Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani

By train the journey from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani is scheduled to take around 5 hours. There are also more frequent bus services from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani which we have listed below along with online ticket booking options.

Train Times from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani

There are currently 2 trains a day from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani.

• Tickets for both of these services are available for purchase at Nakhon Ratchasima Train Station on the day of travel. Online booking is not currently available for train services from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani.

Bus Times from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani

There are currently 11 bus services a day with KoratUdon from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani.

Buy Tickets from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani

Use the Search Box below to buy your bus tickets from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani.

Location of Nakhon Ratchasima Train Station

See more information about Nakhon Ratchasima Train Station.

Location of Udon Thani Train Station

See more information about Udon Thani Railway Station.

About Train Travel to Udon Thani

Currently the journey by train from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani is typically about 1 hour faster than travelling by public bus and costs around 80% less. When the high speed railway line connecting Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani is completed the journey time will be reduced to under 2 hours.

Train Route

Thailand’s North Eastern Train Line has two branches. The northern branch of the line connects Bangkok to Nong Khai. The southern branch of the North Eastern Train Line runs between Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani.

Nakhon Ratchasima is located on the southern branch of Thailand’s North Eastern Train Line. As a consequence, there are currently no long distance train services from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani. At the moment in order to travel by long distance train from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani passengers need to travel back towards Bangkok to either Ban Phachi Junction or Ayutthaya in order to connect with services on the northern branch of the North Eastern Train Line.

However, if you are prepared to use ‘Local’ train services you can travel from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani via a more direct route that doesn’t involve wasting time and resources travelling in the wrong direction to Ban Phachi Junction or Ayutthaya to board a mainline train. A short distance to the east of Nakhon Ratchasima (at Thanon Chira Junction) there is a small branch line which connects with the northern branch of the North Eastern Train Line at Bua Yai Junction. Long distance trains don’t currently operate on the small branch line between Thanon Chira Junction and Bua Yai Junction but Local train services do.

About Local Train Services

Local train services are little used, or known about, by most foreign visitors to Thailand, however, they can provide a very cheap and convenient way to travel shorter distances. There are no Local services on longer distance train routes in Thailand, such between Bangkok and Chiang Mai or Bangkok and Surat Thani, which are popular with leisure travellers.

Local train services on the Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani route are in fan cooled carriages with no allocated seating. Passengers need to find a spare seat, which is typically fairly easy as many passengers using these services travel relatively short distances so seats will constantly become available during the journey. There is no restaurant car on Local services, but there are toilets and food vendors that normally come onto the train at major stops such as Bua Yai Junction and Khon Kaen.

Arrival in Udon Thani

Udon Thani Railway Station is conveniently located in the eastern part of Udon Thani City. The reason that this is convenient is because this is the part of the city which is the most popular leisure visitors, particularly foreign visitors. The railway station is also close to popular retail centres such Udon Night Market and Central Udon shopping mall.

Udon Thani’s main tourist zone is located within easy walking distance of the railway station. From the station you simply walk west along the main road (Prajak Sillapkom Road) and within 250 metres you come to the start of the first cluster of hotels, bars, and restaurants catering to leisure visitors. Just under 400 metres walking distance from the railway station you reach the southern end of Samphan Thamit Alley, which has the city’s highest concentration of tourist hotels, late night bars, and restaurants serving foreign cuisine.

Visitor Attractions in Udon Thani

The major tourist attraction in the area is Ban Chiang National Museum, which is located 50 km by road to the east of Udon Thani City. To reach Ban Chiang National Museum by public transport take any bus from Udon Bus Terminal 1 travelling in the direction Sakon Nakhon and ask the driver to stop at the turning off the main road to Ban Chiang National Museum at Nong Mek. From Nong Mek it’s an 8.5 km journey by tuk-tuk to the museum.

Ban Chiang National Museum houses many of the important archaeological finds made in the area, particularly at sites in Ban Chiang Village close to the museum. These finds are mostly things which were manufactured by people living in the area 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. The most spectacular and well known of these are large colourful clay pots and jars.

The archaeological finds at Ban Chiang achieved international recognition when they were discovered in the 1960s and 1970s because they changed our understanding on how societies and cultures displayed in South East Asia. Before these discoveries it had been believed that manufacturing techniques using metal and clay were brought to Thailand a lot later by immigrants from China.

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