Practical guide
Khon Kaen to Bangkok
The night train south arrives at a sensible hour, which the trip up doesn't
Khon Kaen to Bangkok is about 440 km, and this is the direction where the night train works. Special Express No. 26 leaves Khon Kaen at 21:49 with air-conditioned sleepers and reaches Krung Thep Aphiwat at about 05:30, and Rapid No. 134 leaves at 22:51 and arrives at 07:30, so you save a hotel night and arrive in the morning. If you're catching a flight out of Bangkok the same day, fly instead.
Check live Khon Kaen → Bangkok times and seats on 12Go
About a dozen flights a day go to Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi, an hour in the air, and Suvarnabhumi is the one to pick for an international connection. By day there's Express No. 76 at 10:11, in Bangkok by 16:35, and buses leave Khon Kaen Bus Terminal 3 from 06:30 until nearly midnight, about six to seven hours for about ฿380–650.
Arriving in Bangkok
Where to stay in Bangkok
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Key Facts
Three trains a day to Krung Thep Aphiwat
Express No. 76 at 10:11, Special Express No. 26 at 21:49 and Rapid No. 134 at 22:51. All three stop at Don Mueang station about 15 minutes before the end of the line.
About a dozen flights a day
To Suvarnabhumi with Thai Airways and Thai VietJet, and to Don Mueang with Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air. 12Go listed fares of about ฿1,050–2,075 for a mid-November date.
Buses from 06:30 until nearly midnight
Nakhonchai Air, Cherdchai Tour and Chan Tour run from Bus Terminal 3 to Mo Chit, about 6 to 7 hours. A Nakhonchai Gold Class seat cost about ฿443 on 12Go.
Leave time to reach Terminal 3
The bus terminal is on the outer ring road about 6 km from downtown, and the airport about 11 km northwest. The railway station is close to the center.
It's about 440 km by road
Down Highway 2 through Korat and Saraburi, about five and a half hours of driving without traffic. 12Go lists cars with a driver from about ฿4,400.
Every Way From Khon Kaen to Bangkok, Compared
| Option | From | Time | Cost | Arrives at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FlightSeats on 12Go | Khon Kaen Airport, from about 07:35 to 21:10 | About 1 hour in the air | About ฿1,050–2,075 | Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi |
| Night train, Special Express No. 26Seats on 12Go | Khon Kaen station at 21:49 | About 7 h 40 min | About ฿900–1,200 for a 2nd-class air-con berth | Krung Thep Aphiwat at about 05:30, Don Mueang 05:15 |
| Night train, Rapid No. 134Seats on 12Go | Khon Kaen station at 22:51 | About 8 h 40 min | From about ฿230 3rd class | Krung Thep Aphiwat at 07:30, Don Mueang 07:15 |
| Day train, Express No. 76Seats on 12Go | Khon Kaen station at 10:11 | About 6 h 25 min | About ฿220–480 | Krung Thep Aphiwat at 16:35, Don Mueang 16:21 |
| BusSeats on 12Go | Khon Kaen Bus Terminal 3, 06:30 to about 23:55 | About 6 to 7 h | About ฿380–650 | Mo Chit |
| Private car | Your Khon Kaen hotel | About 5.5 to 6.5 h | From about ฿4,400 a car on 12Go | Anywhere in Bangkok |
Train times from Rail Thailand's timetable dated January 2026, with Don Mueang times from Travelfish's February 2026 copy of the SRT schedule; 12Go shows No. 26 arriving at 05:50. Train, bus, flight and car prices are 12Go's for 18 November 2026 and include its fee. The berth range runs from the station fare thailandtrains lists for the route to 12Go's price. Road distance from OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap.
Bookable departures · refreshed daily
Khon Kaen → Bangkok: departure times you can book now
Every departure currently on sale through 12Go for this route, by class. Fares are the spread across the classes shown; the exact price for a seat and date is on the booking page.
Bus
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| Express | 10:00, 11:05, 19:10, 21:20, 21:30, 22:05, 22:30 |
| VIP 24 | 09:00, 11:00, 21:00, 23:00 |
| Intercity | 08:30, 20:30 |
| VIP 33 | 20:30 |
| First Class | 09:00, 10:50, 10:55, 11:31, 11:40, 12:21, 21:00, 21:44, 22:16, 23:15 |
| Gold Class | 06:30, 07:30, 08:00, 08:15, 08:45, 09:30, 09:31, 10:00, 10:30, 10:45, 11:00, 11:50, 12:31, 13:00, 13:30, 13:45, 14:15, 15:01, 17:00, 17:45, 19:30, 20:00, 20:15, 20:30, 21:10, 21:30, 22:00, 22:10, 22:30, 23:00, 23:30, 23:45, 23:55 |
Times and fares as sold on 12Go, refreshed daily. Services sold only locally — ordinary trains, weekend excursion trains, walk-up pier tickets — are not listed; see the table above for those. Sponsored link: we may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Khon Kaen → Bangkok
Check the trains and buses from Khon Kaen to Bangkok
The live 12Go board shows the buses to Mo Chit with today's seats. 12Go also sells the three trains and the flights, and its prices include a booking fee.
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The Khon Kaen to Bangkok Train Timetable
| Train | Type | Khon Kaen | Don Mueang | Krung Thep Aphiwat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 76 | Express, 3rd class and 2nd-class air-con seats | 10:11 | 16:21 | 16:35 |
| No. 26 | Special express, 1st and 2nd-class air-con sleepers | 21:49 | 05:15 | about 05:30 |
| No. 134 | Rapid, 3rd class, 2nd-class seats and sleepers | 22:51 | 07:15 | 07:30 |
Times from Rail Thailand's timetable dated January 2026 and Travelfish's copy of the SRT schedule dated February 2026. No. 134 starts in Vientiane at 18:25 and No. 26 in Nong Khai, so both can run late into Khon Kaen.
