Planning trip to Phimai/Phanom Rung

[watthong]

We're one fit senior couple planning to visit Phi Mai + Phanom Rung for a 1 week/10 days trip, coming up from BKK and using Korat as base. We are not so keen on motosai taxis (short 1-2 km distance is ok but not longer or our nerves will get frayed...) and would like to get info on 4-wheeled transportation. Besides renting a van/car with driver for ourselves, just wondering about most current options on using public bus/minivan etc. to get to the temples. Thank you in advance for any tips or advice/price range.

[NoDisplayName]

Buses run from Korat new bus station to Phimai about 5-6 times daily, final destination of buses is Chum Phuang.  Fare to Phimai is 59 baht.  Buses will stop at Phimai Historical Park and Phimai Market.

[watthong]

22 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

Buses run from Korat new bus station to Phimai about 5-6 times daily, final destination of buses is Chum Phuang.  Fare to Phimai is 59 baht.  Buses will stop at Phimai Historical Park and Phimai Market.

Sounds great, thanks! Anything similar from Korat to Phanom Rung? Or do we have to get to Buriram first?

[NoDisplayName]

22 minutes ago, watthong said:

Sounds great, thanks! Anything similar from Korat to Phanom Rung? Or do we have to get to Buriram first?

You'll probably need to get that info from the Korat bus station, the new one just past the Terminal mall.

 

Last bus from Korat to Phimai leaves around 5:30 PM.  (changes daily)

Last bus from Phimai to Korat leaves around 11:30 AM.

If relying on bus service and want to visit the historical park, you'd plan on an overnight stay.

 

There are (I think) 3 bus services from Mochit Station to Korat, all same price about 256 baht.

 

Nakonchai Air is comfortable, has wifi.

Korat Pattaya also comfortable, no wifi.

Chudchai.......seats too cramped.

 

 

[watthong]

12 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

You'll probably need to get that info from the Korat bus station, the new one just past the Terminal mall.

 

Last bus from Korat to Phimai leaves around 5:30 PM.  (changes daily)

Last bus from Phimai to Korat leaves around 11:30 AM.

If relying on bus service and want to visit the historical park, you'd plan on an overnight stay.

 

There are (I think) 3 bus services from Mochit Station to Korat, all same price about 256 baht.

 

Nakonchai Air is comfortable, has wifi.

Korat Pattaya also comfortable, no wifi.

Chudchai.......seats too cramped.

 

 

Great info, thank you so much!

[youreavinalaff]

23 hours ago, watthong said:

Sounds great, thanks! Anything similar from Korat to Phanom Rung? Or do we have to get to Buriram first?

Travelling from Korat, it might be better to head along the 24 into Prakhonchai. There are a few hotels there although it is a sleepy town.

 

However, you should find someone or somehow to get to Phanom Rung.

[watthong]

1 hour ago, youreavinalaff said:

Travelling from Korat, it might be better to head along the 24 into Prakhonchai. There are a few hotels there although it is a sleepy town.

 

However, you should find someone or somehow to get to Phanom Rung.

Thanks for the info!

[volsfan]

Better off going from Korat to Nang Rong. A couple of decent hotels there and easy to access Phanom Rung from there. IMO, Prakhonchai is further down 24 than you need to go. 

[BillyJaye]

I visited Phanom Rung in March this year.  Definitely worth seeing… It was great.

I like small motorcycles, so in Buriram I rented one for a few days, and one day I rode out to Phanom Rung.

It was an easy ride, good roads, not much traffic.  Took less than an hour to ride their, and I even found a nice little Thai restaurant on the side of the highway to eat at.

If you are comfortable riding a scooter, I recommend that.

[watthong]

On 7/7/2023 at 6:33 AM, volsfan said:

Better off going from Korat to Nang Rong. A couple of decent hotels there and easy to access Phanom Rung from there. IMO, Prakhonchai is further down 24 than you need to go. 

Thank you for the advice, much appreciated!

[watthong]

14 hours ago, BillyJaye said:

I visited Phanom Rung in March this year.  Definitely worth seeing… It was great.

I like small motorcycles, so in Buriram I rented one for a few days, and one day I rode out to Phanom Rung.

It was an easy ride, good roads, not much traffic.  Took less than an hour to ride their, and I even found a nice little Thai restaurant on the side of the highway to eat at.

If you are comfortable riding a scooter, I recommend that.

Thank you for the post, very nice pics. Unfortunately both of us though fit are a bit too frail to handle motosai. So it looks like we would have to "charter" something if no public transportation is available.

[norfolkandchance]

Phimai Paradise Hotel is in the centre and a decent evening restaurant on the same road. A 5 min walk to the Historical Park. You'll need transport if you want to visit The Banjan Tree site. With daytime restaurants.

There is a bar with food on the corner opposite the clock tower. Opens in the afternoon.

Enjoy your visit.

 

 

[watthong]

14 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

Phimai Paradise Hotel is in the centre and a decent evening restaurant on the same road. A 5 min walk to the Historical Park. You'll need transport if you want to visit The Banjan Tree site. With daytime restaurants.

There is a bar with food on the corner opposite the clock tower. Opens in the afternoon.

