City municipality in Thailand

Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)

Nakhon Ratchasima is the capital of Nakhon Ratchasima province, the largest city and metropolitan area in Northeastern Thailand, the third-largest metropolitan area and seventh most-populous city proper in Thailand.

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The field note

How transport actually works in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat): 10 ways of moving, each with its operator, timings, fare and sources, and what we could not confirm.

Read the note on Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)

What Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) has

NScheduled flightsnearest airport DMK is 199 km away
YTrains and coachesTransitous carries 1 timetable feed for this country, 0 with real-time
NFerriesno crossing within 25 km
YDriving and taxiOpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band
NBike and scooter shareno share feed known
NCruisesno open itinerary source anywhere

Y routable now · F found, not yet implemented · N no source known. Nearest place with more: Chaiyaphum, 94 km.

14.971°, 102.102°

It is 250 kilometres (160 mi) northeast of Bangkok, one of the four major cities of Isan, known as the "big four of Isan", and has a population of 466,098 people as of 2021. The city is commonly known as Korat, a shortened form of its name.

Get in

Getting to Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)

There are three routes to take from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima. First Route: Take Hwy 1 (Phahonyothin) passing Don Muang Airport, Wang Noi, and Nong Khae till you arrive at the Saraburi interchange. At Saraburi, turn right along Hwy 2 (Mittraphap Hwy) which finally leads to Nakhon Ratchasima. The total distance of this route is 259 km.

See

Worth seeing

Archaeological Site At Ban Prasat. Ancient Bronze Age artifacts in a burial site dating back 3,000 years. Dan Kwian (Korat's main ceramics centre). Famous for its rough textures and rust-like pottery glazes. Khao Yai National Park. Thailand's first national park. Has four different provinces which includes 3,000 species of plants, 200 wild elephants, tigers, gibbons, bears, deer, bats, wild pigs, birds.

Things to do

Golf. The Country Club Khao Yai starts at 250 baht for guests and 500 baht for visitors; Friendship Meadows Country Club ranges from 600 baht for guests to 800 baht for visitors on weekdays, 400 baht more on weekends; Misson Hills Golf Club Khao Yai ranges from 800 baht for guests and 600 baht for visitors; Rooks Korat Country Club Golf & Resort starts at 500 baht for both guests and visitors; Voyage Panorama Resort…

Eat

Where to eat

Never let it be said that you can't eat on a budget in Korat. The cheaper restaurants usually open during the day and can generally be divided into two groups: those which sell pre-cooked khao man gai, kwitiyao and khao moo daeng (boiled chicken & rice, noodle soup and red pork with rice), and those which have a menu and sell khao pad, pad Thai (fried rice, fried noodles) and so on.

How locals move

Getting around Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) the local way

The gateway to Isaan: constant Bangkok buses and trains into two separate bus terminals that serve opposite directions, city songthaews on fixed numbered routes, and onward buses to the Laos border at Nong Khai and Mukdahan; the airport carries no scheduled flights.

