Choedchai Tour starts electric bus route linking Nakhon Ratchasima and Bangkok
Passengers can travel free for 10 days before the regular ฿257 one-way fare applies.
Choedchai Tour began running an all-electric bus between Nakhon Ratchasima and Bangkok on 10 October 2026, with an initial 10-day period of free travel. The first departure left Nakhon Ratchasima Bus Terminal 2 at 09:00 with passengers who had reserved seats through the operator’s website and app.
The Route 21 service links Nakhon Ratchasima with Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district. Scheduled departures are at 09:00 from Nakhon Ratchasima and 18:00 from Bangkok. The 256-kilometre journey is expected to last around four hours, with the bus limited to 90 kilometres per hour.
The Foton vehicle accommodates 31 passengers and has electrically adjustable reclining seats, USB-A and USB-C charging ports, and a lower-deck toilet. Its battery provides more than 300 kilometres of travel per charge, with recharging taking approximately three hours. A Foton Motor engineer from China joined the first journey to monitor safety and offer technical support if needed.
Choedchai Industrial Garage and Chinese state-owned manufacturer Foton are collaborating on the project. The partners aim to lower energy costs and air pollution by replacing combustion-engine buses with electric vehicles. The launch comes as Route 21 operators contend with weaker demand: daily services now average around 140 trips, compared with more than 200 previously, following the pandemic and a shift towards private vehicles.
