CHIANG RAI – A familiar engine sound is set to fade on the final afternoon of the year. At 2.30 pm on December 31st, the Chiang Rai to Chiang Saen route is scheduled to make its last journey, closing a chapter that has lasted for more than half a century.
For many locals, this service has been part of daily life since the “white bus” era, later known as the “green bus”.
A new rule that limits public service vehicles to a maximum age of 40 years has forced the change. Of the 13 buses still operating, 10 must stop. Only three newer buses, linked to the Golden Triangle line, can continue into 2026.
Taem Thippimol Chaiwong, owner of bus number 445, told Nakorn Chiang Rai about the job handed down from her father. Years ago, owning a bus was seen as a sign of success. People with buses were often called “phor liang”, a local term tied to status and steady income.
The work could support a family, pay for children’s education, and help buy a home and land.
Taem began helping the family business from early primary school, then took over fully around a decade ago. At that time, buses still sold for high prices because the job could still provide a living.
Over the years, travel habits have changed. More people started using private cars and vans, and passenger numbers dropped. The route once had as many as 26 buses, then slowly fell to 13 before this final shutdown.
The 40-year limit could not be avoided
Operators wanted to keep running, but the turning point came when the Ministry of Transport introduced a rule: buses older than 40 years cannot renew registration.
Taem explains that the decision did not come from the owners. It came from the regulation. Many small operators did not track legal updates closely, and they only realised the impact when it was already happening.
Awareness hit early in 2025. One owner tried to renew registration in March. When the bus went for inspection at the Department of Land Transport, the system rejected it because the vehicle was older than 40 years.
Taem adds that there was talk of flexibility up to 50 years in some cases. In practice, the main rule is applied at 40 years, both at the Department and within the wider transport system.
Most buses on the Chiang Rai to Chiang Saen route were registered between 1971 and 1972. Some, including Taem’s, were registered in 1978. If a 50-year rule had applied, several could have continued for another two to three years.
With the 40-year rule enforced, 10 buses had to stop at the same time. Only three buses registered between 1990 and 1993 remain eligible to run in 2026. With such a sudden cutoff, Taem says planning became almost impossible, and leaving the job felt forced.
Rising Costs, Increasing Fares
Running the route has become financially tough. The fare used to be 7 baht. It has risen to 53 baht per person, but it still does not cover daily costs. Taem lists the typical daily expenses for a return trip: about 700 baht for fuel, 330 baht for queue fees, 6 baht in official charges, plus parking at Chiang Saen at just over 20 baht. The total comes to roughly 1,050 baht a day.
Taem says the 53-baht fare does not make the trip worth it on its own. The route has survived because of parcel delivery. When passenger numbers are low, parcels help fill the gap.
On this line, the main income often comes from transporting parcels and local goods, not from ticket sales. The minimum parcel fee is about 40 baht per item. Heavier or larger items can cost 45 to 50 baht. That work has kept the service going for years.
The situation got worse during COVID-19, when both passenger and parcel volumes dropped. After the pandemic, the income was only enough to get by.
Taem compares the past with the present. In her father’s time, the job could build real wealth. In the current generation, it has often meant getting through month to month.
What it means for the Chiang Rai community
The end of the Chiang Rai to Chiang Saen bus service affects more than the owners. Some residents still rely on it as their main way to travel. Even though many people now use cars or vans, regular users remain.
They include local villagers, older residents, school pupils, students, and Lao workers who travel between Chiang Rai and Chiang Saen. Taem says passengers have asked what they will do without the bus, because not everyone has other options.
With 10 buses leaving the system and only three remaining, travel may become harder for people with fewer choices. Shortages may be felt most during busy times. Over decades, many passengers have ridden the same buses from childhood through working life and into retirement. For them, the bus has been more than transport; it has been part of their routine and their memories.
Even with scheduled bus operations ending, Taem and her husband are not giving up on driving for a living. They plan to move into non-regular passenger transport, working as a charter service.
That shift means the bus will no longer follow the same fixed route and timetable. Instead, it will take hired jobs based on customer needs, a path many small operators choose when a regular route is no longer possible.
Taem accepts that change comes with time. The family intends to continue in a similar line of work, just under a different model.
Keeping the buses as family history
A strong sign of attachment is that several owners do not plan to sell their buses for parts. They want to keep them as keepsakes.
Taem says bus 445 will be kept, not sold, so the next generation can remember the “sweet-ice” bus legend that once ran through Chiang Rai.
Owners of buses 462 and 445 share the same view. They want the vehicles to stand as proof of a period when local buses shaped everyday life. For them, the buses represent pride, identity, and family history, even if children and grandchildren do not continue the job.
The Chiang Rai to Chiang Saen bus closure highlights a few practical lessons about transport rules and local services.
Clear and early communication matters. When small operators do not receive direct notice, they cannot prepare, budget, or plan a replacement.
Safety rules also need a realistic path for communities with limited transport choices. A vehicle-age limit may aim to protect passengers, but a lack of support can leave gaps in service.
The numbers also show how the old business model has struggled. When parcel delivery brings in more money than passengers, it suggests that fares alone are not enough to keep small local routes running.
Taem says development is welcome, but she hopes decision-makers also look at the people carrying the costs and risks every day.
A goodbye message to Chiang Rai Passengers
On 31 December 2025 at 2.30 pm, buses including numbers 462 and 445, along with eight others, are set to leave on their final scheduled trip. It marks the end of a service that has lasted more than 50 years.
In a message shared with passengers, Taem thanks everyone who has travelled with them over the years. She says there is little to offer in return beyond sincere gratitude.
The farewell is also personal. The work began with her father and ends with her generation. The family does not expect the next generation to take it on.
The team also thanks fellow workers and groups who supported them along the way. For future travel, she advises passengers to contact the three buses that will remain in service. After 1 January 2026, she says she may not be able to answer route questions because she will no longer be part of the operating queue.
Choosing 31 December as the final day carries meaning. It is the last day of the year, the last day of the month, and the last day for bus 445 as a scheduled service.
A chapter ends, and something new begins
Long-time passengers have shared messages of sadness and concern. Many say they have ridden the same buses since their school days. The service has been part of major life stages, from studying to working, and for some, approaching retirement.
A group message from owners of the green buses, including lines to Mae Sai and Chiang Saen, thanks passengers for their support over many years. It also invites people to ride on the final day, with every bus and every trip still ready to serve.
The history of the Chiang Rai to Chiang Saen route reflects wider social change in the North over several decades. In the early years, from 1957 to 1967, the service was known as the “white bus”. Travel options were limited, and the bus linked communities that had few other connections. Owning a bus could mean stability and real opportunity.
Later, as the service became known as the “green bus”, demand grew and the fleet expanded to 26 vehicles.
Over time, private cars, vans, and other options grew in popularity. The bus fleet shrank from 26 to 13, and now to three that will continue into 2026. Similar patterns have happened across Thailand, where local bus services face strong competition and changing travel habits.
The last day for the Chiang Rai to Chiang Saen bus route, 31 December 2025, is not only a service ending. It is the close of a period when local buses shaped daily life across generations.
From 26 buses in the busiest years to three remaining, the story reflects changing travel choices and stricter safety rules. For Taem and other owners, the goodbye is full of emotion and pride. Some will keep their buses as family keepsakes, so future generations can still see what once served the community for decades.
The engines of buses 462 and 445 may go quiet after the final trip, but the memories of the “sweet-ice” buses will remain with the people who rode them to school, to work, and back home for more than 50 years.
