Can it really be true ?   I love isaan and Korat.   The downside is getting there.  Train is slow and driving is just horrible. I drive up route 2 and feel I need valium afterwards.   Aggressive does not really describe driving standards.   Is the motorway just a racetrack best left alone or will mean those of us who prefer a leisurely  drive be able to use the regular road underneath and enjoy more relaxed experience.  Then there is still the climb up past the cement works   .  

9 hours ago, surreybloke said:

Can it really be true ?   I love isaan and Korat.   The downside is getting there.  Train is slow and driving is just horrible. I drive up route 2 and feel I need valium afterwards.   Aggressive does not really describe driving standards.   Is the motorway just a racetrack best left alone or will mean those of us who prefer a leisurely  drive be able to use the regular road underneath and enjoy more relaxed experience.  Then there is still the climb up past the cement works   .  

are you saying the motorway is open end to end,

I doubt it will be more relaxed underneath

2 hours ago, steve187 said:

are you saying the motorway is open end to end,

I doubt it will be more relaxed underneath

I am told what there is actually built is open  .     I despair at the driving.     

Will portions of M6 be open for Songkran?

You still have to go past the cement factory over the winding mountain bit. It's open after about 30 minutes drive past there, a few minutes after you go past the left turn towards Khao Yai.

 

It's been open since New Year. It has 2 lanes in each direction. No toll to pay at present. You can get off at the turn to Dan Khun Thot or go another 15 minutes or so and get off just south of Non Thai/just north of Korat town. 

 

Drove it yesterday.  

There is a rather short stretch provisionally open of the M6. I drove there last week. I will add some details later.

Sign on the northern ring road at Nakhon Ratchasima:

 

I didn't use it on the way south due to being unprepared.

Back north I used the exit to #201.

Coming from the south it starts somewhere before the reservoir.

It's still not completed, plastered with 80 km/h signs and nobody cares 😁

No proper rest stop.

Just some sanitary containers.

All in all it saves a bit of time but until it is fully open to Bangna (#9) it's not a big thing.

The real horror is still there from Bangna to #1 towards Saraburi. Terrible driving.

BTW #9 also that crowded. Not a relaxed ride. Towards Bangkok multiple kms jam.

Next time I avoid that mess and go through Kao Yai again.

Google says it's a maximum of 111 km to/from Korat (errors withhold).

I only used the stretch marked with the black bubble:

 

A lot still unfinished for a real relieve:

I drove it a week ago from Khao Yai to Korat.  It's 80km in length, once completed it will be 196km.

 

A lot of it is raised motorway and open only to cars and small trucks.  It has been advertised/stated that it is a non stop motorway. 

 

I think this is partially due to the wonderful views around the lake/resivour.  Photo crazy people could cause problems for traffic. 

 

And yes 80kmph is the posted speed limit for now.  Not that many drivers were paying any attention to that! 

 

It's a nice drive and I'll definitely use it both ways next time. Even after they introduce the tolls I'll use it.