Getting Home To Korat From Bkk Airport.

[Korat Correct]

Getting to Don Muang is easy from Korat. Take the bus and ask to be put off at Airport. 198bht.

I've spent 2000bht plus on taxi and private hire, from Airport to Korat centre,but thought I would look at the other options.

Intention..

Bkk airport to Mo Chit bus station .. bus to Korat

Is there a direct bus link?

Has anyone asked Korat bus station office to arrange pick up at drop off point?

Proceed to Mo Chit BS and get return to Korat?

Will have two large bags though.

Taxi to Mo Chit BS? How much is the fare?

Airport bus to? No 1,2,or 3 to City then bus to Mo Chit?

Airport Bus to Skytrain? Not advisable with heavy bags?

Train from Airport to Korat, slow and hot.?

Any other suggestions?

OK Comedians ....Shank's Pony is last option

[Loz]

Having asked the same question I can offer the very helpfull response I got:

To get to Korat, get a taxi from the airport to Mor Chit Bus Station, ask the taxi driver, "Bye satani lot mai Mor chit." - this means go to the bus station at Mor chit - make sure he puts his metre on, if he doesn't don't use the taxi - it shoud cost about ß130. When you get to the bus station - which is very big - go to the 2nd floor, gate 50, and ask for a ticket to Korat - be careful because the buses leave about every 10 minutes, and you have to find your bus pretty quickly. Basically from the gate where you buy your ticket, turn right ( as you are facing the ticket window), walk about 50 metres and head straight bearing slightly to the left, turn left down a ramp and right doen an escalator - which probably won't be working!!!, at the bottom walk straight ahead and show someone at a bus your ticket - they will then show you which one is yours. Then once on the bus, ask the lady - not the driver -, "Jot bye the Moor Korat, cap." - this means drop me off at The mall, please. The journey will take about 3 hours.

hope this helps.

[Korat Correct]

Loz

Well done

So you have arrived!

About 130bht by meter taxi?

Two suitcases and hand luggage wont impede this dash upstairs and down with ticket at the bus station?

When you say "upstairs" what does this imply for a pensioner?

[ThaiRanger]

Loz

Well done

So you have arrived!

About 130bht by meter taxi?

Two suitcases and hand luggage wont impede this dash upstairs and down with ticket at the bus station?

When you say "upstairs" what does this imply for a pensioner?

The taxi will drop you upstairs similar to the departure at an airport. The buses are down stairs. They don't have luggage carts. The busses leave every 20 to thrity minutes just make sure you have about ten to fifteen minutes before departure. Also make sure it is a first class bus. Don't get on any bus that isn't White with blue trim only. No orange paint or even stripes

Los and Korrect seems like you have been getting pretty good advice especially from Naka. I would be careful using the Thai unless you have practiced it with native Thai speakers but everyone will appeciate you trying. Must people at BKK airport and Bus station will speak some English but give it a try. Remember to smile at everyone and enjoy yourself. Looking forward to meeting you at the Pasinee Sometime.

Tha Ranger

[raslin]

So why not catch a train from Don Muang to Korak ~250 baht?

Why make life difficult. You can get a porter from the sirport to the train.

Roger in Surin

[Korat Correct]

Thanks for the advice.

I've seen the train, its slow,irregular and dirty, but accept its convenient and inexpensive.

The buses are frequent and if I can get my bags downstairs after buying the ticket, it does seem the better option.

The taxi to Korat is expensive but for a worn out traveller may seem the best option.

I will see how I feel after the journey by plane and through Bkk airport.

Thanks again. I hope others have found the advice useful.

[Loz]

For the record:

I have not arrived yet ( two weeks!)

I just got the advice from the headmaster at the school I will be working for.

I have since decided that after a long flight and first time in the country I will just get in a metered taxi and negotiate under 2500bht (no tolls) for the trip to Korat. Bet its the quickest.

Must agree, the slowness of the trains put me right off. the Busses (not like the UK) sound far better!

Cheers,

Loz

[dereklev]

For the record:

I have not arrived yet ( two weeks!)

I just got the advice from the headmaster at the school I will be working for.

I have since decided that after a long flight and first time in the country I will just get in a metered taxi and negotiate under 2500bht (no tolls) for the trip to Korat. Bet its the quickest.

Must agree, the slowness of the trains put me right off. the Busses (not like the UK) sound far better!

Cheers,

Loz

Good decision Loz, hope you arrive in the day so you can enjoy the drive........

[Loz]

Crack of dawn, Mate!

[Cheeky Farang]

Ok, I have travelled many time from BKK to Korat.

