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By Car
Route 1: Take Highway No. 1 (Phahon Yothin) from Bangkok to
Saraburi and then take Highway No. 2 (Mitraparp Highway) from Saraburi
to Nakhon Ratchasima. The total distance is 259 kilometers.
Route 2: Take Highway No. 304 from Bangkok and proceed past Min
Buri, Chachoengsao, Phanom Sarakham, Kabin Buri, Pak Thong Chai,
to Nakhon Ratchasima. The total distance is 273 kilometers.
Route 3: Take the Bangkok-Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok route then take Highway
No. 33 to Kabin Buri and Highway No. 304 past Wang Nam Khiao, Pak
Thong Chai to Nakhon Ratchasima.
By Air
Thai Airways International (THAI) flies to Khorat from Bangkok twice
a day. For more information, contact their Bangkok office at tel.
0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 or visit www.thaiairways.com. The THAI
office (Tel: 044-257211/5) is at 14 Manat Rd., off of Mahat Thai
Rd. inside the city moat.
Air Andaman provides two daily flight services from Bangkok to
Nakhon Ratchasima. For more information, contact their Bangkok office
at tel. 0 2996 9119 or visit www.airandaman.com.
By Bus
Ordinary buses leave the Northern Bus Terminal (Mochit 2 Bus Terminal)
in Bangkok every 15 or 20 minutes from 5 a.m. to 10.15 p.m. Air-conditioned
buses leaving for Bangkok arrive and depart from the Korat's air-conditioned
bus terminal on Mitraparp Highway.
The Transport Co., Ltd. (known as Bo Kho So) has both air-conditioned
and non air-conditioned buses departing from the Bangkoks Northern
Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal) daily. Air-conditioned buses
depart from Bangkok every 10 minutes all day, traveling time is
3.20 hours and the fare is 157 baht. Non air-conditioned buses depart
from Bangkok every hour from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., traveling time is
4.30 hours and the fare is 87 baht. For information, call 0 2936
2852-66 or get more updated information at www.traco.motc.go.th.
Private companies that offer bus services are Ratchasima Tour Co.,
tel. 0 4424 5443, Bangkok tel. 0 2936 1615 and Air Khorat Co., tel.
0 4425 2999, Bangkok tel. 0 2936 2252.
Buses running to other provinces leave from Bus Terminal 2 in Khorat.
There are services to the northeastern provinces of Chaiyaphum,
Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, Kalasin,
Ubon Ratchathani, Buri Ram (the old route goes past Nang Rong and
the new one past Huai Thalaeng), and Surin (past Nang Rong-Ban Tako).
In addition, there are buses to Bangkok, Chon Buri, Pattaya, Rayong,
Chanthaburi, Lop Buri, Sing Buri, Nakhon Sawan, Chiang Mai, and
Chiang Rai (up to Mae Sai). All depart from the Bus Terminal 2 in
Khorat.
Getting around Korat
Traveling within the province is easy, with many mini-bus and
bus routes operating in the city and nearby areas. The fare on each
route is 3 baht. Comfortable air-conditioned bus services are also
provided for route No. 2 at the rate of 5 baht.
A more convenient way to get around is to take the Tuk-Tuk or Samlor
in the city. Samlors around the city costs 20 baht; while tuk-tuks
cost 40 baht to most places around town (30 baht for a short hop)
and 50 to 60 baht for longer trips. The rate for motorbike taxis
is within the same range. Please note that the price must be agreed
upon before a trip.
If traveling to another district, it is possible to take either
a bus or mini-bus at Bus Terminal 1 on Burin Road. At Bus Terminal
2, only provides bus services to Amphoe Phimai and Dan Kwian-Chok
Chai.
For information, call Bus Terminal 1 on Burin Road, tel. 0 4424
2899 and 0 4426 8899 and Bus Terminal 2 on the Mitraparp-Khon Kaen
Road, tel. 0 4425 6006-9 ext. 175, 176 (air-conditioned), 178 (regular).
By Rail
An express train bound for Ubon Ratchathani departs Bangkok's Hualamphong
Station at 9 p.m. and arrives in Khorat at 2.03 a.m.
Rapid trains on the Ubon railway depart at 6.50 a.m., 6.45 p.m.
and 10.45 p.m., arriving in Khorat at 11.48 a.m. and 11.51 p.m.
and 4.07 a.m. respectively. especially the morning arrival, which
leaves plenty of daylight time to explore the city.
There are also two ordinary trains (3rd class only) that depart
Bangkok at 3.25 and 11.25 p.m., arriving in Khorat about 5 1/2 to
6 hours after departure.
The 1st class fare (express train only) is 230 baht, while the 2nd
class and 3rd class fares are 115 baht and 50 baht respectively.
An additional fee of 40 baht is charged for rapid trains, 60 baht
for the express and 80 baht for the special express train. The train
passes through some great scenery on the Khorat Plateau, including
a view of the enormous white Buddha figure at Wat Theppitak on a
thickly forested hillside. Visit www.railway.co.th or call 1690
for more up-to-date schedules and fares.
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