01
Bangkok (Mo Chit) to Korat coachbus
Mo Chit Northern/Northeastern Bus Terminal, Bangkok, to Korat's new or old bus station
Where
At Mo Chit go to the top floor and buy from windows 40/49 (Ratchasima Tour), 50 (Suranaree Air) or 52/53 (Air Korat Pattana); windows split by destination terminal, so check which of Korat's two stations your ticket names before boarding - the old station ('bok kor sor gow') is within the city centre on Burin Rd between Suranaree Rd and Mittraphap, the new one is well north of it on the Khon Kaen stretch of Mittraphap Rd
When
buses leave Bangkok for Korat several times an hour 24 hours a day
Fare
220 baht one-way (2nd class); the page gives no date for this figure, treat it as undated
Takes
around 3-4 hours
Season
year-round
Booking
buy at the terminal window on the day; no reservation needed for this route
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high
02
Bangkok to Korat traintrain
Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal / Hualamphong to Nakhon Ratchasima station, Mukmontri Rd
Where
Buy at any SRT station counter or through the State Railway of Thailand's own ticketing site; ask which of the city's two stations (main station on Mukmontri Rd, or Chira Junction) the train actually stops at
When
Twelve trains a day leave Bangkok for Korat.
Fare
from 50 baht for the cheapest ticket on the cheapest train; no date given on the page, treat as undated
Takes
4 to 6 hours depending on train class
Season
year-round; trains run late routinely
Booking
counter or SRT online ticketing (dticket.railway.co.th), no advance purchase required for basic classes but sleeper/seat classes sell out on holidays
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high
03
Korat to Pak Chong minivan (for Khao Yai)minibus
New bus terminal, Korat (near Saint Mary's hospital) to Pak Chong town
Where
Minivan counter at the new bus terminal; vans leave from a specific bay for Pak Chong
When
minivans leave approximately hourly, 70 baht until roughly 18:00, but may wait until full before departing
Fare
70 baht; the page does not date this figure, treat as undated
Takes
The trip takes 1-2 hr.
Season
year-round
Booking
none, buy at the counter same-day
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium
04
Pak Chong to Khao Yai north entrance local busbus
Bus stop next to the deer monument and the 7-Eleven in Pak Chong, to the park's northern entrance (30 km)
Where
Stand at the marked bus stop by the deer monument; the vehicle is a converted local bus, not the songthaew that some older guides describe for the same run - the ride still stops well short of the park's information centre and hitching or a further songthaew is normal from there
When
Buses seem to depart every hour and take 30-60 min
Fare (2026)
Tickets are 50 baht.
Takes
30-60 minutes
Season
year-round
Booking
none, pay on board
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium
05
Korat city songthaews, numbered routessongthaew
Around twenty fixed numbered routes across the city, most describable from Ratchadamnoen Rd in front of the Thao Suranaree (Yamo) statue
Where
Flag one down anywhere on its route or wait at a marked stop; useful numbers for a visitor: 1/4 to the main train station, 2 or 11 to the old bus station, 7 to the main (new) bus station, 15 (purple and white) from the new bus station into the centre, 4129 (white with yellow/blue stripe) out to the zoo via the mall and Big C
When
most run roughly 07:00-21:00, a few from 05:00 to 23:00
Fare
typically around 20 baht within the city (from the zoo-route fare); no page gives a general city fare table, treat as undated
Takes
10-30 minutes depending on route
Season
year-round
Booking
none, hail from the roadside
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium
06
Korat to Phimai local busbus
Korat's bus terminal (Wikivoyage's Phimai page and Korat page disagree on which one - see gaps) to a bus stop on Chom Suda Sadej Road, 300 m from Phimai Historical Park
Where
Ask for the Phimai bus; from Bangkok or points north an alternative is to get off any Khon Kaen-bound bus at Talat Khae (on request only, tell the attendant your destination) and pick up local transport the last 10 km
When
approx. every 60 minutes (05:30-22:00), shorter intervals in the morning
Fare (2026)
The 60-km trip costs 50 baht and takes 70-90 minutes.
Takes
70-90 minutes
Season
year-round
Booking
none, pay on board
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high
07
Korat to Vientiane (Laos) via Nong Khai Friendship Bridgebus
Korat's new bus terminal to Vientiane, Laos, crossing at the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge near Nong Khai
Where
Buy at the new bus terminal (all Laos and Cambodia border services start there, not the old station); passengers disembark for passport control and the bridge shuttle at Nong Khai regardless of through-ticketing
When
there are a couple of buses a day between Korat and Vientiane
Fare
no fare found for this route; could not be confirmed - ask at the new bus terminal ticket counters
Takes
no duration found on the page; likely 6-8 hours given the Nong Khai distance, ask at the terminal
Season
year-round; subject to normal Thai-Lao border hours at the bridge
Booking
buy at the terminal in advance recommended for the border crossing
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence low
08
Korat to Mukdahan (for the Savannakhet, Laos border)bus
Korat's new bus terminal to Mukdahan, then the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge onward to Savannakhet
Where
Buy at the new bus terminal for the Korat-Mukdahan leg; at Mukdahan, buses to the bridge do not have a formal stop at either end, so it is possible to board or alight right at the border checkpoint
When
no frequency found on the page; ask at the new bus terminal
Fare
no fare found for the Korat-Mukdahan leg; the onward Mukdahan-Savannakhet bridge bus is a one-way ticket costs 100 baht, undated on the page
Takes
no duration found on the page
Season
year-round
Booking
none confirmed; pay on board
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence low
09
Nakhon Ratchasima Airport (NAK) - no scheduled serviceservice status
Nakhon Ratchasima Airport, opened 1997
Where
not applicable - the airport has no commercial check-in to look for
When
no scheduled flights; general aviation and club flying only
Fare
not applicable, no tickets sold
Takes
not applicable
Season
the airport's lack of scheduled service is a standing condition, not seasonal, driven by the strength of the road and rail links to Bangkok
Booking
not applicable
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high
10
Korat city tuk-tuks and motorbike taxistuk tuk
Anywhere in the city; concentrated outside the two bus stations, the train station, and shopping centres
Where
Wait outside the new bus terminal, the old bus terminal, the train station, or hail one on a main road; agree the fare before getting in
When
on demand, no schedule
Fare (2020)
70 baht taxi/50 baht motorbike taxi for a 3-4 km ride via the Grab app (January 2020); tuk-tuk drivers bargain similarly, starting around 40 baht and rising in 20-baht steps
Takes
varies by trip
Season
year-round
Booking
none for street hailing; Grab app for online booking
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2020-01) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

