Skytrain(ฺBTS) Subway(MRT) Airport Rail Link(ART) Express Boat
Motorcycle Taxi Buses(Autobus) Tuk Tuk
Train Car Rental Airport
Skytrain (BTS)
Motorcycle Taxi Buses(Autobus) Tuk Tuk
Train Car Rental Airport
Skytrain (BTS)
Bangkok Mass Transit System
About BTS
The BTS Skytrain is the safest, most comfortable and convenient way to get
around Bangkok. In service since December 5, 1999, it has transformed the face of public
transportation in the Thai capital, for the first time offering both residents and visitors
a comfortable ride through central Bangkok - lifting commuters above the chronic congestion,
noise and pollution of the streets below.
Stations
The typical station consists of two levels - concourse and platform. The concourse provides
ticketing facilities and other passenger amenities as well as access to the system. The
platform is for waiting, boarding and alighting from the train. Please be aware that the
train may approach the platform anytime, from any direction.
Trains
The trains are designed to high international standards. Doors open / close automatically.
Beeper sounds will warn you when the doors are about to close. If standing please stand
clear of the door's at all times.
Track
Stay away from the track and electrified rails. Pay attention to all warning signs.
Trespassing onto the track area can cause severe injury to yourself or others.
Bangkok Metro
About MRT
- Route Map
- Tickets Types
- Services & Facilities
The recently opened underground train system (officially called MRT - Mass Rapid transit)
reaches from the Northern train station of Bangsue to Hua Lumphong main railway station in a loop,
connecting with the Skytrain on 3 different stations, namely : Silom, Sukhumvit and Chatuchak Park.
There have a similar ticket system as the Skytrain (BTS) but both systems are for the time being not compatible. All stations of the underground train can be reached via ramps and elevators, if needed, or alternatively via escalators.
There have a similar ticket system as the Skytrain (BTS) but both systems are for the time being not compatible. All stations of the underground train can be reached via ramps and elevators, if needed, or alternatively via escalators.
Airport Rail Link
About Airport Rail Link
- Route Map
- Services & Facilities
The Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link starts its official operation since August 2010. To avoid Bangkok’s
congestion, the 28.6 km journey from Bangkok to the international airport is elevated by the services of
30 minutes or less.
The services are comprised of 2 lines, non-stop Express services and City Train services. Both lines operate from 06.00 am. – midnight.
Non-stop Express services start at Suvarnabhumi Airport and terminate at Makkasan Station. The journey takes only 15 minutes and runs every 30 minutes. City Train or Commuter services run between Suvarnabhumi Airport, stop at Lat Krabang, Ban Thup Chang, Hua Mak, Makkasan, Ratchaprarop and Phaya Thai. The journey takes 27 minutes and runs every 15 minutes.
Facilitating the tourists and commuters to travel to other parts of Bangkok, both lines have interchange station at Makkasan Station for MRT (Underground train) at Phetchaburi Station. City Train line is linked at Phaya Thai station for BTS (Skytrain) Phaya Thai Station.
The services are comprised of 2 lines, non-stop Express services and City Train services. Both lines operate from 06.00 am. – midnight.
Non-stop Express services start at Suvarnabhumi Airport and terminate at Makkasan Station. The journey takes only 15 minutes and runs every 30 minutes. City Train or Commuter services run between Suvarnabhumi Airport, stop at Lat Krabang, Ban Thup Chang, Hua Mak, Makkasan, Ratchaprarop and Phaya Thai. The journey takes 27 minutes and runs every 15 minutes.
Facilitating the tourists and commuters to travel to other parts of Bangkok, both lines have interchange station at Makkasan Station for MRT (Underground train) at Phetchaburi Station. City Train line is linked at Phaya Thai station for BTS (Skytrain) Phaya Thai Station.
Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Suvarnabhumi International Airport (ท่าอากาศยาน สุวรรณภูมิ) is located about 20 kilometers East of
Bangkok City and covers an area of about 8,000 acres. It can easily be reached via either
Bangna-Trat Highway or from the Southern Bangna area, depending on the origin of the trip
to the airport. A rail link connecting the airport's main building to the city center is
being developed and due to open in 2010, in order to facilitate the access to and from
the airport to town.