(1) taxi about 150 to Mor Chit ( always get taxi from upstairs)

(2) At Mor Chit get a luggage handler and tell her/him where u want to go.

(3) Take a slow walk across sky walk way, follow luggage handler.

(4) Ignore all ticket touts and luggage handlers reccomendation to buy ticket.

(5) Walk down stairs whilst luggage handler use the ramp.

(6) Buy ticket from BANGKOK _ RATCASIMA counter 198 baht, at this counter you can pick your own seat, and depending of time of day you may want to sit on the left/right hand side because of the sun.

3-3.5 hours later Korat

EASY PEASY

( If you want to get taxi all the way to Korat, which I have done sometimes Never Pay more that 2K)

later

CF.

.

[Korat Correct]

Cheeky Farang

Thanks

Very informative.

Doesn't sound nearly as daunting as I first thought.

I am going to give it a try.

Afterall, the excellent public transport system should be supported when possible.

Are you joining in on the Korat Expats Club 1st June meet?

[goofy]

I would recomend to take the express train. leaves about 10,30 from bkk and passes at Don Muang 30 minuites later.

I always try to use this one when going back and forward to Buriram .

[Loz]

I heard the trains were slow, dirty and not air conditioned. Is that true? Where as the busses can be first class cool and clean?

just curious, I'm taking a taxi, unless I learn enough thai between now and then to be "experimental"...

[goofy]

The normal trains that thai people take is the ones with open windows and no aircon. The one i take is a aircon train wich takes about 4 hours to Korat and isalot safer then to go with ThaiSchumi in his nice blue bus.

http://www.railway.co.th/english/images/northeast.gif

Train 72 leaves at 11,05 230bht

Cheers

[Korat Correct]

Further complications to the grateful contributions.

Arrive BKK 7.15am and don't want to wait until 11.47 for the train

There will be three of us. Two with ?4 suitcases and hand luggage and my GF,arriving from Korat in the early hours to meet us, bless her.

That seems too much for one meter taxi. One could be cramped for a long journey and Two could get expensive.

I think the Mo Chit bus will be the best with a transfer by taxi to Mo Chit.

That could add up to 1000bht though?

Does anyone know of a 5/7 seater van that does the trip from Korat for 2500bht?

A hotel mini bus?One that would bring the GF and wait arrival of both planes arriving within 30 mins of each other,hopefully!

[Loz]

Blimey!

Now that would be some service. But 2 taxis split four ways is surely not going to exceed 1000bht each? (unless one lucky farang is footing the bill, in which case, this post may be stricken from the record...

[Gumballl]

I heard the trains were slow, dirty and not air conditioned. Is that true? Where as the busses can be first class cool and clean?

just curious, I'm taking a taxi, unless I learn enough thai between now and then to be "experimental"...

I've taken the train (to Nong Khai for a visa run to Vientienne) in the second-class compartment. These compartments have air-con, were clean, and even had a "bed" in which to sleep.

Next time I am in LOS, I will consider taking the train to Korat, as that is where my wife lives. I will definetely book an air-conned cabin.

[koratsteve]

The biggest problem with the trains (apart from how infrequent and how painfully slow they are) is that you need to book the second class seats in advance to guarantee a seat, if you do not you will have to fight for a third class berth which will be already full, on top of this you will have to try and find room for you’re suitcase in the already overflowing limited luggage spaces, the last time I tried to get from the airport to Korat by train I had to stand the whole way.

Take the bus or get a Taxi, and if you do get a Taxi for 2000 to 2500 baht be prepared for the ride of a life time because those boys do not hang about.

[LungLek]

Have gone to Korat by both means, if travelling with my g/f we go by taxi if alone I take the train fom Don Muang 80 Baht about 4 hours

[Loz]

looking forward to one helluva taxi ride!...

[cobra]

... The taxi to Korat is expensive but for a worn out traveller may seem the best option...

I've turned heads before pulling up in a Bkk taxi,

Taxi or hired car is the preferred mode for myself albeit not cheap.