The Night Train to Krung Thep Aphiwat
The best use of the overnight trains in Isan
Heading south, the night trains arrive at hours you can use. Special Express No. 26 comes down from Nong Khai, leaves Khon Kaen at 21:49 and reaches Krung Thep Aphiwat at about 05:30, with first-class cabins and second-class air-conditioned berths. On 12Go a second-class berth cost about ฿1,197 for a mid-November date and first class from about ฿1,684, and thailandtrains lists the station fares at ฿907 and ฿1,394. Rapid No. 134 starts in Vientiane, leaves Khon Kaen at 22:51 and arrives at 07:30, a gentler time to land in Bangkok, with cheap third-class seats as well as second class.
The train I'd book is No. 134 if I didn't need to be anywhere early, and No. 26 if I wanted the earlier arrival and the first-class option. Both stop at Don Mueang station, across the road from the airport, at 05:15 and 07:15, which works for a late-morning domestic flight. Since No. 134 starts across the border, it can run late into Khon Kaen, so check the station board before you go.
By day, Express No. 76 leaves at 10:11 and gets to Krung Thep Aphiwat at 16:35, stopping at Ayutthaya at about 15:39 if you want to break the trip there. By SRT's booking rules, seats from Khon Kaen should open about 90 days ahead on SRT's D-Ticket site, at the station or on 12Go, which adds a fee.
Arriving in Bangkok
Top-Ranked Hotels in Bangkok
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Flying From Khon Kaen to Bangkok
Pick the airport by where you're going next
Khon Kaen Airport is about 11 km northwest of the center, about 15 minutes by car. On 12Go's board for a mid-November weekday there were seven departures to Suvarnabhumi between 08:30 and 20:15, with Thai Airways and Thai VietJet, and six to Don Mueang between 07:35 and 21:10, mostly Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air, all about an hour. Fares ran about ฿1,050–1,400 to Don Mueang and ฿1,235–2,075 to Suvarnabhumi.
If you're connecting to an international flight, fly to Suvarnabhumi, on one ticket where you can. Don Mueang is 60 to 90 minutes across Bangkok from Suvarnabhumi, and that transfer is where tight connections go wrong. If you're staying in Bangkok, either works, and Don Mueang is usually cheaper.
Buses to Mo Chit
Buses to Bangkok leave Khon Kaen Bus Terminal 3, on the outer ring road about 6 km from downtown. Nakhonchai Air runs most of them, Gold Class coaches from 06:30 for about ฿443 on 12Go and a few First Class ones for about ฿591, and Cherdchai Tour's expresses cost about ฿380–550. Late at night Chan Tour runs expresses at 23:00, 00:30 and 01:00 that reach Mo Chit between about 05:40 and 06:10. The trip takes about six to seven hours, and some Nakhonchai coaches also pick up at Ban Phai and Phon south of the city.
Buses end at Mo Chit in Chatuchak, a taxi or short ride from Mo Chit BTS and Chatuchak Park MRT. Nakhonchai Air also drops at its own Bangkok station.
By Car
It's about 440 km down Highway 2 through Korat and Saraburi, about five and a half hours without traffic, more once you reach Bangkok's traffic. 12Go lists cars with a driver from Khon Kaen hotels to Bangkok from about ฿4,400 to ฿9,800 depending on the car.
More on Khon Kaen and getting around Isan
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Khon Kaen to Bangkok.
The night train if you want to save a hotel night, Special Express No. 26 at 21:49 arriving at about 05:30 or Rapid No. 134 at 22:51 arriving at 07:30. Fly if you have a same-day connection, about an hour to Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi.
Express No. 76 at 10:11, Special Express No. 26 at 21:49 and Rapid No. 134 at 22:51, arriving at Krung Thep Aphiwat at 16:35, about 05:30 and 07:30.
Yes. All three trains stop at Don Mueang station, across the road from the airport, about 15 minutes before Krung Thep Aphiwat, at 16:21, 05:15 and 07:15.
Khon Kaen Bus Terminal 3, on the outer ring road about 6 km from downtown. Buses run from 06:30 until nearly midnight and arrive at Mo Chit in about six to seven hours.
Suvarnabhumi if you're connecting to an international flight, with Thai Airways or Thai VietJet. Don Mueang, with Thai AirAsia or Thai Lion Air, if you're staying in Bangkok, and it's usually cheaper.
About an hour by air, six to seven hours by bus, about 6 hours 25 minutes on the day train and 7 hours 40 minutes to 8 hours 40 minutes on the night trains.
Where to stay in Bangkok
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Onward from Bangkok
The next leg, with the fastest and cheapest way to do it.
- BangkokAyutthayaFastest Long-distance train, 3rd class, 50–80 minCheapest Ordinary train, About ฿15–20Compare all 6 ways
- BangkokBuriramFastest Thai AirAsia flight, 1 hour in the air, about 4 hours door to doorCheapest Express No. 71 or Rapid No. 135, About ฿175–450Compare all 7 ways
- BangkokChiang MaiFastest Flight, 1h 10–20m (+ airport time)Cheapest Express bus, $16–25Compare all 6 ways
- BangkokChiang RaiFastest Flight, Don Mueang, 80–95 minCheapest Overnight bus, Transport Co., About ฿720–840Compare all 5 ways
- BangkokHua HinFastest Special Express No. 43, 3hCheapest Ordinary train, ฿44Compare all 8 ways
- BangkokKanchanaburiFastest First-class bus, About 2 hCheapest Train No. 257 or 259, ฿100 (foreigners)Compare all 6 ways
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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