Surin

Air

Surin has no airport but if you insist on taking a flight rather than bus then you can use nearby Buriram Airport.

Train

Surin sits on the main Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani train line and the train station is in the northern part of town.

Bus

A wide range of destinations are served from the Surin bus station (T: (044) 511 756) including just about any town in the northeast to Bangkok, Pattaya and even Chiang Mai as well as the various districts of Surin Province. (Which conveniently leave from the same bus station.)

For Bangkok we counted seven or eight different companies all with varying prices and varying buses, but Nakhorn Chai Air come the highest recommended, even if they are the most expensive. Prices range from 248B to 496B for Nakorn Chai Air's VIP bus. Times also vary from six hours to a little over four hours for the same Nakorn Air and Surin bus station lists no less than 46 departures for Bangkok between 6.00 am and 22.00! Remember you get what you pay for though and if you do buy the cheapest ticket and find yourself sitting on plastic stool with broken air/con think twice before winging. If by any chance that multitude of departures doesn't fit in with your timetable you can always take a Khorat bus and change there.

The bus station timetables also list the following Northeast destinations - and remember they will stop at any town en-route so covering most Northeastern locations:

Khorat: Every 30 mins. from 90 to 157B depending upon bus and company.
Roi Et: Hourly from 05.00 to 19.00 for 91B
Yasothon: 07.30 90B
Mukdahan: 16.40, 02.50, 04.40 230B
Khon Kaen: Approx. hourly between 03.30 to 15.00 for 165B
Ubon Ratchathani: 01.25, 02.40, 04.25, 04.30 slow bus 105B 02.25, 16.25, 03.30 fast bus 135B and 01.55, 02.30, 03.15, 04.55, 05.25, 06.35, 07.30, 08.30 and 16.40 VIP bus at 200B
Local buses for Sikhorapum, Sangkha, Si Saket, Buriram etc leave hourly from early morning to late afternoon.


Further afield you can take direct buses to:

Pattaya: Some 13 daily departures -- 215B slow bus, 300 fast one and 385 or 400B VIP one.
Rayong: 10 departures at 337B slow bus, 434B fast one and 641B VIP.
Chiang Mai: (Yes Chiang Mai direct!!), 17.15 slow bus, 505B, 16.15 express bus, 650B, or for 893B the VIP Nakorn Chai Air service.


Finally for casino or visa run bound customers, minibuses leave for Chong Chom every 30 minutes between 06.10 and 17.50 for 60B taking around one hour.

Getting Around

In town you have the choice of tuk-tuks, moto taxis or rickshaws which are still surprisingly common in town. A shortish ride within the city centre would probably set you back around 50B for a tuk-tuk or 30-40B for a rickshaw. For provincial destinations on major roads just take the bus heading towards the following town -- i.e. a Si Saket or Ubon bound bus will drop you at Sikhorapum, or a Buriram bus will leave you outside the Sericulture Centre, whilst most other villages are serviced by songthaews. There are also a couple of spots hiring motorbikes and cars or you can ask your hotel to organize a taxi for you.