Phichit is unusually well served by rail for a province its size and unusually poorly served by everything else. The Northern Line runs its full length with three Class 1 stations, so getting to and from Phichit is easy and cheap. Getting around it is a different matter: there is no airport, no mass transit and no city bus, and outside the walkable town centre life runs entirely on private vehicles.
How people get to and around Phichit
Train — three stations on the Northern Line
Rail is Phichit's best connection by a wide margin. The State Railway's Northern Line runs the length of the province with three Class 1 stations: Bang Mun Nak at kilometre 297 from Bangkok, Taphan Hin at 319, and Phichit at 347. All three opened on 24 January 1908 with the original line extension from Pak Nam Pho to Phitsanulok, and services run in both directions between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, including overnight trains. For anyone based here, this is genuinely useful and genuinely cheap.
The Pak Nam Pho–Den Chai double track — planned, not built
The Northern Line through Phichit is single track, and the fix has been on paper for years. The State Railway's Pak Nam Pho–Den Chai double-tracking project runs 280.5 kilometres through five provinces — Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit and Phrae — with 36 stations, five of them elevated, at a cost most recently reported at around ฿57.4 billion. Its environmental impact assessment has been approved and it sits in the second phase of the national double-track programme. What it has not done is start: as of the latest reporting available to us it was still moving through cabinet and board approval rather than construction, with no confirmed start date or completion year. We flag it because it is real and it would materially change journey times through Phichit — and we flag the status just as plainly, because nobody should sign a lease on the strength of a railway that has not been built. Treat today's single-track timetable as the timetable.
Air — no airport in the province
Phichit has no commercial airport. The nearest is Phitsanulok Airport (PHS), roughly an hour north by road or rail, with domestic flights to Bangkok. Anyone who needs to fly regularly should factor that hour into every trip — it is one of the practical costs of choosing Phichit over Phitsanulok.
Road — Highways 117 and 113
Highway 117 is the province's spine, running north to Phitsanulok and south to Nakhon Sawan, and Highway 113 heads east toward Phetchabun. Intercity buses use these routes and call at the main towns. Bangkok is around 330km south. The terrain helps: Phichit is almost entirely flat river plain, so driving is easy and distances are covered quickly.
Local — songthaews, motorbike taxis & your own vehicle
There is no BTS, MRT or city bus network anywhere in Phichit. Within Phichit town, Taphan Hin and Bang Mun Nak, songthaews and motorbike taxis handle short trips, and the town centre itself is walkable. Everywhere else — the old city, Bueng Si Fai's outer lanes, and all eleven non-capital districts — a private motorbike or car is not a convenience but a requirement. Budget for one before you budget for anything else.
Getting-around questions
What's the best way to get to Phichit from Bangkok?
The train. Phichit is a Class 1 station 347km up the Northern Line, with regular day and overnight services, and Taphan Hin (319km) and Bang Mun Nak (297km) are on the same line if the southern districts are your destination. By road it is around 330km on Highway 117 via Nakhon Sawan. There is no airport in the province — the nearest is Phitsanulok (PHS), an hour north.
Does Phichit have public transport?
Only informally. There is no BTS, MRT or city bus network. Songthaews and motorbike taxis cover short trips within the towns, and the train links the three main towns to each other and to the rest of the country. For everyday life outside the town centres, you need your own motorbike or car.
How far is Phichit from Phitsanulok?
About an hour north by road or rail. That matters more than the distance suggests, because Phitsanulok is where Phichit residents go for specialist hospital care, flights, a major shopping mall and higher education. Anyone weighing Phichit should treat that hour as a fixed feature of living here.
Is the railway through Phichit being upgraded?
It is planned, not built. The Pak Nam Pho–Den Chai double-tracking project would put a second track through the whole province — 280.5km across Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit and Phrae, 36 stations of which five elevated, most recently costed at around ฿57.4 billion — and its environmental impact assessment has been approved. But it is a second-phase project that was still working through cabinet and board approval at the time of writing, with no confirmed construction start or opening year. Plan around the single track that exists today; if the double track arrives, treat it as upside.
How far apart are Phichit's three stations?
Close enough to be useful. Measured from Bangkok, Bang Mun Nak sits at 297km, Taphan Hin at 319km and Phichit at 347km — so Taphan Hin is about 28 rail-kilometres south of the provincial capital and Bang Mun Nak about 50. That means a household based in Taphan Hin or Bang Mun Nak can reach the provincial hospital, the provincial offices and Phichit Pittayakom by train rather than by car, which is unusual for a rural Thai province and worth weighing when you choose a town.
Do I need a car in Phichit?
Realistically yes, unless you live in Phichit town centre and rarely leave it. The province is flat and easy to drive, distances between the towns are real, and there is no mass transit to fall back on. A motorbike is the common local answer; a car is better if you have a family or make the Phitsanulok run often.
Sources & References
- State Railway of Thailand
- Phichit railway station — Wikipedia
- Taphan Hin railway station — Wikipedia
- Bang Mun Nak railway station — Wikipedia
- Pak Nam Pho–Den Chai double track — route, stations and budget (Thansettakij)
- Pak Nam Pho–Den Chai double track — EIA approval (Isranews)
- Double-track phase 2 — approval status (Dailynews)
- Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
Hero photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels. Confirm current train schedules with the State Railway of Thailand — they change.
