By Songtaew
Songtaews sometimes songthaews are the most popular type of public transportation. A songtaew is a pick-up truck which has been converted into a small short-hop bus. Passengers step into the back of the truck and sit on parallel benches. When you want to get off just press the buzzer and hand your fare through the passenger window to the driver.
You can get on one anywhere by hailing it from the side of the road although there are official bus stops complete with signs displaying which number songtaews stop there. They usually only stop when a passenger presses the buzzer or when a pedestrian hails one but there are a few locations where they will always stop such as The Mall, Klang Plaza and Big C.
Each songtaew follows a fixed route a different system to that which is used in Chiang Mai, for example and there are around twenty different routes which cover most roads in the city. The vehicles come in a variety of colours and numbers - each denoting a different route. Most have their route number prominently displayed on a board above the window. Some start as early as 5 am and run as late as 11 pm but generally speaking it is rare to see one before 7 am and very rare to see one much after 9 pm.
For the newcomer, using songtaews can seem quite daunting as nearly all the destinations are written in Thai on the front and side of the vehicle and you need to know that the songtaew you are getting on hasn't just stopped at the place where you want to go. For example, you might be waiting outside the front of The Mall wanting to go to the zoo. Along comes a songtaew with 'Korat Zoo' written on the side. You understandably jump on the back of the vehicle, however, in that situation, the songtaew is coming from the zoo and is heading into the centre of the city.
Most songtaews go back the way they came, so it is usually pretty straight forward getting back to where you departed from: just cross the road and get one going back the other way.
For the benefit of the traveller, it seems unnecessary to describe every route you're unlikely to go day-tripping to the Suranaree Industrial Zone - incidentally, it's a number 5, white with luminous orange stripe if you do need to go there! but there are a few routes which will be of use to the visitor. To save on complication, all routes described are based on someone catching a songtaew from Ratchadamnoen Road/in front of Yamo unless stated otherwise.
Number 1. To get to the main train station, catch a number one heading west on Suranaree Road just off Ratchadamnoen/rear of Mae Kim Heng market. Catch one outside the station to bring you into the city.
Catch one on the corner of Chumphon and Chomphon Roads behind the Chomphon gate to take you all the way down Chomphon to Wat Boon Night Bazaar. Get off just as it turns left in front of the Iyara hotel. It also passes Night Bazaar 1 halfway down Chomphon.
Number 2 or Number 11. These go to the 'old' bus station.
Number 4. Catch one of these from the Thanon Chira train station see above to the city centre/Yamo area.
Number 6. Usually white with a red and yellow stripe, number sixes are the most common songthaews in the city. They vary in their ultimate destination but all stop at The Mall and Lotus.
Number 7. Very important for the traveller. Number sevens go to the main bus station bor kor sor mai. They also stop opposite Big C before they reach the bus station.
Number 15. Catch one of these new purple and white songthaews at the main bus station to get to the city centre Yamo area. Wait near the main exit of the bus station for one. They also go to the main bus station from the city centre; the same goes for the Number 10 white with red and yellow stripe.
Number 4129. These call at The Mall and Lotus on the same route as a number 6 but they go all the way to the zoo. The number is only displayed in small characters on the sides of the vehicle but they are all white with a yellow and blue stripe along the sides. Most now say Korat Zoo in English on the bodywork see photo.
The current fare is eight baht for a single journey that's right, 8 baht! but particularly long journeys - from Yamo to the zoo, for example - will be a little more.
By Motorbike Taxi
Wherever you find tuk-tuks you will find motorbike taxis. Their fares are generally two-thirds to three-quarters those of tuk-tuks i.e a sixty baht tuk-tuk fare will be forty baht on a motorbike etc. Some riders even put up a list of fares as if to prove that they don't just make up prices. You're certainly a long way from tourist rip-off territory here.
Safety is obviously a concern for a lot of travellers when it comes to motorcycle taxis. Only you can decide if you want to risk it or not but the rider should at least provide a helmet.
By taxi
Meter-taxis are a fairly new introduction to the Korat roads. They are blue and yellow in colour and scarce in number. If you are lucky enough to see one for hire on the street then you can hail it as you would a Bangkok taxi. It is thirty baht for the first kilometre and four baht a kilometre after that. You can call for one 044342255 but if you do that then the meter won't be used but a fixed fee will be charged for your journey. Furthermore, you can't book one in advance as you can with a minicab. You just have to call when you want one and hope that one is available. It should be added that the operator doesn't speak English so get your hotel receptionist to call.
They do congregate at the main bus station and if you catch one from here then the meter should be used. Again, don't expect the driver to speak English.
By Cycle Rickshaw (Samlor)
The traditional pedal-powered 'samlor' literally, 'three wheels' is a large tricycle with room for - at a squeeze - two passengers who sit on a covered, padded seat behind the rider. These days there are far more tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis than samlors but you can still find them dotted along most major roads. They come into their own during the Yamo festival end of March/start of April when Ratchadamnoen Road is closed and pedestrianized every evening and samlors are the only form of transport allowed.You'll notice that all samlor operators are elderly men so don't get them to take you halfway across the city! A kilometre or so is a more appropriate distance and it will only cost you twenty baht.
By Tuk-Tuk
The three-wheeled buzzboxes are plentiful in the city. They congregate in large numbers outside shopping centres, department stores, the two bus stations and train station. And individuals will be dotted along all the busy roads.
Happily, the reputation that tuk-tuk drivers have for ripping off tourists in places like Phuket and Pattaya does not generally apply in Korat. The fare from the main bus station to Yamo/city centre is sixty baht. Agree on this price before you get in. Fares typically go up in multiples of twenty and start at forty baht.
Remember, this isn't a tourist city so your driver will not speak English. He it's always a man may know the names of some hotels and will understand "Yamo", but that's about it. This is a prime example of where a smattering of Thai can go a long way.