Daily flights to Mae Hong Son and Pai are finally taking off this October

If you've ever tackled the 1,864 curves on the Mae Hong Son loop and thought, ‘there has to be an easier way to get to Mae Hong Son,’ good news: there soon will be.

Thailand’s small-plane regional carrier, EZY Airlines, is set to launch regular direct flights between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son, making one of northern Thailand's most spectacular provinces far quicker – and a whole lot less twisty – to reach.

Until now, getting to Mae Hong Son has usually meant either a very long drive through the mountains or a combination of buses, minivans and carsickness. Now, the airline gives us a new lifeline, with the inaugural commercial flight departing on September 17, before ramping up to full operations by October 1. 

The flights will operate using a 12-seat aircraft (a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX for all you nerds out there), leaving you up-close-and-personal with the pilot and the views. According to the airline, large panoramic windows make it ideal for mountain gazing, while comfortable seating and a charter-style departure process that skips the usual airport queueing comes part-and-parcel. 

Flights to Mae Hong Son will take off daily by October 1, with two to three flights per day. Flights to Pai will run three days a week – with flight departures depending on the bookings.

Tickets will start from around B3,000-B3,500 per passenger, which isn’t cheap. But it isn’t expensive either. A charter flight usually costs in excess of 60k, so it’s almost a bargain if you want to skip the terribly windy four or five hour drive.

EZY Arilines’ timing is impeccable. October marks the start of one of Mae Hong Son's most beautiful seasons, with famous sights like the Bua Tong sunflower fields in full bloom and destinations like Ban Rak Thai and Pang Ung becoming fully-booked with tourists from around the world. 

For the aviation fans out there, the airline will officially celebrate its launch with a Grand Opening event on August 14 at Central Chiangmai Airport, where tourism businesses from across Mae Hong Son will showcase local food, culture and attractions.

Ezy Airlines says bookings are now open ahead of the September launch, and although the website has methods, the easier way is to book via Line Official @EzyAirlines