Enjoy your visit.

 

 

Thank you for the tip. Will look into that. Phimai seems like a nice walkaround place for a day or two.

[biervoormij]

If you find transport for Phanom Rung you should try to also visit Prasat Muang Tam. I believe the ticket to Phanom Rung also includes Prasat Muang Tam and they are close to each other if you have your own transport.

[watthong]

10 minutes ago, biervoormij said:

If you find transport for Phanom Rung you should try to also visit Prasat Muang Tam. I believe the ticket to Phanom Rung also includes Prasat Muang Tam and they are close to each other if you have your own transport.

Thanks for the tip. Yes, we also plan to visit MT. Actually there is a string of little temples/ruins from Phi Mai which is the start of the royal road, or El Camino Real if you are a Californian like I am, passing Phanom Rung going on to Siem Reap...Unfortunately we don't drive.

[biervoormij]

56 minutes ago, watthong said:

Thanks for the tip. Yes, we also plan to visit MT. Actually there is a string of little temples/ruins from Phi Mai which is the start of the royal road, or El Camino Real if you are a Californian like I am, passing Phanom Rung going on to Siem Reap...Unfortunately we don't drive.

Yes it is amazing how many sites there are in Thailand.

 

If you like small temples and find transport you can also stop at Kuti Rishi Ban Nong Bua Lai and Kuti Rishi Ban Khok Mueang. These are between Phanom Rung and MT.

 

You may also want to look at some of @chrissables posts. He does a great job of finding these small sites and I have used some of his post for planning my own trips.

 

 

Hope you are able to work out the transport and please post about your travels after your trip.

 

[bignok]

1 hour ago, watthong said:

Thanks for the tip. Yes, we also plan to visit MT. Actually there is a string of little temples/ruins from Phi Mai which is the start of the royal road, or El Camino Real if you are a Californian like I am, passing Phanom Rung going on to Siem Reap...Unfortunately we don't drive.

Just go to Phimai if you cant drive.

[Vietem]

I recommend the Socool Grand Hotel in Nang Rong. My own preference was Phanom Rung, Muang Tam and Phimai in that order. For a variety of reasons, but also Phimai was very busy and the others weren't. 

[watthong]

2 hours ago, biervoormij said:

You may also want to look at some of @chrissables posts. He does a great job of finding these small sites and I have used some of his post for planning my own trips.

 

 

Thanks so much for the link. This vlog got me salivating! Hopefully we can set sail soon, sometime this month....Will definitely report back.

[watthong]

1 hour ago, Vietem said:

I recommend the Socool Grand Hotel in Nang Rong. My own preference was Phanom Rung, Muang Tam and Phimai in that order. For a variety of reasons, but also Phimai was very busy and the others weren't. 

Thanks for the tip, the hotel looks great - especially the pool! A good place to make "plan of attack" on Phanom Rung.

[watthong]

On 7/9/2023 at 12:42 PM, biervoormij said:

Hope you are able to work out the transport and please post about your travels after your trip.

Phimai is a gem, superbly restored by the "master" Bernard Groslier. Whereas the average sightseeing time is 20 minutes, we spent 4 days just taking it all in, considering the site an extension of our hotel grounds. The town itself is still struggling to get back on its feet post covid. By 8pm, Lotus and the rest of the town turn off the light and leave it to the vampires. We didn't do Phanom Rung, figuring Nang Rong would fare worse than Phimai serving as a base...but we will be back!

[bignok]

7 minutes ago, watthong said:

Phimai is a gem, superbly restored by the "master" Bernard Groslier. Whereas the average sightseeing time is 20 minutes, we spent 4 days just taking it all in, considering the site an extension of our hotel grounds. The town itself is still struggling to get back on its feet post covid. By 8pm, Lotus and the rest of the town turn off the light and leave it to the vampires. We didn't do Phanom Rung, figuring Nang Rong would fare worse than Phimai serving as a base...but we will be back!

Done all 3. All about the same standard imo. This was 15 years ago.

 

Im tempted to go back. The mrs loves this stuff.

[watthong]

6 hours ago, bignok said:

Im tempted to go back. The mrs loves this stuff.

We plan to go back (to Phimai} as well. Probably May 2024, that's when the museum re-opens...a not to be missed event!

[watthong]

@biervoormij @BillyJaye

 

The hassles trying to get to places such as Phanom Rung. We were trying to go from Phimai to Phanom Rung but the post-covid infrastructure around the country has definitely shrunken down, so no such luck. Like the old saying goes, "one door closes another opens..." one of us (not me) has volunteered to go learn driving/getting driver licence for motosai!

 

By our MO, it's gonna be hard to have any driver/guide accommodating us without asking exhorbitant price...If it took us 4 days to do Phimai, I'm sure for Phanom Rung we are going camp out somewhere nearby or getting there and back by ourselves. So DIY touring is the way to go. Thank you for the suggestion/encouragemen!

[PeterA]

Once in Phimai, there are a few taxis  in the center of town at the clock tower, which is a stones throw from the ancient temple. The bus station is a few blocks away.

You can get off the bus at the clock tower if you tell the driver before hand. Elsewhere in Phimai finding a taxi is not very likely.