Hornbill in Khao Yai national park

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How to get to Pak Chong?

!!! First of all, some important notes !!!

  1. Pak Chong is very different from most other tourist cities in Thailand. Only a handful of taxi drivers operate in town, and only in daytime/early evening. After 19:00 it becomes increasingly hard or even impossible to find a taxi!!! So, plan accordingly.
  2. Schedules and situations change, we try to keep up with it, but if you find anything that has changed, please inform us. And we ask for your understanding. We have no influence whatsoever on all these services!

The following links will scroll you straight to each section of this article.

  1. Travelling by train from Bangkok to Pak Chong
  2. Travelling by bus from Bangkok to Pak Chong
  3. Travelling by bus from Pak Chong to Bangkok
  4. Travelling from Pak Chong to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport (BKK)
  5. Travelling from Pak Chong to Bangkok Don Mueang airport (DMK)
  6. Travelling by train from Ayutthaya to Pak Chong
  7. Travelling by minivan from Bangkok to Pak Chong
  8. How to get to your hotel or the national park after arriving in Pak Chong?
  9. How to get to Khao Yai Cottage?

Travelling by train from Bangkok to Pak Chong

For those who travel from Bangkok to Pak Chong, the best way is to travel by train. The buses and minivans tend to have inconsistent schedules. And they have the tendency to drop people at random spots throughout town, which has often caused problems for us when trying to locate our guests. The train is the most straight forward option. However, it has its downsides.

There is only one small train station in Pak Chong, so that's easy. The first train from Bangkok should leave at about 05:45AM (but always check current scheduling to verify!). Arrival time in Pak Chong is 08:52 AM. And if you have booked a private tour with us, it is possible to start the tour directly from the railway station.

We strongly recommend to avoid Rapid and Ordinary trains. The Special Express & Express trains however are usually relatively 'punctual' (for Thai standards).

Railway station: Hualamphong Railway Station
City: Bangkok, Click here for the location on Google maps
Cost: depends on the class, and type of train
Departure time: Click here for the train schedule
Travel duration: 3:00 hrs

The railway station of Pak Chong lies at the following location: Click here for the location on Google maps
Unless agreed otherwise, our guide will meet you at the small parking lot in front of the station. If you don't see the guide at the promised time, please, call immediately!

Travelling by public bus from Bangkok to Pak Chong

Update: 26 NOV 2017

For quite some time we had been recommending using the public bus instead of the shuttle minivans. But problems have also started to increase with the bus services. They are no longer departing every hour, it seems like they just go whenever it suits them. Maybe a couple times per day.

There are various bus companies that go from Bangkok to Pak Chong, but there are a few problems. There doesn't seem to be a fixed time schedule, so you might have to wait around for a long time. Some bus services stop in every tiny town along the way making the entire journey unnecessarily long. And they all drop their passengers at different locations in Pak Chong town. Some might just drop you along the highway out of town, and then it will be quite a challenge to get to your destination.

It makes finding our guests harder than spotting endangered wildlife in the jungle of Khao Yai national park ;) . For that reason, we have decided to no longer start our tours directly from the minivan or bus stops. We recommend the train instead, or if you wish to take a bus or minivan, find a taxi from town to your hotel and our guide will meet you there.

The Ratchasima Tour bus company used to be the most convenient when you are lucky they have a bus departing, but there is no guarantee the bus will be leaving every hour. Some days there will be only a couple buses making the trip to Pak Chong. Anyway, below some information about this service.

Bus company: Ratchasima Tour
Ticketbox: no.49, 3rd floor
Bus station: Morchit Mai bus station (pronounce: "Morcheet My")
City: Bangkok, Click here for the location on Google maps
Cost: 146 baht/ person (If you are being charged 200 baht or more, it means they are selling you a ticket to Nakhon Ratchasima, which is not correct. REJECT IT! Repeat that you need to go to Pak Chong, NOT Nakhon Ratchasima!)
Departure time: No fixed times! They might only have a couple of buses per day, no fixed time, but likely some time between 6:00AM - 19:00PM
Travel duration: 2:30 - 3:00 hrs

Show the following image when buying your bus ticket, and show it again to the bus driver and the assistant to make clear you are going to Pak Chong, NOT to Nakhon Ratchasima! In the past, some of our guests have ended up in Nakhon Ratchasima. Which is an hour further east.

Thai-script message saying that you need to go to Pak Chong by bus.
Save (on your smartphone), or print this image showing in Thai-script that you need to go to Pak Chong.

These blue buses stop in Pak Chong town at the following location: Click here for the location on Google maps

The bus stop is on the frontage road, opposite from the night bazaar and you should be able to see a monument of a deer, on the opposite side of the main road. If you do not see this, it probably means you somehow ended up at a different bus stop.

