Korat, officially Nakhon Ratchasima, is located approximately 255 km northeast of central Bangkok. The easiest way to reach the city is by bus from Mo Chit. Buses Nakhonchai 21 and Cherdchai Tour run roughly every half hour, day and night, and take about four hours for 230–380 baht. The train is a more comfortable alternative, provided the schedule works out. Special train No. 21 departs Krung Thep Aphiwat at 6:10 a.m. and arrives in Korat at 10:01 a.m., while express train No. 71 departs at 10:35 a.m. and arrives at 2:25 p.m. Third-class fares start at around 100 baht.
Check the current flight times and seat availability for flights from Bangkok to Korat on 12Go.
A private car journey takes about three hours and costs approximately 2,650 baht. Korat is not served by scheduled flights, so you should ignore flight results on booking websites.
Accommodation in Korat
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Key facts
Buses depart from Mo Chit every half hour.
The VIP buses of Nakhonchai 21 and the express buses of Cherdchai Tour operate from approximately 01:00 to 21:00, i.e., about four hours, for approximately 230 Baht at the counter or 280–380 Baht via 12Go including fees.
Six moves of Krung Thep Aphiwat
At 06:10, 07:10, 10:35, 19:25, 21:05 and 23:05, plus a regular train from Hua Lamphong at 12:00. The fastest connection is train number 21 at 06:10 with a journey time of 3 hours 51 minutes.
There are no flights.
Korat Airport is a military base with no scheduled flights. Flights to Nakhon Ratchasima will result in connecting flights or other airports; therefore, travel by car or train is recommended.
Two train stations, two bus stations
Trains stop at Nakhon Ratchasima station west of the city center and at Thanon Chira Junction station near the old town. Buses terminate at Terminal 2 north of the center, and a few terminate at Terminal 1 or at the shopping center Terminal 21.
A car needs about three hours
12Go offers private cars from Bangkok starting at around 2,650 baht. The M6 motorway is toll-free on weekends as part of a trial period, extending to Pak Chong.
Khao Yai is on the move
All trains and most buses pass through Pak Chong, the town near Khao Yai National Park, about 85 km before Korat. Our guidebook from Bangkok to Khao Yai describes this stop.
All routes from Bangkok to Korat compared
Train timetables are from Rail Thailand (as of January 2026), and bus number 233 timetables are from Travelfish (as of February 2026). Fares correspond to those of Thailand Trains (stations and online offers). Bus and car fares are based on data from 12Go (as of November 2026, including fees) and ticket office prices (12Go timetable and BusOnlineTicket). Road distances and travel times were determined using the OSRM route via OpenStreetMap.
Bookable departures · updated daily
Bangkok → Korat: Departure times you can book now
All flights currently bookable via 12Go on this route, sorted by booking class. The prices shown are distributed across the different booking classes; the exact price for a seat and a specific date can be found on the booking page.
bus
Train
12Go timetables and fares are updated daily. Services that operate only locally—regular trains, weekend trips, and ferry terminal tickets—are not listed; these can be found in the table above. Sponsored link: We may receive a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Check the current bus and train connections from Bangkok to Korat.
The 12Go live display board shows bus connections from Mo Chit and train connections to Nakhon Ratchasima with today's seat availability. Train times are from Don Mueang Station, 17 minutes after Krung Thep Aphiwat. Prices include a booking fee.
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The train timetable from Bangkok to Korat
The departure times at Nakhon Ratchasima station are from the Rail Thailand timetable of January 2026, while those for bus route 233 are from the Travelfish timetable of February 2026. The Thanon Chira Junction stop, near the old town, is about ten minutes further away. Bus route 233 departs from Hua Lamphong and is only available at the station.
The train from Krung Thep Aphiwat
Trains to Korat run on the northeast line towards Ubon Ratchathani and depart from Krung Thep Aphiwat station in Bang Sue, not Hua Lamphong. I would recommend the Special Express No. 21 at 6:10 AM (air-conditioned seats only), which arrives in Korat at 10:01 AM. The Express No. 71 at 10:35 AM is a comfortable late-morning alternative and arrives in Korat at 2:25 PM. Thailand Trains offers third-class tickets at the station for 99 baht or online for 149 baht; air-conditioned seats in second class cost 343 or 412 baht. Through 12Go, train No. 71 in third class costs around 249 baht. Online bookings are more expensive but guarantee a seat. Air-conditioned seats on trains No. 21 and No. 71 are often fully booked.
Korat is too close to Bangkok for the night trains to be worthwhile. They arrive between midnight and 4:11 a.m. All stop at Don Mueang station 17 minutes after departing Bangkok (Krung Thep Aphiwat) – ideal if you've just landed at Don Mueang – as well as at Ayutthaya and Pak Chong along the way. The express trains to Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nong Khai take a different route and do not stop in Korat, so book a train to Ubon Ratchathani. According to SRT (Singapore Railway Transport) booking policies, tickets are available about 30 days in advance on the SRT website (D-Ticket). 12Go offers them for a fee.
Korat has two train stations, and every train stops at both. Nakhon Ratchasima station is about 2 km west of the city center, and Thanon Chira Junction station is about ten minutes further south of the old city moat. Check which station is indicated on your ticket and choose Thanon Chira if your hotel is in the old city.