Don Mueang Airport
Don Mueang Airport (ท่าอากาศยาน ดอนเมือง) was Bangkok's former airport and it has been reassigned
to some point to point domestic flights which are not connecting to international ones as
well as charter operated flights. The airport code has been amended to DMK and it is very
easily accessible expressway from downtown as well as if needed a connection to the New
International Airport can be done easily via the elevated expressways. Since the numbers
of flights is very limited, the airport has become very user friendly, and aside of Thai
public holidays, is not too crowded. In addition, a Train station is available in short
walking distance of the terminal allowing an easy commute to Hua Lomphong main station.
Taxi
Taxi Meter
Be sure to either know the correct pronunciation of your destination, or have it written in Thai, as taxi drivers in Bangkok are notoriously bad at reading maps. Most hotels and guesthouses will happily write out addresses in Thai for you. While most drivers will recognize the names of tourist hot spots, even if grossly mispronounced, it is often difficult to properly pronounce addresses in Thai, a tonal language. If your mobile phone works in Thailand, it is sometimes useful to phone your hotel and ask the staff to speak to your driver in Thai. If you're pinching pennies or fussy about your means of transportation, you may wish to think twice before getting into one of the (very common) yellow-green taxis. They are owner-operated and of highly variable quality, and occasionally they have rigged meters. All other colors belong to large taxi companies, which usually enforce their standards better. On some routes, the driver will ask if he should use the Tollway - this will usually save a lot of time. You have to pay the cost at the toll booth (not in advance, and not at the end of the journey). Watch how much the driver really pays, he may try to keep the change.When getting out, try to have small bills (100 baht or less) or expect problems with change. Tips are not necessary, but are certainly welcome; most local passengers will round up, or leave any coin change as tip.
Express Boat
About Express Boat
- Route Map
- Tickets Types
The Chao Phraya Express Boat is a transportation service in Thailand that operates
on the Chao Phraya River. It provides riverine express transportation between stops in the capital
city of Bangkok and to Nonthaburi, the province immediately to the north. Established in 1971, the
Chao Phraya Express Boat Company serves both local commuters and tourists. It also offers special
tourists boats and a weekend river tour boat, as well as making boats available for charter. Among
the world's great commuter boats, it holds a particular place. Not only for its success in moving
large numbers of passengers in a city whose roads are generally criticized for their traffic jams
(These boats, along with BTS Skytrain and Bangkok Metro are only methods that can absolutely avoid
traffic jam in peak hours on weekdays when people go in and out of city for their workings.), but
also for the beauty of the fleet of graceful wooden boats, which is rarely found in today's world
of water transportation.
Round trip services from Nonthaburi Pier to Wat Rajsingkorn Pier stopping at 34 piers
2. Express Boat (Orange Flag) (05.50 am. - 07.00 pm.)
Round trip services from Nonthaburi Pier to Wat Rajsingkorn Pier stopping at 18 piers
3. Express Boat (Yellow Flag) (06.15 am. - 08.35 am., 03.30 pm. - 08.00 pm.)
Round trip services from Nonthaburi Pier to Ratburana Pier stopping at 10 piers
4. Express Boat (Green-Yellow Flag) (06.15 am. - 08.05 am., 04.05 pm. - 06.05 pm.)
Round trip services from Pakkret Pier to Sathon Pier stopping at 12 piers.
Express Boat Line :
1. Local Line Boat (06.20 am. - 08.20 am., 03.00 pm. - 05.30 pm.)Round trip services from Nonthaburi Pier to Wat Rajsingkorn Pier stopping at 34 piers
2. Express Boat (Orange Flag) (05.50 am. - 07.00 pm.)
Round trip services from Nonthaburi Pier to Wat Rajsingkorn Pier stopping at 18 piers
3. Express Boat (Yellow Flag) (06.15 am. - 08.35 am., 03.30 pm. - 08.00 pm.)
Round trip services from Nonthaburi Pier to Ratburana Pier stopping at 10 piers
4. Express Boat (Green-Yellow Flag) (06.15 am. - 08.05 am., 04.05 pm. - 06.05 pm.)
Round trip services from Pakkret Pier to Sathon Pier stopping at 12 piers.
