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.
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.
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
- 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.
