Public Transportation in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

Even though there are no traditional taxis in Ubon Ratchathani, public transportation is plentiful. You can get most anywhere you want or need to go in Ubon with one form of public transportation or another.

Of course it's easier when you have your own transporation and know where you are going. But tourists and visitors don't always have that luxury. Public transportation is convenient as you don't need to worry about parking or fighting the traffic. Most public transportation in Ubon is reasonably priced and fairly safe as well.

Every effort has been made to provide the best information regarding how to get around in Ubon. If you have needs or questions that aren't met on this website feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Sam Lor (3 Wheel):

Sam Lor

Sam Lor, which means three wheel, are tricycles with a passenget compartment big enough for two people. However you will sometimes see three or more people riding in them. Most of the drivers are older men, who must have legs of steel. You will find Sam Lors mainly in downtown area of Ubon Ratchathani.

Sam Lors are slow, quiet and reasonably priced. You need to negotiate and agree upon a fare before you get onboard. You should try it at least once. I don't know how much longet they will be around. There aren't many young Thai men who have a dream to be a Sam Lor owner/operator.

Motorcycle Taxi:

Motorcycle Taxi

Motorcycle taxis are the quickest way to get around if you are going somewhere alone. If you are in a group other forms of transporation are better.

You will find motorcycle taxis assembled in groups around high traffic areas such as shopping and entertainment centers. They can be idenified by the colored vests they are wearing and the yellow license plates with black lettering. The different colors show the company they work for yellow, orange, green, blue etc..

Negotiate and agree on the fare before you start off then there is no problem. This a a good way to get around Ubon.

Tuk Tuk:

Tuk Tuk

Tuk Tuks are abundant in Ubon Ratchathani. You can see them around town 24 hours a day 7 days a week. When going out at night they are the preferred form of public transportaion as the buses and songtaews stop running at sunset.

The yellow and blue body along with the high pitched whine of the engines are fixtures in Thailand and might even be a cultural icon. If you are on your way home from shopping with a bunch of bags or out on the town in the evening with a group of friends a tuk tuk might be your best choice.

You can find tuk tuks in Ubon at high traffic centers or flag them down if you see one empty driving by you. Some locations such as Lotus have a fare listing to certain other locations. If you catch the tuk tuk in a place with no listing make sure you agree upon a fare before you begin your journey.

Songtaew, Mini-Bus or Baht Bus:

Songtaew, mini-bus or Baht bus, whichever name you want to call them cover most of Ubon Ratchathani city. There are nine routes, of which many overlap on the main road. Each route has a unique number to identify it.

The songtaews are also color coded however some lines have more than one route so there are several routes with the same color but unique numbers. One Line, the M Line,is red and is identified with the Thai "M" character. The M stands for Ma Ubon, short for Mahawitiyalai Ubon Ratchathani, or Ubon University.

The cost per person per ride is 10 Baht. It is the same whether you go 1 kilometer or 10 kilometers. You can go from start to finish for the one price. The exception is the M Line which costs 15 Baht due to the 20 kilometer distance to Ma Ubon.

Songtaews are a good reliable cheap form of public transportation for getting around Ubon. They run from sunrise to sunset, or about 6:30a.m. to 7:00p.m.. No need to run to catch them as most routes have a truck coming by every 10-15 minutes all day.

There are some high traffic times usually when students are heading to school and heading home. At these times you will see people standing up hanging on at the rear of the songtaew.

I have rode each songtaew from start to finish and tried to make a useful table of places of interest along each route. There was no way possible to list everything so if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Also, in the left hand column I have posted photos of an example of each routes songtaew so you can get an idea what they look like. The listings are in one direction so it depends on where you catch the songtaew and which directtion it's traveling.

Below you will find the route designator along with route highlights;

Line #8 Blue Highway 2050, Highway 231, Ubon-trakan Rd, Uppalisan Rd, Sappasit Rd, Blue Mountain Coffee Shop, Sapphasit Apartments, Sapphasit Hospital, Main Post Office, TAT, New Nakhorn Luang Hotel, Srigamol Hotel, Sri Isan Hotel, Somdet School, Smile Restaurant, Ave Marie School, PV Tower, Dao Lao Coffee Shop, Nik Hom Soi Lang Rd, Chonprathan Chabo Rd, Highway 231, CAT, Makro, Bus Terminal, Kittrongville Resort, Park, Highway 231-highway 2050 intersection Line #10 Blue Somdet Rd Soi Kwa Yaek, Ong 99 Neua yang Gowlee Buffet, Jumpahom Restaurant, Nantana 3 Coffee Shop, Ubonrak Thonburi Hospital, Pae Tong Restaurant, Mayuree Mansion, Veggie Restaurant, Oliva Italian Restaurant, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Sri Isan Hotel, Big Market, Ascheewa, Library, Museum, Wat Tung Sri Muang, Tung Sri Muang Park, Provincial Office, Coffee Shop, Montana Hotel, ECC, Tesaban Market, Wrong Way Cafe, Aree Mansion, Grace Cafe, Tony's Restaurant, Robinsons, Racha Hotel, Regent Palace Hotel, Pathumrat Hotel, Felice, Rajabhat, Nevada Grand Hotel Complex, Ubon Sports School, Lotus, Assumption College, Nong Bua Market, Northeastern Poly Techni College, Makro, Ahm Muang Restaurant, Bus Terminal, Khiang Buen Restaurant, Skill Development Center Line #11 Blue Soi Phanom 9, Ban Ga Saew Restaurant, Ave Marie School, Smile Restaurant, Somdet School, Ashceewa, Library, Wat Tung Sri Muang, Museum, Provincial Office, Tung Sri Muang Park, Le Cafe Coffee Shop, ECC, Montana Hotel, Han Za Pub and Restaurant, Wrong Way Cafe, Grace Cafe, Tony's Bakery and Coffee Shop, Robinsons, Racha Hotel, Regent Palace Hotel, Market 6, Pathumrat Hotel, Thai Airwawys, Rajabhat, Nevada Grand Hotel Complex, Ubon Sports School, Lotus, Assumption College, Nong Bua Market, Northeastern Polytechnic College, Big C, Makro, Bus Terminal, Kam Yai Market, Green House Restaurant, Ban Dam Phra School Line #12 Blue Ban Dong Bang, Huai Wang Nong, Nursing School, Sapphasit Hospital, New Apartments, Risotto Restaurant, 7th Day Adventist Church, Srigamol Hotel, Sri Isan Hotel, Big Market, Ascheewa, Library, Museum, Wat Tung Sri Muang, Tung Sri Muang Park, Provincial Office, Coffee Shop, ECC, Montana Hotel, Chao Wattanan Car Rental, Folk Music Pub, Fine Day Restaurant, SK Shopping Mall, Rajabhat, Cultural Center, Pond Restaurant, Kwan Na Tong Restaurant, Sripathum School, Skill Development Center Line #M Red Ubon Ratchathani Bus Terminal - Ubon Ratchathani University Getting around Ubon Ratchathani can be simple and enjoyable. U. There are many ways to get out and explore the city and province. Public transportation is a great way to meet some local people and make new friends. Happy travels in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. The heart if Isaan. Back to Getting Around Ubon Back to We Love Ubon home