One 'common' different location people have been dropped off in the past, is a small bus station (Click here for the location on Google maps) with a 7-eleven minimart right behind it, and a green bank branch of the Kasikorn Bank next to it. This area is called Talad Keckh.

Travelling by public bus from Pak Chong to Bangkok

Returning to Bangkok, Morchit Mai bus station (pronounce: "Morcheet My") from Pak Chong is a bit easier. We recommend the following bus company. It is a small bus stop with only this company, so no confusion. Just tell them you need to go to Bangkok (they also offer service from Pak Chong to Nakhon Ratchasima).

Bus company: Ratchasima Tour
Bus station: Ratchasima Tour bus stop Pak Chong
City: Pak Chong, Click here for the location on Google maps
Cost: 146 baht/ person
Departure time: about 7:00AM - 19:00PM sometimes till maybe 20:00PM but no fixed departure times. Might only go a couple times a day!
Travel duration: 2:30 - 3:00 hrs

Travelling from Pak Chong to Suvarnabhumi airport (BKK), Bangkok

We are often asked how to get from a hotel in Khao Yai area to the Suvarnabhumi airport (BKK) in Bangkok. By public transport, it is definitely not a trip for the faint-hearted. To be honest, if you have a flight to catch - unless you have all day to travel relaxed and not have much luggage - we would recommend spending a bit more and take a private transfer from door to door. It will save you from all the potential stress involved. A cost calculation is difficult, as we do not know all current prices. It also depending on where you are staying in Khao Yai. But here follows the pure public transport option. Surely, you could replace certain stretches by a local taxi, but then the financial gain will be so minimal, that you might as well book a direct private transfer.

Many hotels near the park are situated near the Thanarad road (2090) that connects the park gate with Pak Chong town. If you are not near this road, you will likely have to book a private taxi to get you to Pak Chong town center from where public transport departs. If you are staying near this Thanarad road, you can take the public shuttle trucks, mentioned elsewhere on this page. There is no strict time schedule, they usually pass once every half to full hour between let's say 6:00 - 7:00AM and 16:00 - 17:00PM.

Once you reach Pak Chong town centre, you can opt for either a shuttle minivan or a bus. These days both head to Morchit Mai bus station in Bangkok. This journey should take roughly 2:30 - 3 hrs, if no traffic.

Upon arrival at this Northern bus station, there is a bit of a complication. The skytrain station is about 2kms away, the MRT metro about 1km. Not sure what the easiest way is to get to either of these. Maybe you can find a TukTuk. Or perhaps a local Bangkok bus line might pass either of the two stations.

Both the skytrain and the MRT metro connect with the Airport link railway. Check the routes where this connection is and then buy the tickets to that location. Then once you reach the Airport Link railway, you are ready for the last stretch to the airport, as this Airport Link ends right under the airport.

In between all these connections, there might be quite a bit of waiting time and lugging around with luggage, so hopefully you travel lightweight ;)

Be prepared for at least 5 hrs travelling, unless you are extremely lucky with connections. That is excluding potential traffic...

Cost: ? baht/ person
Travel duration: Be prepared for 5:00+ hrs

For those who book a wildlife tour in Khao Yai national park with us, we can arrange private transfers from door to door. Just for your information, we do NOT offer these transfers as a stand-alone service if not booked together with our tours!

Travelling from Pak Chong to Don Mueang airport (DMK), Bangkok

The journey from Khao Yai to Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok is a bit easier than the one to Suvarnabhumi airport.

If your hotel is situated near the Thanarad road (2090) that connects the park gate with Pak Chong town, you can take the public shuttle trucks, mentioned elsewhere on this page. There is no strict time schedule, they usually pass once every half to full hour, between let's say 6:00 - 7:00AM and 16:00 - 17:00PM. If you are not near this road, you likely need to ask your hotel to arrange a taxi from there to Pak Chong town center.

Once you reach Pak Chong town centre, you can probably best opt for a shuttle minivan, as we are not sure if buses will drop people off at the airport. Just make sure to inform the ticket seller and - more importantly - the minivan driver, that you need to be dropped off at the airport and NOT at the final station of this trip. Might be a bit of a challenge, as usually there is hardly any english spoken. But with a bit of hands and feet, perhaps showing the airport name etc., you should be fine ;) .

The minivans should pass the Don Mueang Airport and can drop you off right in front. Worst case scenario: they forget to drop you off and you end up at Morchit Bus station. Then you will have to take a taxi from there to the airport. Not a major problem either.

Cost: around 200 - 250 baht/ person
Travel duration: 3:30 - 4:00 hrs

For those who book a wildlife tour in Khao Yai national park with us, we can arrange private transfers from door to door. But we do NOT offer these transfers as a stand-alone service if not booked together with our tours!

