Driving From Bangkok To Ubon

[f16]

I visit Thailand a couple times a year but I'd like some advice/opinions from the long term residents. I have two questions.

1. I'm flying into Bangkok early morning on 15 April and driving to Ubon to pick-up the wife and we'll drive back on the 16th. Two long drives but I'm hoping to miss most of the Songkran exodus and return traffic to Bangkok. I'd appreciate any opinions if I planned correctly.

2. I usually take Hwy1 to Hwy2 and then Hwy24 to Ubon. However this trip I'm considering something different and am looking at taking Hwy1 to Hwy33 to Hwy384 and then linking back with Hwy24. Looking at a map it looks like this might actually be a shorter route. Any body ever take this route? Any feedback will be appreciated

[kurtmartens]

its called a plane.

[LuckyLew]

Have your wife fly down from Udon to meet you at airport

The amount you spend on gas will be more than the cost of her flight

[gotlost]

its called a plane.

OK smart boys tell the OP this:sure you can fly Bangkok to Ubon but its Noka Air from Don Muang clear across town from swampy https://www.nokair.com/NokConnext/aspx/Welcome.aspx YEA YOU HEARD ME AND THE CHEAPEST FAIR IS 3348 BAHT RETURN. So his idea a long drive is not that far off.

[Tiger7Moth]

Have your wife fly down from Udon to meet you at airport

The amount you spend on gas will be more than the cost of her flight

I have tried "short cuts" a couple of times and always ended up having problems.

I think having your wife fly to BKK, if possible, is the best bet. When you consider the wear and tear on yourself driving twenty or so hours, it is well worth the expense.

Alternatively, your wife could take the bus. My ex slept just as well on the bus as she did sitting next to me in the car.

I have taken a bus in Thailand several times and it seems as if they administer some drug to the Thais just before the bus departs because 5 minutes into the ride they are all dead to the world. At the end of the trip, they wake up rested and refreshed.

[ericthai]

its called a plane.

OK smart boys tell the OP this:sure you can fly Bangkok to Ubon but its Noka Air from Don Muang clear across town from swampy https://www.nokair.com/NokConnext/aspx/Welcome.aspx YEA YOU HEARD ME AND THE CHEAPEST FAIR IS 3348 BAHT RETURN. So his idea a long drive is not that far off.

YEAH SO WHAT, he is going to spend about 4000K+ just in gas and then car rental.

I have a factory in Surin, Phusing and Ubon and drove many times. One tank of gas will almost get you to Phusing pending on what car you have, I have a city so it's good on gas. then another about 3/4 of tank gas to ubon, maybe more depending on where she lives. Never went the way you are asking, but having her fly down is a good idea. Also you can get cheaper flights to Ubon I got a flight last month for 2583 round trip.

[gotlost]

its called a plane.

OK smart boys tell the OP this:sure you can fly Bangkok to Ubon but its Noka Air from Don Muang clear across town from swampy https://www.nokair.com/NokConnext/aspx/Welcome.aspx YEA YOU HEARD ME AND THE CHEAPEST FAIR IS 3348 BAHT RETURN. So his idea a long drive is not that far off.

YEAH SO WHAT, he is going to spend about 4000K+ just in gas and then car rental.

I have a factory in Surin, Phusing and Ubon and drove many times. One tank of gas will almost get you to Phusing pending on what car you have, I have a city so it's good on gas. then another about 3/4 of tank gas to ubon, maybe more depending on where she lives. Never went the way you are asking, but having her fly down is a good idea. Also you can get cheaper flights to Ubon I got a flight last month for 2583 round trip.

That was last month price the cheapest flight at the moment on Nok Air is 6098 baht return. That 4000 baht for car and gas is looking pretty good and that flight is still out of DM an hour from swampy and 500 baht taxi.

[Finlaco]

how about the train? can be booked today and yes its 12 hours but ...

being serious for a moment, consider the number of deaths and injuries on thai roads during songkhran - the safer option is train

or NCA, can pre-book as well (8 hours)

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I came down to Sakeo from Buri Ram on Hwy 348 (NOT 384) a couple years back, largely two lane so if you get stuck behind a slow truck and there's traffic, could be a real slow trip. Plus most of Hwy 33 from Prachin Buri to Kabin Buri is two lane, can also be slowish.

If you still want to go that route, and you're starting from Swamy, suggest:

-- head west on Hwy 7 towards Bangkok,

-- take the exit left to Hwy 9, the Eastern Ring Road,

-- then take the Thanyaburi-Nakhon Nayok Exit which'll have you headed east on Hwy 305 (wave when you pass Klong 10 at Km 23, that's where I am),

-- Hwy 305 joins Hwy 33 at Nakhon Nayok and heads further east to Prachin Buri and Sakeo, where you'd turn north on Hwy 384.

FYI, my Thai calendar shows Songkran all the way from 13-17 April, good luck on beating the traffic!

