How to Get from Bangkok to Lopburi: Train, Van or Private Car

The easiest way to get from Bangkok to Lopburi is the train from Krung Thep Aphiwat: about 1 hour 36 minutes on the 07:30 express, or around 2 hours on the slower rapid trains, from THB 100 on 12Go with six departures a day.

Minivans from Mochit cost THB 259 and take 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, while a private car from your Bangkok hotel starts at THB 2,037.

Flying into Don Mueang? The same trains stop at the station opposite the airport.

The detail everyone misses: since December 2025, every express and rapid train stops at the new elevated Lop Buri 2 station in Tha Wung, about 12 km from the old station in town.

Only the slow ordinary and commuter trains from Hua Lamphong still pull in next to the Khmer ruins, so check which Lopburi is printed on your ticket.

Bangkok to Lopburi timetable

These are the departures 12Go lists between Bangkok and Lopburi, with the lowest fares in baht. Every train in this table stops at Lop Buri 2, not the old town station.

1. Express or rapid train, the one I would book

Six northbound trains a day on 12Go stop at Lopburi, all leaving from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal and calling at Don Mueang about 15 minutes later.

The quickest is special express train 7 at 07:30, which reaches Lop Buri 2 at 09:06 with air-conditioned second-class seats for THB 349 on 12Go.

Rapid train 111 at 07:50 is the budget pick for a day trip. It arrives at 10:07, and 12Go sells third-class fan seats for THB 100.

Ticket windows charge much less than 12Go, but reserved seats on the express trains can sell out at weekends.

Railway guides also note that short Lopburi tickets are often sold only a day or two ahead, which is why a 12Go seat is useful.

Where to catch it

Krung Thep Aphiwat sits next to MRT Bang Sue on the Blue Line, so the subway takes you straight there.

Arrive 30 minutes early, find your platform on the departure boards, and keep your e-ticket on your phone with your passport.

My verdict: train 7 at 07:30 is the best way to see Lopburi in a day, as long as you budget for the ride from Lop Buri 2 into the old town.

2. Ordinary train from Hua Lamphong, straight to the ruins

The old Lopburi station is still open for the ordinary and commuter trains that leave from Hua Lamphong near Chinatown.

They are third class with fans and open windows, take around 3 hours, and stop at nearly every station.

Fares start at about THB 28 and you buy the ticket at the window on the day, so these trains do not appear on 12Go.

Ask for “Lop Buri”, not “Lop Buri 2”, and check the departure time at the station because the timetable changed when the new line opened.

The payoff comes at the end.

You step out of the old station with Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat right opposite, and Phra Prang Sam Yot is a few minutes on foot along the tracks.

My verdict: slow and hot, but it is the only train that drops you in the middle of the old town, with no transfer to arrange.

3. Minivan from Mochit, many departures a day

Watcharin Tour runs 14-seat vans from the Mochit New Van Terminal, the small-vehicle building next to the Northern Bus Terminal.

12Go sells seats for THB 259 and Bookaway for US$7, with departures spread from early morning to evening.

The check-in counter is number B8 in Building B, and you swap your voucher for a paper ticket there at least 30 minutes before departure.

Vans pick up more passengers at Rangsit on the way, which is why the trip takes 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Space is the catch.

12Go warns that big suitcases may need an extra seat, and riders who arrive with large bags have been sent to the next van.

Vans end at the Watcharin Tour office at 227/8 Narai Maharat Road in the new town, not by the ruins.

From there a songthaew or motorbike taxi takes you to the old town in a few minutes.

My verdict: the easiest choice if you are staying in the north of Bangkok and travel light.

4. Private car, best for families and day trips

A private car picks you up at your Bangkok hotel or at the airport and drives you to your Lopburi hotel or straight to the old town.

The cheapest 12Go listing starts at THB 2,037 for an economy car, and the drive takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on how long it takes to leave Bangkok.

A car also solves the Lop Buri 2 problem, because the driver drops you at the ruins.

Ask whether the driver will wait and bring you back the same evening, and agree that price before you leave.

Grab and metered Bangkok taxis can do the trip too, but agree the fare first. One recent guide quotes about THB 1,800 one way, without waiting time.

My verdict: for three or four people it works out at roughly THB 510 to 680 each and skips the Lop Buri 2 transfer.

5. The bus to Khok Samrong, only if that is where you are going

Search 12Go for “Bangkok to Lopburi” and you will see a TCL bus from Mochit from THB 234, with four departures from 08:00.

It ends in Khok Samrong, a separate district of Lopburi province, not in Lopburi city.

My verdict: skip it unless you have business in Khok Samrong. For the old town, the train or the Watcharin van is the better choice.

Want to walk out of the station and see the Khmer towers? Take an ordinary train from Hua Lamphong. Every faster train now stops at Lop Buri 2, out of town.

