Getting to Surin
How to Travel There

The train is a favorite way to reach Surin because Surin railway station sits right in the heart of the city — once you step off, it's easy to grab onward transport to your hotel or walk to the market area in town. Surin lies on the Southern Isan line running between Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani, passing through Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Surin, and Sisaket, so there are several departures a day, ranging from rapid and express trains to special express services and air-conditioned sleeper cars. You can choose based on your budget and schedule. Fares are still reasonably cheap, and you get the scenery of the Isan countryside along the way — something a bus simply can't offer.

One thing to keep in mind is that travel time is fairly long, running roughly seven to nine hours depending on the train type, since Surin sits a bit further out than Buriram. A daytime train can eat up almost a whole day, while an overnight sleeper saves you a night's accommodation and gets you in right around morning. However, good seats and sleeper berths tend to sell out quickly during the elephant festival in November or long holiday weekends.

Something else worth knowing is that the train only takes you as far as the city center — but the temples and elephant village that are the real highlights sit far outside town, and the train doesn't reach them. Once you arrive in Surin by train, you'll still need to arrange onward transport, whether that's renting a car, chartering a ride, or booking a tour. It's a good idea to book tickets in advance, especially for the return trip, and to double-check that the train you're booking actually stops in Surin, since not every service stops at every station.

The bus is a way into Surin that's cheap and offers plenty of departure choices. Buses leave from the Mo Chit bus terminal in Bangkok and take roughly seven to eight hours to reach Surin's bus terminal. You can choose from standard, first-class (Por 1), and VIP buses with wider, more reclined seats depending on your budget. Many operators run overnight services that save on accommodation and get you in right around morning — ideal for budget travelers who aren't too fussed about timing and want more departure options than the train offers.

One thing to plan around: during long holidays and the elephant festival in November, tickets sell out fast and roads can get congested, stretching travel time beyond usual. Book in advance, especially for the return trip after the festival wraps up, when large numbers of people are leaving the province at once. Also note that although the bus terminal sits within the city, you'll still need onward transport to your hotel or sightseeing spots, so budget extra time and fare for that leg.

Compared side by side, the bus usually arrives slightly faster than the train and offers more flexible scheduling, but it doesn't drop you in as scenic a spot as the train station, and you miss out on the same kind of scenery along the way. Like the train, the bus only gets you as far as the city — the temples and elephant village outside town still require onward transport. If you're planning to visit several out-of-town sites, setting aside budget for a rental car or a chartered ride from the start will make the trip go much more smoothly.

If you're planning to see all of Surin's major highlights, renting a car and driving yourself is almost essential, because the province's highlights are scattered far outside town in completely different directions. Prasat Sikhoraphum sits about thirty-some kilometers east of the city, Prasat Ta Muen lies even further south along the Cambodian border, and the elephant village at Ban Ta Klang is up in Tha Tum district to the north. These areas have almost no public transport running directly to them — without a rental car, you'd need to charter a ride instead, which usually costs more on a per-day basis.

Having your own car lets you stop at the temples, the elephant village, and small spots along the way exactly as you like. It's especially good value if you're traveling in a group or with family, since the cost per person drops when split. Rental services are available both at the station and around town, and some can even deliver the car to your hotel — if you arrive by train or bus and pick up a rental car right away, you can start your out-of-town trip immediately without wasting time on multiple transfers.

What you'll need to prepare: a driver's license, and ideally full insurance coverage. Surin's main roads are wide and easy to drive, but the final stretch toward Prasat Ta Muen is a small road heading into the border area — check the border situation and opening hours before you go. Before taking the car, photograph or video the whole vehicle as proof of its condition, check the tires and brakes, and fill up on fuel since gas stations in the outer districts are spread far apart. Allow plenty of extra travel time between sites, since each one is quite far from the next.

For travelers who don't want to drive themselves, Surin does have chauffeured options, including the Grab ride-hailing app and chartering a taxi or van for the day. One thing to know upfront is that Grab cars in Surin's city area are still limited compared to bigger cities — during busy hours or late at night, cars can be hard to hail and waits can be long. It's best suited for occasional use within the city, such as from the station to your hotel or from your hotel to the market and restaurant area, rather than relying on it throughout the whole trip.

If you want to visit out-of-town spots like the temples or elephant village without driving yourself, the more convenient option is a full-day charter, which gets you a driver who knows the route and will wait for you at each stop. Pricing depends on distance and number of stops, generally running into the thousands of baht per day. You can inquire and book through your hotel or a local driver. The upside is not having to stress about long-distance driving or finding parking, but you should agree on the price, route, and stops clearly before setting off to avoid problems later.

Overall, Grab and charter taxis suit travelers on a short trip visiting just a few spots who don't want to take on the responsibility of driving. But if you're planning to cover several out-of-town sites over multiple days, renting a car and driving yourself is usually better value and more flexible, since you won't have to wait on a driver and can adjust your plans freely along the way.

Once you've arrived in Surin, getting around the city has a few local options, including route songthaews, tuk-tuks, and motorcycle taxis. The songthaew is the cheapest choice, running along main routes within the city and connecting nearby points like the market, the train station, and residential areas. Fares run in the tens of baht per person — just flag one down along the route and pay when you get off. Tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis suit short, quick trips or times when no songthaew is running, and can be hailed at stands around town, handy when you're carrying luggage or in a hurry.

One limitation to know: songthaews run on limited routes and hours, mostly from daytime into the evening, with far fewer running after dark, and they don't reach every alley or attraction. If your hotel is off the main route, you may need to transfer or walk further. Tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis have no meter, so agree on a price before boarding every time to avoid being overcharged.

Worth emphasizing: songthaews and local city transport are suited mainly for getting around within the city itself. They don't run out to Prasat Sikhoraphum, Prasat Ta Muen, or the elephant village, all of which are far outside town. To reach those, you'll still need a rental car, a charter, or a tour. So the most cost-effective approach is to use songthaews and local transport for getting around near your hotel, and set aside a separate budget specifically for transport to out-of-town sites.

One advantage of Surin is that it sits right in the middle of a cluster of appealing southern Isan provinces — Buriram to the west and Sisaket to the east, both along the same train and road route — making it well suited for combining into a single trip if you have several days. Rather than rushing to one province and heading straight back, touring all three provinces in sequence makes the long trip from Bangkok much more worthwhile, since the Khmer temple complexes and local culture across all three provinces are closely connected.

A popular route is to start in Buriram to visit Phanom Rung and Muang Tam, then move on to Surin for Prasat Sikhoraphum, Prasat Ta Muen, and the elephant village at Ban Ta Klang, before continuing to Sisaket for Prasat Sa Kamphaeng Yai and Pha Mo E Daeng along the border. All of this is connected by the Southern Isan train line and main roads — traveling between towns by train is cheap and comfortable, but once you arrive in each province, you'll still need transport to the out-of-town sites, since every province's temples are similarly far from the town center.

The most workable approach for a multi-province trip is to rent a car and drive yourself the whole way for maximum flexibility, or take the train between towns and then rent/charter a car for the day in each province. Plan the order of provinces and sightseeing spots in advance, since distances between sites are fairly long, and if you're planning to come during the Surin Elephant Round-up in November, book accommodation and travel tickets especially far in advance, as the whole region gets busy.