Train
Train
The three main stations in Bangkok are :
Hualamphong Train Station
The main station and the terminus of the Bangkok Metro line. Located right in the middle
of downtown Bangkok, it is a huge and surprisingly nice station, built during the reign
of King Rama VI and spared bombing in World War II at the request of the Free Thai underground.
The station has a good tourist office. Only listen to the people at the Info desk - anyone
walking around offering to help you "find" a hotel or taxi is just a tout, even if they are
wearing very official looking badges. Likewise, the second floor shops offering "Tourist
Information" are just agents in disguise.
Tickets for trains leaving the same or next day can be bought on the counters under the
red/orange/green screens (see photo). The Advance Booking Office is located to the right
of the platforms as you walk towards them and is quite well organized. You can select your
seat/berth from a plan of the train, and payments by credit card are accepted.
Timetables
Bang Sue Train Station
If coming from the north or north-east, connecting to the Metro
here can shave the last half-hour off your train trip. This is not a
very good
place to board trains though, as there is practically no
information or signage in English.
However, this situation will doubtless improve as more and more
long-distance departures are
switched to here from Hualamphong. Timetables
Thonburi Train Station
Also known as Bangkok Noi, this station is on the "wrong" side of the river in Thonburi District and is the starting point
for services to Kanchanaburi (via Nakhon Pathom), River Kwae Bridge and Nam Tok.
Timetables
Buses (Autobus)
Bus
Local buses, mostly operated by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), are the
cheapest but also the most challenging way of getting around, as there is a bewildering plethora of
routes, usually marked only in Thai. If you can speak Thai you can call 184 Bus Route Hotline. Bus
stops usually list only the bus numbers that stop there and nothing more. They are also subject to
Bangkok's notorious traffic, often terribly crowded, and many are not air-conditioned. If you want
to get somewhere quickly and are not prepared to get lost, the buses should be avoided (remember
that taxis are cheaper than most local buses in the west). However, they make for a good adventure
if you're not in a rush and you don't mind being the centre of attention.
But for the intrepid, and those staying in Khao San Road where buses are the only practical means of public transport,
which has up-to-date if slightly incomplete listings of bus routes in English but no maps. You can also ask your
guesthouse about buses to where you are going. If you're going between Khao San Road and downtown, bus number 2
(red and cream) is probably your best option. As a printed reference, the Bus Routes & Map guide (50 baht)
by Bangkok Guides is another option.
The hierarchy of Bangkok's buses from cheapest to best can be ranked as follows :
Buses stop only when needed, so wave them down (arm out, palm down) when you see one barreling your way. Pay the roaming collector after you board and keep the ticket as there are occasional spot-checks. Press the signal buzzer (usually near the door) when you want to get off.
- Small green bus, 6.50 baht flat fare. Cramped, no air-con, no fan, famously suicidal drivers,
usually not advisable for more than short hops. Run by private operators, they can be significantly
faster than the BMTA-run buses.
- Red bus, 7 baht flat fare. More spacious and fan-cooled (in theory). Unlike other buses,
some of these run through the night (1.50 baht surcharge). These buses are BMTA run.
- White/blue bus, 8.5 baht flat fare. Exactly the same as the red buses, but cost one baht more.
These buses are owned by private entities operated in conjunction with BMTA.
- Blue/Yellow and Cream/Blue air-con, 11 baht for the first 8 kilometers, up to 18 baht max.
These buses are quite comfy. The blue/yellow striped buses are privately owned while the
Blue/Cream buses are BMTA owned.
- Orange air-con (Euro II), 13 baht for the first few kilometers, up to 22 baht max. These
are all BMTA-run, newer, and more comfortable.
- Pink/white micro-buses - not quite so common away from the city centre - these are air-conditioned,
modern and only allow seated passengers (making them harder to use at rush hour as many won't stop
for you). Flat fare is 25 baht which is paid into a fare-collection machine located next to the
driver - exact fare only.
Buses stop only when needed, so wave them down (arm out, palm down) when you see one barreling your way. Pay the roaming collector after you board and keep the ticket as there are occasional spot-checks. Press the signal buzzer (usually near the door) when you want to get off.
