Quickest way from Chaiyaphum to Khon Kaen

[Kenny202]

Been to KK a few times and seems to take at least 3 hours, mainly because minor roads with tuk tuks and drunks doing 30kmh. We follow the signs out of Chaiyaphum and I think turn off 40km North East out of Chaiyaphum at Samran and cut across west through Mancha Khin and Chon Bot and meet the motorway about 50ks South of KK near Ban Phai. From there on North up the motorway its a breeze.

I see on the Isaan road map alternately we could head South out of Chiayaphum to near Bua Yai and then hit the motorway there and hopefully all good road and a fast trip to KK. It's heading south and out of the way but if they are better roads I'm guessing it would be faster as the majority of the trip would be motorway. Anyone know the best way to KK?

[NeverSure]

I'd go S. out of KK on 2 and a couple of kms out of town turn right onto 2062. Right at the province border there is a major intersection where you can turn right onto 229. IIRC it's just before a town called something like Kut Khao. Altogether in decent traffic I think it's not more than a couple of hours. I'd guess just over 100 kms. It's a nice drive.

[KhunBENQ]

Unfortunately I can not reconstruct the route from your description (post #1).

Do you use road @201 northbound?

In this stretch this is a 4 lane road with separate tracks, so there should be no problem with slow vehicles?

From Chaiyaphum:

leave the city via #202.

Turn left to #201 and drive nothbound until the Y-branch with #229.

And then as NeverSure describes: turn to #229.

Continue to Mancha Khiri and there turn to #2062.

#2062 crosses #2031 which leads to the outer ring of Khon Kaen and continues to the center.

Which way you use at this point depends on where you want to go in KK.

You could proceed to #12 and from there right to the central junction in KK.

Avoid #2 in the south of KK, Very busy, often construction sites, jams.

[KhunBENQ]

After rereading: sounds like most of my proposed route is the one that you have been using so far, except for using #2062 instead of going to #2

An alternative detour would be going southwest via #202 down to Sida and then north on #2.

To my experience traffic on #202 was not too heavy.

If you save time with this detour? Hard to say.

It adds about 50 km to the shortest route (which is about 120 km).

I doubt you can win time on that?

[Kenny202]

Yes North on 201 which is a good road though riddled with Police stops. I don't have all the numbers on my map but I think I get you. At Mancha Khiri head North to Ban Thun to pick up 12 and then into KK. I have been going through Mancha Khiri east to pick up the 2 motorway about 50km South of KK. Its probably faster coming home later at night but as you say got caught in an awful jam there last time. I forgot to mention to I'm 60ks east of Chaiyaphum too so that adds another 45-60 mins on to the trip so I guess from the centre of Chaiyaphum about 2 hours about right.

[KhunBENQ]

Four routes for "discussion" (just from the junction west of Ch. to some point south of KK),

1) Shortest (201, 229, 2062), 118 km, not using #2:
https://goo.gl/maps/aSFwc

2) Guess this is the route that is described in the thread start? (201, 229, 2), 135 km:

https://goo.gl/maps/4kDhJ

3) Southwest, (202, 2246, 2) 146 km:
https://goo.gl/maps/oq1NS

4) Longest route (202, 2) 168 km, maximum use of #2:
https://goo.gl/maps/78l14

to pick up the 2 motorway about 50km South of KK. Its probably faster coming home later at night but as you say got caught in an awful jam there last time.

My last experience too. Maybe temporary due to construction. But who knows?

Maps on here.com are better, but I simply still can not handle them, a pitty.

[NeverSure]

I'd go S. out of KK on 2 and a couple of kms out of town turn right onto 2062. Right at the province border there is a major intersection where you can turn right onto 229. IIRC it's just before a town called something like Kut Khao. Altogether in decent traffic I think it's not more than a couple of hours. I'd guess just over 100 kms. It's a nice drive.

Sorry I reversed this. I got it in my head you were leaving KK going the other way. You can just reverse this or take a different route as suggested. It's really nice country and I think less than 2 hours.

[Issangeorge]

Yes North on 201 which is a good road though riddled with Police stops. I don't have all the numbers on my map but I think I get you. At Mancha Khiri head North to Ban Thun to pick up 12 and then into KK. I have been going through Mancha Khiri east to pick up the 2 motorway about 50km South of KK. Its probably faster coming home later at night but as you say got caught in an awful jam there last time. I forgot to mention to I'm 60ks east of Chaiyaphum too so that adds another 45-60 mins on to the trip so I guess from the centre of Chaiyaphum about 2 hours about right.

Are you 60ks east or west of Chaiyaphum? If east looking at a map, it looks to me like hwy 2 would be pretty close, and thus the way to go.