. You can consider taking overnight buses to save money on hotels.
Chiang Mai has a train station. Phuket has no train station. There are no direct trains between Phuket and Chiang Mai. The closest train station to Phuket is in Surat Thani, around 200km away. If you’re taking the train, you’ll have to transfer in Bangkok.
Accommodation
Both Chiang Mai and Phuket have a wide range of accommodations for all budgets. You can easily find 5-star luxury hotels, mid-range guest houses, and budget backpacker hostels.
From my observations, Phuket has more luxury international brand hotels than Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai has more boutique hotels than Phuket, especially in the old town. The prices for accommodations in Chiang Mai are also generally cheaper than in Phuket.
Both places are extremely popular in the high season from November to May, so make sure to book your stay well in advance if you’re traveling to Thailand in this period. Prices often skyrocket, and hotels frequently get fully booked, so booking in advance will help you secure a good spot.
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Nightlife
Both Phuket and Chiang Mai have good nightlife scenes, but the nightlife in Phuket is a bit livelier than in Chiang Mai. Each place has different areas that offer different types of nightlife experiences.
The Main Nightlife area of Phuket is in Patong and the main nightlife area of Chiang Mai is in The Night Bazaar. Patong has a red light area called Bangla Walking Street, which is lined with go-go bars, night clubs, and adult entertainments. It is always crowded in the evening, especially in the high season.
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar has a more laid-back atmosphere. There are go-go bars, massage shops, restaurants, as well as a range of night markets in these areas. It is busy but not as crowded as Patong’s Bangla Street.
The nightlife within Chiang Mai Old Town is equivalent with the nightlife in Phuket Old Town (in my opinion). They are relaxing and mainly about exploring at the night markets, searching for nice restaurants to eat, and browsing boutique shops for unique souvenirs.
Chiang Mai is also home to Nimman, which offers an upscale nightlife experience with trendy bars, and restaurants serving international food.
In Phuket, you can check out Kata and Karon, which offer lively nightlife scenes but are quieter than Patong. Places like Bang Bao Beach offer more upscale nightlife experiences.
Shopping
Both Phuket and Chiang Mai are good destinations for shopping. While nothing can compare to Bangkok, they still offer a decent selection of malls and markets for shopping.
Both places have modern malls with good air conditioning systems and a wide variety of both local and international products. Famous malls in Phuket are Jungcelon in Patong, and Central Phuket in Old Town. Popular malls in Chiang Mai are Maya, One Nimman, and Central Chiang Mai.
Both places have many markets where you can buy affordable Thai souvenirs. Phuket has more beach accessories such as swim wear, sung glasses, and hats. Chiang Mai has more handicrafts typical of Northern Thailand such as silk, textiles, silver jewelry, and wooden carvings.
In Phuket, you can check out Phuket Old Town Sunday Walking Street, Patong’s Bazaan Market, Chillva Market and Naka Weekend Market. In Chiang Mai, you can visit Sunday Walking Street, Saturday Walking Street, Anusarn Market, Chiang Mai Gate Market, or Waroros Market.
Food
Both Chiang Mai and Phuket have good food scenes, but I prefer the food in Chiang Mai more. This is because it is usually cheaper, more authentic, and in a cool mountainous setting.
You can find typical Thai food in both Chiang Mai and Phuket. Chiang Mai has more regional Northern Thai special dishes like Khao Soi or Northern Thai sausage. Phuket has more seafood options, so you’ll find seafood at many restaurants and events at the stalls at the night markets.
In Phuket, you can try authentic local food with reasonable prices in Phuket Old Town. The beach towns are often more touristy and the prices are a little bit higher toward tourists. In addition to some restaurants, I like to visit Chillva Market, and Banzaan Maker for street food.
In Chiang Mai, there are many more nicely decorated restaurants and cafes. Additionally, it also has a range of niche markets for cheaper local street food like Chiang Mai Gate Market, or Chang Phuak Market.
Cultural Attractions
Chiang Mai is better than Phuket when it comes to cultural and historical attractions. Chiang Mai is the ancient capital of the Lana Kingdom dating back to the 13th century. The city is home to many ancient temples dating back to its foundations inside the old city walls and moat.
Phuket is all about the beaches but it has some big temples and the old town with many cultural attractions. The island has been settled since at least the 1st century BCE, but it really began to boom as a trading post and tin-mining center in the 19th century. It attracts lots of Chinese immigrants, merchants, Malays, and Europeans during this time.
In Chiang Mai, you can find many beautiful old temples with Lana style architecture style like Wat Phra Singh, Wat Umong, or Wat Chedi Luang. Additionally, there are art galleries and museums to learn about the history of the region.
Phuket has two major temples Wat Chalong and Big Buddha. There are also many old houses with Sino‑Portuguese architecture, Chinese temples, and museums in Phuket Old Town to explore.
Beach Activities
Phuket is without doubt the place to go for beaches. Chiang Mai is surrounded by mountains and there are no beaches nearby. You can swim in the waterfalls in the middle of the jungle though.
Major beaches in Phuket are Patong, Karon, Kata, Kamala, Nai Harn Beach. These places have white sandy, calm waters, which are ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and watersports like jet skiing, kayaking, or banana boat.
From Phuket, you can easily take boat trips to nearby islands in Phanga Bay and Adanman Sea for more water activities like snorkeling, sightseeing, and diving.
Mountain Activities
Chiang Mai is ideal for mountain activities, though Phuket also features hilly terrain and offers some opportunities for similar experiences.
Some of my favorite outdoor activities in Chiang Mai include hiking to Wat Phra Lat and Wat Doi Suthep, hiking inside Doi Inthanon National Park, visiting Sticky Waterfalls, and bathing with elephants at the Elephant Santurari.
In Phuket, there are several hiking routes around the island. I did the hike to Monkey Viewpoints, the hike to Black Rock Viewpoint. You can hike from Nai Harn to Cape Krathing, as well as several hikes on the hills between Patong and Kamala.
Day trips
Chiang Mai is the transport hub and great base to explore North Thailand. There are many day trips from Chiang Mai such as Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle, and Chiang Dao. It’s all inland day trips though.
Phuket is an island that is connected to the mainland by road, making it easy to take both inland and sea day trips. There are boat trips to famous Phi Phi islands and James Bond Islands. You can take trips to Khao Sok National Park or Samet Nangshe Viewpoint.
Getting Around & Size
Chiang Mai province is much larger than Phuket province. Major attractions and beaches of Phuket are spread across the island (50km long and 18km wide), so you really need to rent a scooter or a car if you want to explore the whole island.
Major attractions of Chiang Mai are concentrated in the small areas of the old town, Night Bazaar, and Nimman, so it is easy to get around on foot, or by short Grab taxi or bike.
Chiang Mai old town is only 1.5km long and 1.5km wide, the Night Bazaar is centered around the 1km part of Chang Klan Road, and Nimman is centered around 1km long Nimman Road.
Both Chiang Mai and Phuket have a wide range of riding share services and local forms of transportations like tuk tuk or songthaews pick up trucks. Grab, Bolt, and Indrive are available in both places. The taxi cost in Phuket is usually more expensive than in Chiang Mai.
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So, you have it, my comparison between Phuket and Chiang Mai. These two places have completely different atmospheres, one is all about the beaches, and the other is all about the mountains.
Overall, Chiang Mai is a better location for those who want cultural attractions, mountainous activities like hiking and visiting elephant sanctuaries, great food, and affordable cost of living. Phuket is best for those who want a tropical beach holiday with beautiful beaches and lots of watersports activities.