Thailand forum

The "tours" to the park seem a little pricey, besides, I've seen enough waterfalls and elephants so far this trip - lol. My adventure back to Thailand from Laos starts March 2nd.

Phimai, one night only - on the 8th unless I find something better to do

Thanks for the tips

This may be slightly outdated info, especially due to the increased popularity of Koh Chang, but it's probably not too far off. I used to live in Prachinburi and have gone to both Khorat and Trat from there. Prachin is just a little south of Khao Yai.

From Khorat to Trat can be a pretty long trip. Not because of the distances involved, but because of the speed of the buses that make the trip.

You'll probably have to go to Sa Kaeo from Khorat. That part of the trip isn't too bad. Regular blue gov't buses make the journey, and if I recall correctly, it takes about 3 hours. It was one of the worst I've ever taken in Thailand because some joker came onto the bus just before it left Khorat to sell plastic horns to all the little kids on the bus. Of course, all the adults fell asleep as the kids made a skull-cracking racket. I don't have the same sleep-gene that the Thais have, unfortunately. Anyway ...

Sa Kaeo to Trat took quite a lot longer. From Prachin the whole trip took 7 hours, and from Sa Kaeo it was around 6 hours. The bus was one of the "orange crush" buses with doors that don't close. It was a fun and very scenic, but slow, trip down #317 to Chanthaburi . Very hilly, very remote. Then you'll have to change buses in Chanthaburi for the final hour-long trip to Trat.

Like I said, this may have changed, but if not then this is the most likely route that you'll have to take. It would probably take just as long if you were to go back to Bangkok, but nowhere near as interesting.

Good luck.

tilapia is partly wrong-things have changed.
1. forget that train to go Khorat-take a bus ex NgKhai-and change at the turn off to Phimai=do not go in +out of Khorat-plus that you''ll get lost anyway between train and various busstations in Khorat. Buses are not the hell that those trainfanatics make them out to be. Many more trips and half the time.
2. Khao Yai is big-very big. The hourly buses Khorat-go via a PART of KhYai-and yes, stop there, and go onward to Chantaburi (total time 6,5-7 hrs)-no need at all to change SK or go back to Khorat-if you plan wisely. SOME of these buses even run onward to Trat-otherwise just change in Chant-daft easy. There are also direct buses Chant-ferry CHang-bypassing Trat. To explore KhYai forget any weekend when BKK-yuppies come to race down the slopes in their 4wheelies-but indeed you do need some transport.
PS-this weekend the red shirts have made KhYai once again one of their main gatherings to applaud the comeback of their Dubai exiled hero. Tha Thai call that a mob.

Just came back from Thailand last week

I in fact found Phimai a decent place to stay, weather is cool, and managed to hire a motorcyle-taxi, from Phimai to Phanom Rung Historical Park & Muang Tam Historical Park which located nearby Buriram. It's a painful route (imagine 4 hrs to and fro on Motorcycle) but at least personally felt that Phanom Rung Historical Park if not as beautiful then better than Phimai Historical Park.

You can also get transport from Khorat straight to Phanom Rung

BTW, there's a 13:00 3rd class train to Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) from Nong Khai, not listed on the thai rail site and it only costs 64 baht. Arrives at 19:30.

Phanom Rung is more impressive than Phimai, it located at Buriram, but it's in smaller (much more) scale if compared with Angkor Wat.

If u are heading to Bangkok, try to drop by Bang Pa-in, a town at Bangkok outskirt, it's has the Baroque style Temple (not churh) Wat Niwet, and better/impressive Palace, if compared with the Grand Palace in Bangkok (too touristy, all I want to do during my trip was to get out from that place).

Or else u may also try to visit the Railway market (MaeKlong), where the railway is really situated in the market!