Getting around Chonburi.

Chonburi is a working province built around the Eastern Economic Corridor, and how you move between its districts shapes daily life more than in most Thai cities - many residents commute not within one town but between Sriracha, Laem Chabang, Amata Nakorn and Chonburi City. There is no urban rail here - no BTS, no MRT, no commuter metro - so for daily life the practical choices are company shuttles, songthaews, motorbike taxis, ride-hailing apps and a private car. There is, however, a working intercity railway: the SRT Eastern Line calls at a string of stations the length of the province, and we set out its actual timetable below rather than pretending it does not exist. Below we break down every mode, what it costs, and realistic journey times across the province.

Songthaews & shared taxis

Songthaews - converted pickups with two bench seats in the back - run fixed local loops around Sriracha and Chonburi City for a flat fare of roughly THB 10-20. They're the cheapest way to cover a short hop within a district: down to Bangkok Hospital Sriracha, out to a shopping mall, or across Chonburi City near Burapha University. Coverage is thinner and less frequent than in Bangkok or Pattaya, since most residents here commute by company transport or private vehicle rather than public songthaew.

• Flag one down on its route and pay the driver through the window when you get off - agree a private charter price up front if you need somewhere off the fixed loop.
• Songthaew coverage largely stops by early evening; plan an alternative for anything after dark.

Motorbike taxis

Riders in numbered vests wait at the mouth of most sois in Sriracha and Chonburi City and are the fastest way to cover the last kilometre to a condo, restaurant or an industrial estate gate - typically THB 20-40 for a short hop. Agree the fare before you climb on. They're especially useful for closing the gap between a Grab drop-off point and a factory or office entrance set back from the main road.

Company shuttles & staff buses

This is what actually moves most of Chonburi's working population: manufacturers and logistics operators in Amata Nakorn, Laem Chabang and the surrounding estates run their own staff shuttle buses and vans between employee housing in Sriracha or Chonburi City and the plant gate, usually on a fixed shift schedule. If you're relocating for a corporate role, ask HR early whether a shuttle route already serves your building - it often decides where you should live before you even start apartment-hunting.

Grab & Bolt (ride-hailing)

Grab and Bolt both operate across Sriracha and Chonburi City with app-fixed pricing and GPS tracking, typically THB 60-150 for a short trip and THB 150-350 across town. Coverage is solid in the built-up corporate districts but noticeably thinner once you're out toward the industrial estate perimeters or smaller villages, where wait times can stretch and a motorbike taxi or private car is often faster.

Renting or buying a car

For families, longer assignments and anyone commuting between the industrial estates rather than staying within one district, a car is the most practical option. Long-term rentals for a small automatic with insurance run roughly THB 12,000-18,000 a month; many longer-stay residents buy new or used once an assignment is confirmed. Chonburi drives on the left, sits on a well-built motorway grid (Highway 7 and Highway 36 among them) linking the estates to each other and to Bangkok, and parking at most corporate housing and estates is straightforward.

• Confirm rental insurance includes first-class cover with a low excess, not just the compulsory minimum.
• Rush-hour shift-change traffic around Amata Nakorn and Laem Chabang can be heavy in both directions - factor 15-20 extra minutes into a commute at those times.

Inter-city buses & vans to Bangkok and Pattaya

Regular bus and minivan services connect Sriracha and Chonburi City to Bangkok's Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai) and to Pattaya, generally running every 30-60 minutes through the day. They're a reliable, inexpensive option for a weekend trip or for staff without a company vehicle, though most relocating professionals default to a private car or company transport once settled.

Trains - the SRT Eastern Line

Chonburi is not railway-less, and copy that says so - including our own until this update - is wrong. The State Railway of Thailand's Eastern Line runs the length of the province, and the stations are real and staffed - among them Chon Buri (a class 1 station in Ban Suan, 107.8 rail km from Bangkok), Bang Phra, Khao Phrabat, Si Racha Junction (Surasak, class 3, 130.6 km), Bang Lamung, Pattaya, Pattaya Tai, and on south through Ban Phlu Ta Luang, U Taphao and Chuk Samet. What the province does not have is urban rail - no BTS, no MRT, no commuter metro - and the branch running down from Si Racha Junction to Laem Chabang Port has carried freight only since it opened in 1992, with no passenger station at the port. Treat the railway as an intercity option, not a way to get to work.

• Weekdays and weekends alike, Ordinary No. 283 leaves Bangkok (Hua Lamphong) 06:55 and calls at Chon Buri 09:48, Si Racha Junction 10:12, Pattaya 10:34 and Ban Phlu Ta Luang 11:20, ending at Chuk Samet 11:45. Northbound, No. 284 leaves Chuk Samet 13:05, Pattaya 14:20, Si Racha Junction 14:47, Chon Buri 15:21, into Hua Lamphong 18:15.
• Third-class ordinary seats on 283/284 are sold at the station on the day, not in advance - so it is a cheap day out, not something to build a commute around.
• At weekends the SRT adds Special No. 997/998, an air-conditioned Sprinter that is roughly an hour quicker: Bangkok 06:45, Chon Buri 08:37, Si Racha Junction 08:55, Pattaya 09:14; returning Pattaya 16:26, Si Racha Junction 16:45, Chon Buri 17:03, Bangkok 18:55. A reserved second-class seat is about THB 170 each way and is worth booking ahead on the SRT D-Ticket site, as tour groups sometimes take a whole carriage.
• Times change. Check the current timetable with the SRT before you travel rather than relying on a figure printed on any website, ours included.

Airports - U-Tapao (UTP) & Suvarnabhumi (BKK)

U-Tapao International Airport, near Pattaya, is roughly 45-60 minutes south of Sriracha and at the time of writing is served by two airlines - Bangkok Airways and Thai Lion Air - on domestic routes only, principally Ko Samui, Phuket and Chiang Mai. Suvarnabhumi (BKK), where the international flights land, is about 60-90 minutes away via the eastern motorway network and is the standard route for relocating staff and visiting family. Airport buses, private transfers and pre-booked Grab serve both. There is an SRT station named U Taphao, opened on 10 November 2023 at 189 km on the Eastern Line and sitting near the airport, but with one train each way per day it is a curiosity rather than an airport transfer - budget for road transport.

• The Bangkok-U-Tapao high-speed line is not under construction and never has been. The Asia Era One consortium signed the THB 224.5 billion concession in October 2019 and never received a notice to proceed; in July 2026 it formally asked to terminate, reaffirmed that on 27 August 2026, and the government has resisted. No decision had been announced as this page was written.
• Officials have discussed redirecting roughly THB 120 billion into conventional double-tracking of the eastern corridor at up to 160 km/h instead. That would upgrade the line Chonburi already has rather than add a new one - but it is a proposal, not a programme. Plan your move on the province as it is today.

Typical journey times

Indicative off-peak times by car, except the final two rows, which are scheduled rail journey times on the SRT Eastern Line; shift-change traffic around the industrial estates and rain can add 15-20 minutes or more by road.

Chonburi transport FAQ

Related Chonburi guides

Chonburi healthcare & hospitals guide · Chonburi banking guide · Chonburi flood risk & monsoon guide · Chonburi city hub