Traffic conditions on the Chiang Mai–Lampang Road, outbound from Chiang Mai, became increasingly congested from the evening of 3rd January as large numbers of residents and tourists began returning home after travelling and celebrating the New Year holidays with their families. Outbound traffic volumes steadily increased from the afternoon through the evening, although vehicles were still able to move at a reasonable pace. Authorities expect traffic to remain heavy throughout the day until Monday.
At Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 (Arcade 3), large numbers of passengers were also making their return journeys, particularly on routes to Bangkok and the northeastern region. Most passengers had planned ahead and booked their tickets in advance. Bus operators across all companies deployed additional services to meet demand.
Throughout the day until this evening, more than 13,438 passengers departed Chiang Mai, while 11,440 arrived, bringing the total number of passengers using the terminal today to 24,878.
For inbound services across three routes — Bangkok, inter-provincial routes, and routes within Chiang Mai province — a total of 908 regular trips were operated, with an additional 22 extra services added. Outbound services across the same three routes operated 946 regular trips, supplemented by a further 56 additional services to accommodate the increased passenger numbers. The Bangkok route in particular saw up to 22 extra outbound services, with some operators dispatching additional buses every 5 to 10 minutes.
