Getting Your Bearings
Nakhon Ratchasima — almost universally called Korat — is the largest city and metropolitan area in Northeastern Thailand and the principal regional centre of Isan. It sits at the western edge of the Korat Plateau, roughly 250 km northeast of Bangkok, and serves as the gateway to the Lao-speaking northeast. For a visitor, the practical upshot is a city with genuine big-town transport infrastructure but none of the tourist-oriented polish of Phuket or Pattaya: things work, they're cheap, and a little Thai goes a very long way.
Two things shape how you'll move around. First, the historic core is compact and centred on the Yamo area, which is the reference point drivers understand. Second, the city has expanded well beyond its old municipal boundary, with ribbon development stretching along Mittraphap Road (Highway 2) and the bypass, so some destinations — notably the new bus station — sit outside the walkable centre.
Rail: The Two Stations
Korat is on the State Railways of Thailand network, with direct trains from Bangkok's Hualamphong station. Journey times vary considerably by train type, so pick your departure with that in mind. Fares are very reasonable, and the cheapest ticket on the cheapest train is remarkably low. The latest timetable is available from the State Railways of Thailand or by calling 1690.
The city has two stations, and choosing the right one matters:
- Chira Rd Junction Station — the more centrally located of the two, just south of the old city. Tickets from Bangkok cost only a couple of baht more than to the main station, and if you're heading for the city centre it is well worth getting off here.
- Nakhon Ratchasima Station — the main station, on Mukmontri Rd, about 2 km from the city centre. Tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis wait at the front and will take you to the Yamo area; songthaews 1 and 14 also run from opposite the station into the centre.
One practical warning: trains in Thailand are frequently delayed, even on short commutes. If you're connecting to a plane or a long-distance bus, budget extra time.
There is no metro or tram network in Korat — the city's public transport is road- and rail-based only.
Buses and Songthaews
Korat has two main bus stations, and knowing which one you want saves a lot of confusion:
- The new bus station ("bok kor sor mai") is the larger of the two, just north of the city centre beyond Big C on the Korat–Khon Kaen stretch of Mittraphap Rd. Long-distance services from other cities — including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Phuket, Hat Yai and most Isaan provincial capitals — terminate and originate here, as do international services from the Poipet/Aranyaprathet border with Cambodia and from Vientiane in Laos.
- The old bus station ("bok kor sor gow") is in the city centre on Burin Rd, between Suranaree Rd and Mittraphap. It handles some Bangkok services and shorter local routes to places such as Pak Chong and Pak Thong Chai, and it's within walking distance of many hotels.
From Bangkok, buses leave Mo Chit Northern/Northeastern Bus Terminal several times an hour, around the clock — no timetable consultation needed. Buy your ticket on the top floor of the terminal; different windows serve different operators and different destinations, so check which station your ticket is for. Tickets are marked to indicate the old station or the new one, and the vendor will point you to a numbered bay, much like a gate number at an airport. A return ticket is available at a slightly discounted price. Buses follow the Mittraphap Highway route from Bangkok.
If you arrive at the new bus station, tuk-tuks, motorcycle taxis and meter taxis are all in abundance. To reach the city centre by songthaew, take the number 15 (purple and white), which waits on the road between the two main terminal buildings. At the smaller old bus station you'll find tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis, but no meter taxis.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Meter taxis are a relatively new arrival in Korat. They are blue and yellow and scarce — if you spot one for hire on the street you can hail it as you would in Bangkok. You can also call for one, but be aware that a phoned-in taxi uses a fixed fee rather than the meter, you can't book in advance as you would a minicab, and the operator doesn't speak English — get your hotel receptionist to call. Taxis do congregate at the main bus station, and a taxi caught there should use the meter. Don't expect the driver to speak English.
The Grab app works in Korat for both taxis and motorbike taxis. It isn't especially cheap by local standards, but it's useful for checking a price before you bargain with local drivers, or as a fallback when no tuk-tuk or motorcycle taxi is in sight.
Tuk-Tuks, Motorcycle Taxis and Samlors
These are the everyday ways locals get around, and they're plentiful.
- Tuk-tuks congregate in large numbers outside shopping centres, department stores, both bus stations and the train station, and individuals are dotted along all the busy roads. Happily, the rip-off reputation tuk-tuk drivers have in places like Phuket and Pattaya does not generally apply in Korat. Agree the price before you get in; fares typically move in multiples of 20 baht. This is not a tourist city, so your driver almost certainly won't speak English — he may know some hotel names and will understand "Yamo", but that's about it.
- Motorcycle taxis are found wherever tuk-tuks are, and their fares are generally two-thirds to three-quarters of the tuk-tuk equivalent. Some riders even post a list of fares. Safety is a personal judgement, but the rider should at least provide a helmet.
- Samlors — the traditional pedal-powered three-wheelers, with a covered padded seat behind the rider for one or two passengers — are far outnumbered by tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis these days, but you'll still find them along most major roads. They come into their own during the Yamo Festival, when Ratchadamnoen Rd is closed and pedestrianised every evening and samlors are the only transport allowed. All samlor operators are elderly men, so keep the trip short — a kilometre or so is appropriate.
Walkability
The historic core around Yamo is genuinely walkable, and the old bus station is within walking distance of many hotels. Beyond that, the picture changes: the city has expanded outward along Mittraphap Road, the bypass and other arterial roads, so the urban area is now much larger than the compact centre. Destinations like the new bus station and the main railway station are not realistically walkable from the centre, particularly in the heat — Korat has a tropical savanna climate with most rain falling between May and October. Plan to use a tuk-tuk, songthaew or motorbike taxi for anything outside the core.
Arriving by Air
Nakhon Ratchasima Airport (NAK) is a modern, fully equipped general aviation airport. It opened in 1997, and apart from private and club flying it is unused — there are no scheduled aircraft movements, a consequence of the strong railway, bus and fast highway connections to and from Bangkok. In practice, then, visitors reach Korat overland: by train from Bangkok, by frequent bus from Mo Chit, or by car via the Mittraphap Highway or one of the alternative routes through Chachoengsao or Nakhon Nayok. If you are flying in from elsewhere in Thailand, you'll most likely arrive via Bangkok and continue by rail or road.