Not yet confirmed: The brief describes 'the new double-track line' between Bangkok and Korat; Wikivoyage's own text only describes the existing single line splitting east of the city toward Nong Khai and Ubon Ratchathani, and gives no double-tracking detail. Google News RSS surfaced several Bangkok Post and Nation Thailand headlines about double-track and high-speed rail work on this corridor (e.g. 'SRT eyes October launch for Chira-Khon Kaen double-track route', 'Northeast line upgrades to finish in 2024'), but the Google News redirect links did not resolve to the publisher URL in this session, so no claim from them is included here. Someone should check bangkokpost.com and the State Railway of Thailand directly for the current double-track status.; No fare or timetable could be confirmed for the direct Korat-Vientiane bus beyond 'a couple of buses a day' - ask at the new bus terminal.; No frequency, duration or fare could be confirmed for the Korat-Mukdahan bus leg itself (only the onward Mukdahan-Savannakhet bridge fare is sourced) - ask at the new bus terminal or Mukdahan bus terminal (+66 42 611421).; Wikivoyage's Phimai page and its Nakhon Ratchasima page disagree on which Korat terminal the Phimai bus leaves from: the Phimai page implies a general 'bus station' departure while the Korat page names 'Bus Terminal Number 1' (the old station) specifically for Phimai and Pak Thong Chai services. This entry follows the Korat page's more specific claim but the discrepancy is unresolved.; Nakhonchai Air and 407 Parklane - two of Thailand's larger long-distance coach operators plausibly serving this route - could not be checked: nakhonchaiair.com returned 403 over HTTP/2 and served a booking-widget shell with no Korat-specific content even over HTTP/1.1 with a browser user agent, and 407parklane.com did not resolve/connect in this session. Neither appears in docs/13-api-inventory.md. Worth another pass with a different network path.; No live songthaew route map or general city fare table was found; the 20-baht figure here is carried over from one specific route (to the zoo) and may not hold city-wide.; Could not confirm current opening/closure status of the Khao Yai park's two entrances beyond what Wikivoyage states; the north (Pak Chong) side is well documented but the south (Prachinburi) side has no transport detail beyond a road direction.; The kind vocabulary was checked against the ```kinds block in SCHEMA.md before writing this file; nothing here needed a kind outside the existing list..

The field note on Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.