Travelling by train from Ayutthaya to Pak Chong

For those who travel from Ayutthaya to Pak Chong, pretty much the only viable way is to travel by train. There is only one small train station in Pak Chong, so that's easy ;)

We strongly recommend to avoid Rapid and Ordinary trains. The Special Express & Express trains however are usually relatively 'punctual' (for Thai standards).

Railway station: Ayutthaya Railway Station
City: Ayutthaya, Click here for the location on Google maps
Cost: depends on the class, and type of train
Departure time: Click here for the train schedule
Travel duration: 2:00 - 2:30 hrs

The railway station of Pak Chong lies at the following location: Click here for the location on Google maps

Unless agreed otherwise, our guide will meet you at the small parking lot in front of the station. If you don't see the guide at the promised time, please, call immediately!

Travelling by shuttle minivan from Bangkok to Pak Chong

There was a time, we recommended the shuttle minivan services. However, after too much trouble with guests being dropped anywhere the drivers felt like it. And after several attempts to try and discuss how to improve the service for foreign travellers. We noticed the minivans did not want to cooperate. All we were asking was if the drivers could make sure the guests would remain in the van until the final stop was reached. We gave up!

Since October 2016, the minivan service that used to operate from the Victory monument to Pak Chong, has moved to the same bus station where the big buses depart from. So, now it seems even less interesting to travel by minivan. Because if you anyway have to find your way to the Morchit bus station, you might as well take a big bus which is safer, cheaper, and more spacious. And as long as you follow the instructions above ( Travelling by bus from Bangkok to Pak Chong ) it will take the same amount of time to get there.

However, if you anyway choose for a shuttle minivan service. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

  1. It will be a surprise where they will drop you, and with the low number of taxis in Pak Chong, it can be tricky to find your way onwards.
  2. If travelling with big luggage, they usually charge for an extra seat. Understandable, but anyway just so you can calculate for this.
  3. Some of the drivers might have a different drive-style than you are used to in your home country. That's a mild way to put it ;) .

Minivan company: various companies available
Bus station: Bangkok - Pak Chong services have now moved away from the Victory Monument BTS Skytrain station to Morchit Mai bus station (pronounce: "Morcheet My")
City: Bangkok, Click here for the location on Google maps
Cost: about 160 - 180 baht/ person
Departure time: 6:00AM - 19:00PM
Travel duration: 2:30 - 3:00 hrs

Every minivan operator has its own stop in Pak Chong town.

Getting around in Pak Chong

Shuttle trucks in Pak Chong
Public shuttle trucks that operate between Pak Chong town and Khao Yai national park.

Let's put hitchhiking and car or motorbike rental aside. Here follow some options on how to get from Pak Chong town to your hotel, or to the national park entrance. Basically, there are only two options.

  1. Taxis
  2. Public shuttle trucks

Here follow the locations of the two main taxi stands, and the start-off point for the public trucks running between the town and the national park entrance, and from there further east more or less following the border of the park.

  1. Taxi stand 1: At the night bazaar and the deer monument on the corner opposite with the 7-eleven, Click here for the location on Google maps
  2. Taxi stand 2: At the railway station, Click here for the location on Google maps
  3. Public truck stand: Near the night bazaar and the deer monument, 50 - 100m Northeast on the frontage road, Click here for the location on Google maps

City: Pak Chong
Taxi within the town: about 100 - 200 baht
Taxi to hotels half way between the town and the national park: about 300 - 400 baht
Taxi to hotels near the national park: about 500 - 600 baht
Public truck to the park: about 30 - 40 baht
Departure time: The trucks depart once every half - whole hour between 6:00AM - 17:00PM
Travel duration: From town to the national park entrance is about 35 min drive
Note: the public trucks get quite crowded early morning and late afternoon with locals and schoolkids.

Hotels near Khao Yai national park

A large number of our guests stay in the following hotel near Khao Yai.
Khao Yai Cottage. The following jpg-image can be printed and has the location of the 7-eleven near this lodging option in Thai script to show the taxi or public truck driver. When you get there follow the instructions explained, below.

7-eleven location in Klutkha village in Thai script
Save (on your smartphone), or print this image of the location of the 7-eleven in Klutkha Village in Thai-script. From here it is easy to walk to Khao Yai Cottage.

Khao Yai Cottage

Khao Yai Cottage, one of the best hotels near the park in its price range, is located just 100m off the main road, the Thanarad Road, no. 2090. You'll find it into the little street right next to the 7-eleven at km.20, in Klutkha Village.

Many drivers won't immediately understand the English pronunciation of Khao Yai Cottage (Thais pronounce Cottage more like Cottid, give it a try ;) ). Otherwise try to explain you need to be at the 7-eleven at km.20, Klutkha village.

Khao Yai Cottage, Pak Chong
เขาใหญ่ คอทเทจ, 888 Thanarat Rd. Km. 20, Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima, 30130
Tel: 044297178, 0819196771
Click here for the location on Google maps



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