[Loz]

So long as I arrive in one piece and with everything that I set off with, I'm happy

[bina]

re instating a thread since i asked the same question in a different thread but better to put all info in one place, no?? like a DIY get the bus to korat thread.

if u buy the bus ticket to korat , is the ticket good for any time or just for the particular time that u asked for?? like, if u miss the bus can u get on the next one going to korat??

where do u put your luggage? under the bus, or overhead, or wherever?? Israel is pretty rough and tumble with people shoving to put luggage under the bus (sometimes u dont have time to get it out again cause the bus is in a hurry), or people shoving u aside to put their huge luggage on the seat next to them, etc...

just want my daughter to have a no fuss ride.

also, if her (yes) backpack is under the bus, do people shove incriminating things into it??? (because its obviously a backpack and not a suitcase?) would that be a problem on an express a/c bus as jeff1 mentions ?? anyone have a bus schedule (can be in thai) -- do busses run all night?

apart from two or three words she cant speak thai so asking for things in thai probably is not a good idea but she knows to be polite, smile, etc...

someone mentioned getting off at The Mall. the bus makes several stops? before reaching a main bus station? is the bus station ok as far as a daughter standing and waiting for us to get to her? or is it like our bus station that after a certain hour all the vampires and narcs come out of the wood work?

i know, being an hysterical jewish mother....its genetic

bina

israel

[Maizefarmer]

Does everyone realise that it is NOT neccesseary to go into through BKK to get up to Korat main road:

1)You can take the Tollway around the left hand side of Bkk - which will bypass all the traffic - I've done the journey many times and takes about 20 minutes to get to the Don Mueng side.

2) You can head cross country on the motorway from the new airport side joining up with the Korat main road just past the Carlsberg brewery - and its double lane motorway all the way.

I'll post the route/maps if any are interested.

Of course not much use if you are using the bus - but if there is sufficent interest I may well invest in another car and hire an extra staff member - somewhere around Baht4K - Baht5K to Korat - how owuld that go down with folk?

When you think its 200kms plus, of course the bus is a ###### side cheaper, but most guys I know opt for a taxi in any case - and going by train - well from the airport till you get off the train in Korat, that 200 odd km will take you nearly the time it took to fly the several thgousand km form Europe!

Tim

[bina]

post or pin please

sister in law will have to drive us back so map (in thai/andor english?) would help immensely

anon's comments about getting around: mai loo mai loo, kon banork....

a map would be really really good

bina

israel

[Jeff1]

Hi Bina,

The bus leaves every half hour or so 24 hours a day. I do not know what happens if you miss the bus. Im pretty sure that it would be no problem to use the same ticket but for about two hundred baht, it is not a big deal.

The luggage goes under the bus. They are very helpful and stow it for you. Watch them do it . It is safe and no problem. There is also a small overhead that you could put something in but it is small. There is alot of room under the bus as most Thai's travel lightly. Well, I never had a problem and I have used the bus at least 20 times.

The lady will come with a pen and paper and ask ( in Thai ) where you want to get off. Yes you can stop at the Mall ( say, by da mall. it works very well with my Chicago accent ) or across the street from Big C. Every stop is safe in Korat, not to worry. The tuk tuk drivers ( some of them ) can be a bit ...off but I would not worry about them, just be aware.

I don't know about the new BKK airport but I read here that they will, maybe have, buses to Korat someday. Then I would worry about space for luggage...

Oh, and answer your PM .

[opothai]

Does anyone know of a 5/7 seater van that does the trip from Korat for 2500bht?

when we go with more than three of us we have a contact in korat with a mini bus,

cost is 3250bht, but with the fuel increases might be another 250bht.

he picks us up outside the airport and drops us of outside our door.

[Cheeky Farang]

Does anyone know of a 5/7 seater van that does the trip from Korat for 2500bht?

when we go with more than three of us we have a contact in korat with a mini bus,

cost is 3250bht, but with the fuel increases might be another 250bht.

he picks us up outside the airport and drops us of outside our door.

I landed at the new airport last week, I made my way straight to the taxi line and ask the driver how much to Korat. 2k deal done and it was quicker than if I had landed at DM.

cf

[Jeff1]

Does anyone know of a 5/7 seater van that does the trip from Korat for 2500bht?

when we go with more than three of us we have a contact in korat with a mini bus,

cost is 3250bht, but with the fuel increases might be another 250bht.

he picks us up outside the airport and drops us of outside our door.

I landed at the new airport last week, I made my way straight to the taxi line and ask the driver how much to Korat. 2k deal done and it was quicker than if I had landed at DM.

cf

Hi CF,

That is good news!

Will you be staying in Korat long?

[opothai]

Does anyone know of a 5/7 seater van that does the trip from Korat for 2500bht?

when we go with more than three of us we have a contact in korat with a mini bus,

cost is 3250bht, but with the fuel increases might be another 250bht.

he picks us up outside the airport and drops us of outside our door.

I landed at the new airport last week, I made my way straight to the taxi line and ask the driver how much to Korat. 2k deal done and it was quicker than if I had landed at DM.

cf

if only two of us we will use a taxi and 2000bht is a good price.

but with more than two we can not get our luggage in so we have to use a mini bus