Buses from Mo Chit
All buses to Korat depart from Mo Chit in Chatuchak. I recommend the VIP buses operated by Nakhonchai 21. They run approximately every half hour to hour between 1:00 AM and 9:00 PM, and the journey takes about four hours. The fare at the ticket counter is around 232 baht, while booking through 12Go costs approximately 280–380 baht. Cherdchai Tours' express buses cost the same and run from the early morning until late morning. Air Korat Pattana offers more frequent service. Avoid the Transport Co. express bus booked through 12Go, as it takes over six hours. Outside of holidays, you can usually still purchase a seat for the next departure at Mo Chit.
Most buses terminate at Korat 2 bus station, the large terminal about 2 km north of the western city gate of the old city. One passenger was dropped off instead at Terminal 21, the shopping mall, in April 2026, which is closer to the center anyway. From Terminal 2, a taxi ride to the Ya Mo Monument or the train station costs about 100 baht, a tuk-tuk ride about 80 baht, and the numbered songthaews cost 10 baht between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm.
By car or private transfer
From Bangkok city center to Korat is approximately 255 km, a journey that takes about three hours on clear roads. From Don Mueang Airport, it's about 240 km, and from Suvarnabhumi Airport, 268 km. 12Go offers private cars starting at around 2,650 baht, with most costing between 2,800 and 3,300 baht. Pick-up from both airports is also available. The section of the new M6 highway between Bang Pa-in and Pak Chong is toll-free on Friday afternoons and weekends as part of a trial. The rest of the route follows Mittraphap Road (Highway 2). A rental car is particularly recommended if you plan to stop in Khao Yai along the way.
The best-rated hotels in Korat
Here is my ranking of the 10 best hotels in Korat. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com, where you have already entered your travel dates.
Why there are no flights to Korat
Korat Airport is a Royal Thai Air Force base with no scheduled flights. Therefore, flights from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima offered on Expedia or Skyscanner are connecting flights or flights to other airports. Flying to Isan is only worthwhile if you plan to travel onward, for example to Buriram, Khon Kaen, or Udon Thani. From Korat, buses and trains – including connections to airports – are just as fast as flying.
Stopovers and further destinations
Trains and most buses pass through Ayutthaya and Pak Chong, so the journey can easily be split into two parts. Pak Chong is where Khao Yai National Park is located, about two and a half to three and a half hours from Bangkok. In the other direction, minibuses depart from Terminal 2 in Korat to Pak Chong approximately every 20 minutes (around 100 baht). Our "Bangkok–Khao Yai" travel guide lists train and minibus connections to this stop.
Buses depart from Terminal 2 to Phimai from Korat approximately every half hour in the morning and early afternoon. The journey takes about an hour and costs 59 baht. The last bus back leaves Phimai at 4:20 PM. Buriram and Phanom Rung are 1.5 to 2 hours further east and can be reached by train. Minibuses to Buriram run every half hour.
From Korat to Bangkok
The 10:18 express or a bus, whenever you are ready
For the return journey, I would take express train No. 72, which departs Nakhon Ratchasima at 10:18 AM and arrives in Bangkok at 2:10 PM. Rapid train No. 136 departs at 12:33 PM and arrives in Bangkok at 6:00 PM, and special train No. 22 departs at 6:47 PM and arrives at 10:15 PM. Regular train No. 234 departs at 8:22 AM and arrives in Hua Lamphong at 2:25 PM; tickets are only available at the station. Three other trains depart from Korat between 11:25 PM and 1:42 AM and arrive in Bangkok before 7:00 AM.
Buses back to Mo Chit depart from Terminal 2 approximately every half hour between 1:00 AM and 9:00 PM and take about four hours. Cherdchai Tour also offers hourly departures from Terminal 1, closer to the Old City, between 4:00 AM and 7:00 PM for approximately 278 baht. Some buses from Nakhonchai 21 continue to Don Mueang Airport, which is convenient if you are flying. However, allow six hours for this journey. A private transfer back via 12Go costs from approximately 2,650 baht.
Korat → Bangkok: Departure times you can book now
Check the bus and train connections back from Korat to Bangkok.
12Go's website for the return journey offers bus connections from Terminal 2 to Mo Chit and train connections to Krung Thep Aphiwat. Prices include a booking fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the Bangkok–Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) route.
By bus from Mo Chit, approximately every half hour, journey time about four hours, cost: 230–380 Baht, or by train from Krung Thep Aphiwat, special train No. 21 at 06:10, arriving at 10:01. By private car, the journey takes about three hours and costs about 2,650 Baht.
It's about 255 km by road from the center of Bangkok and about 265 km by train. That's roughly three hours by car and four hours by bus or faster trains.
Yes, there are six daily departures from Krung Thep Aphiwat at 06:10, 07:10, 10:35, 19:25, 21:05 and 23:05, and a regional train from Hua Lamphong at 12:00. The fastest connection is train number 21 at 06:10, with a journey time of 3 hours and 51 minutes.
No. Korat Airport is a military base with no scheduled flights. The nearest airport with connections to Bangkok is Buriram, about a two-hour drive away. Therefore, traveling by bus or train is faster.
Buses from Nakhonchai 21, Cherdchai Tour and Air Korat Pattana depart from Mo Chit bus station in Chatuchak, but most arrive at Korat 2 bus station.
Yes. Nakhon Ratchasima is the official name of the city and province, and Korat (or Khorat) is the common name. Train tickets and booking portals use Nakhon Ratchasima.
Express train No. 72 departs Nakhon Ratchasima at 10:18 AM and arrives at Krung Thep Aphiwat at 2:10 PM. Alternatively, you can take a bus to Mo Chit from Terminal 2 approximately every half hour; the journey takes about four hours.
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I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.
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