Step by step: Bangkok to Lopburi by express train

1. Book train 7 or rapid 111 on 12Go a day or two ahead, especially for weekends.
2. Take the MRT Blue Line to Bang Sue and follow the signs into Krung Thep Aphiwat.
3. Get off at Lop Buri 2 (Tha Wung), the elevated station about 12 km from the old town.
4. Ride a songthaew or taxi into town, agreeing the fare first. Ask the station staff whether a shuttle bus is running.
5. Start at Phra Prang Sam Yot, then walk to Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat and King Narai’s Palace.

What it costs for 1, 2 or 4 people

Add the ride from Lop Buri 2 into town for the express and rapid trains. For four people, a private car costs about THB 510 each and drops you in the old town.

Which option should you choose?

• Day trip from central Bangkok: express train 7 at 07:30, then a ride into town.
• No transfers at all: an ordinary train from Hua Lamphong to the old station.
• Landing at Don Mueang: the train from the airport station, or a private car from THB 2,300.
• Staying near Chatuchak or Mochit: a Watcharin Tour minivan.
• Family or group of 3 or more: a private car to the ruins.
• Continuing north the same day: visit Lopburi, then catch a later express from Lop Buri 2.

Arriving in Lopburi

Lopburi now has two railway stations.

Lop Buri 2 is a new elevated station in Tha Wung district, built on a bypass so that double tracks would not have to run past Phra Prang Sam Yot.

A free State Railway shuttle linked the two stations for the first three months after opening.

We could not confirm that it still runs, so plan on a songthaew or taxi and ask the staff on the platform.

• Old Lopburi station: in the old town, opposite Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, a few minutes’ walk from Phra Prang Sam Yot.
• Watcharin Tour van office: 227/8 Narai Maharat Road in the new town.
• Lopburi Bus Station: in the new town, about 2 km east of the old town.
• Getting around: the old town is walkable, and songthaews and city buses run along the main road for about THB 10.

If you have luggage, the old station staff will usually keep bags for a small fee while you explore.

Lopburi: things to do and where to stay

Lopburi was a Khmer outpost and later King Narai’s second capital, and the old town still packs its ruins into a few walkable blocks.

Phra Prang Sam Yot, with its three laterite towers, is the famous one, and the palace and Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat are close by.

The monkeys are changing.

The town has moved many macaques from the old town into a municipal shelter at Pho Kao Ton, and the Monkey Buffet Festival on the last Sunday of November now takes place there, so a normal day at the ruins may be quieter than old photos suggest.

Which area to stay in

• Old town: walk to the ruins, the night market and the old station; simple guesthouses and few big hotels.
• New town (Narai Maharat Road): larger hotels with pools and parking, best with a car.
• Riverside: quiet homestays along the Lopburi River, about 15 minutes on foot from the sights.

Best places to stay in Lopburi

• Lopburi Inn Resort: the town’s large resort hotel, with a swimming pool and around 100 rooms in the new town.
• Benjatara Boutique Place: a boutique hotel in the new town, about 6 km by car from Phra Prang Sam Yot.
• The Little Lopburi Village: wooden bungalows in a big garden by the river, about 15 minutes’ walk from the old town and station.
• Noom Guesthouse: a small backpacker favorite on Phayakamjad Road in the heart of the old town.

Lopburi has no true luxury hotels, and rooms fill up on festival weekends. Many travelers stay in Ayutthaya instead and visit Lopburi as a day trip on the same rail line.

Practical tips before you go

Watch your belongings. The macaques that remain at the ruins grab sunglasses, phones and anything that looks like food, so keep bags zipped and snacks out of sight.

Be careful on public Wi-Fi. Station, cafe and hotel networks are open to everyone. A VPN such as ExpressVPN keeps your bookings and banking private.

Carry small cash. Songthaews, temple ticket desks and the old station window prefer baht.

Plan the return. If you came on an express train, leave time for the ride back out to Lop Buri 2.

Our Bangkok public transport guide explains the MRT to Bang Sue, and the Don Mueang Airport guide covers the airport station.

Heading further north? The same trains continue toward Phitsanulok, so Lopburi fits well on the way to Sukhothai or Chiang Mai.

Tours from Lopburi

Combined Ayutthaya and Lopburi day tours from Bangkok are the classic way to see both old capitals without arranging transfers yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Prices last verified: November 2026. Sources: train, van, bus and private car fares from 12Go’s and Bookaway’s live listings; Lop Buri 2 opening details from the State Railway of Thailand announcements reported by Nation Thailand and Thai Train Guide; monkey shelter details from Khaosod English; hotel and town details from local travel guides.

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Tim Kroeger( Expert in Luxury Hotel Reviews & Tourism in Bangkok )

Tim Kroeger is a luxury wellness travel specialist, founder of Universal Traveller, and creator of The Restorative Index, a performance-based framework for evaluating wellness hotels. After 15+ years across 110+ countries, he shifted from destination-chasing to travel recovery. Based in Bangkok, he reviews luxury wellness hotels and spas on tim-kroeger.com through a performance lens, combining firsthand testing with expert insights.

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