Mac

[gotlost]

OK I thank the OP will drive. The train is a taxi ride into town and the train schedule stinks plus you should see the cattle cars they use. Take the bus (NCA) great service BTW. The closes terminal is Chonburi, 45 min down the road and a taxi ride, plus the schedule for him stinks. We know about the air schedule, across town and dumb price. So the only solution is for the OP to drive. FYI I have driven this route and as bad as 24 may be its the best IMO. Unless the OP can talk his wife into taken the buss (NCA) into Bangkok and meeting him there. Have a safe and happy trip.

[Sisaketmike]

Have your wife fly down from Udon to meet you at airport

The amount you spend on gas will be more than the cost of her flight

How can you change Ubon to Udon???? I guess he wants to drive to Ubon Ratchatani, not to Udon Thani, right?

It’s pretty easy to get there, take the road to the old airport Don Muang- Ayutthaya. Always follow the road to Korat. (Nakhon Ratchasima, the 226) Right before Korat, you’ll have to look for a sign leading you to Buri Ram. (Still the 226) Buri Ram to Surin, Surin to Sisaket. You have to drive through Sisaket on the 226 (it’s a ring road here) and Ubon is only 65 km away from Sisaket. Have a nice ride, I understood that you’d like to have your own vehicle to get around, take care.

[SantiSuk]

Must say I'm surprised that anyone would think of changing away from the Highway 2 / Highway 24 route when coming to Ubon - sorry sisaketmike but IMO it would be much quicker than going around Korat, Burilam, Surin and SiSaket - with water throwing at its height he must surely avoid all population centres or outskirts and Highway 24 does that.

I have done Kantaralak to Bangkok several times along the OP's original route and without breaking speed limits and by starting at 7:30 in the morning it's normally a 7-8 hour trip including over 1 hour of stops. Add an hour for Kantaralak to Ubon.

HW 24 is fast four lane rural low traffic route until it narrows to 2 lanes around the Burilam turnoff. The Burilam to Surin turn-off stretches can be a bit busy particularly coming up to the Surin turn-off, but then it's usually quiet and fast again (two lane but straight and easy for overtaking) between the Surin turnoff and Ubon.

The only thing you need to watch out for in daylight hours is the BiB - voracious collectors of tea money on Highway 24 between Highway 3 and the Surin turn off. I have counted up to 7 collection points in a 200k stretch and that's not counting for the added pressure that the need for holiday money will be bringing on our smiley brown friends.

But you probably know all this OP. I don't think you will find a faster or more direct route than the one you chose before - except for using the Eastern by-pass from Swampy as described by another poster above. I think when you describe your proposed alternative route you mean Highway 33 south eastwards then highway 304 northwards. On my map that looks like driving along two sides of a triangle rather than the hypotenuse and since that hypotenuse (part HW 2 part HW 24) is four or six lane for its entire length I don't see how you could save time.

I assume there's a good reasons to want to drive. Although the drive is pretty straightforward and one of the least stressful drives in Thailand once you are well clear of Bangkok, it's madness to do two days of driving having jumped off a plane. In a small car it will cost you 1,500 baht in fuel and a lot more in driving fatigue. A less stressful large car, like the Fortuner I do that trip in, will soak up 3,000 baht.

Then there's Songkran - yes I think you will miss the big migration flows because many Issaan folk make a long week of it at least. But you will be slap bang into the middle of water-throwing mania. Highway 24 has little population along its route so much less holdups through drunken water-throwing convoys than other routes, but they might still add an hour or two to the journey time I posited above. There will still surely be rural water-throwing going on somewhere along the route and that means slow drunken pickup convoys.

If you can't stretch to a single fare for the missus to meet you in Bangkok, then I wish you good luck! Sounds like a couple of days from hel_l to me.

[kdc1899]

its called a plane.

OK smart boys tell the OP this:sure you can fly Bangkok to Ubon but its Noka Air from Don Muang clear across town from swampy https://www.nokair.com/NokConnext/aspx/Welcome.aspx YEA YOU HEARD ME AND THE CHEAPEST FAIR IS 3348 BAHT RETURN. So his idea a long drive is not that far off.

YEAH SO WHAT, he is going to spend about 4000K+ just in gas and then car rental.

I have a factory in Surin, Phusing and Ubon and drove many times. One tank of gas will almost get you to Phusing pending on what car you have, I have a city so it's good on gas. then another about 3/4 of tank gas to ubon, maybe more depending on where she lives. Never went the way you are asking, but having her fly down is a good idea. Also you can get cheaper flights to Ubon I got a flight last month for 2583 round trip.

That was last month price the cheapest flight at the moment on Nok Air is 6098 baht return. That 4000 baht for car and gas is looking pretty good and that flight is still out of DM an hour from swampy and 500 baht taxi.

Even if he got the car rental for free; you would suggest that he endure 24 hours of driving to save $50.00 ??

OP

Have your wife fly to DM on the earliest flight and take a taxi to Novotel Suvarnabhumi.

Pay your 5,000 baht for a room for one day (pre-book online).

Get off your airplane.

Go to the Novotel shuttle and be with your wife within 45 minutes of landing.

Trust me

You will thank me later