Motorcycle Taxi
Motorcycle Taxi
When traffic slows to a crawl and there are no mass-transit alternatives
for your destination, by far the fastest mode of transport is a motorbike taxi. No, those
guys in the pink smocks aren't biker gangs; they're motosai cabbies. They typically wear
colorful fluorescent yellow-orange vests and wait for passengers at busy places. Prices
are negotiable; negotiate before you ride.
For the adrenaline junkie, a wild motosai ride can provide a fantastic rush. Imagine
weaving through rows of stopped vehicles at 50km/h with mere centimetres to spare on
each side, dodging pedestrians, other motorbikes, tuk-tuks, stray dogs and the occasional
elephant while the driver blithely ignores all traffic laws and even some laws of physics.
Now do the same while facing backwards on the bike and balancing a large television on your
lap, and then you can qualify as a local - though you might die in the process. Imagine your
loved ones arranging to ship your dead body home from Bangkok because you took a dangerous
risk you were warned not to.
The overwhelming majority of motorcycle taxis do not travel long distances, but simply shuttle up and down long sois (side-streets) not serviced by other transport for a fixed 5-20 baht fare. These are marginally less dangerous, especially if you happen to travel with the flow on a one-way street. The law requires that both driver and passenger must wear a helmet. It is the driver's responsibility to provide you with one, so if you are stopped by police, any fine is also the driver's responsibility. This is worth bearing in mind when you hire a motorbike or moped. Make sure that if there are two of you, the hirer provides two helmets not one. When riding, keep a firm grasp on the seat handle and watch out for your knees.
The overwhelming majority of motorcycle taxis do not travel long distances, but simply shuttle up and down long sois (side-streets) not serviced by other transport for a fixed 5-20 baht fare. These are marginally less dangerous, especially if you happen to travel with the flow on a one-way street. The law requires that both driver and passenger must wear a helmet. It is the driver's responsibility to provide you with one, so if you are stopped by police, any fine is also the driver's responsibility. This is worth bearing in mind when you hire a motorbike or moped. Make sure that if there are two of you, the hirer provides two helmets not one. When riding, keep a firm grasp on the seat handle and watch out for your knees.
Tuk Tuk
Tuk Tuk
Finally, what would Bangkok be without the much-loathed, much-loved, tuk-tuks? You'll know
them when you hear them, and you'll hate them when you smell them - these three-wheeled contraptions blaze
around Bangkok leaving a black cloud of smog in their wake. For anything more than a 5-10 minute jaunt or
just the experience, they really are not worth the price - and, if you let them get away with it, the price
will usually be 4 or 5 times what it should be anyway (which, for Thais, is around 30% less than the
equivalent metered taxi fare). On the other hand, you can sometimes ride for free if you agree to visit
touristy clothing or jewelry shops (which give the tuk-tuk driver gas coupons and commissions for bringing
customers). The shops' salesmen are pushy, but you are free to leave after five to ten minutes of browsing.
Visitors should beware though, sometimes one stop can turn in to three, and your tuk-tuk driver may not be
interested in taking you where you need to go once he has his gas coupons. Also, with Bangkok's densly
congested traffic it is sure to spend hours of your time.
In case you actually want to get somewhere, and you're an all-male party, be
careful with the tuk-tuk drivers, they will usually just ignore your destination
and start driving you to some bordello ("beautiful girls"). Insist continually and
forcefully on going only to your destination.
There's also a less-heralded, less-colourful and less-touristy version of the tuk-tuk that usually serves the back sois in residential neighborhoods. They usually have four wheels instead of three and resemble a tiny truck / ute / lorry, and they run on petrol instead of LP. The maids and locals tend to use them to return home from market with loads of groceries, or for quick trips if they're available. Negotiate before you get in, but don't expect to go much beyond the edge of that particular neighborhood.
There's also a less-heralded, less-colourful and less-touristy version of the tuk-tuk that usually serves the back sois in residential neighborhoods. They usually have four wheels instead of three and resemble a tiny truck / ute / lorry, and they run on petrol instead of LP. The maids and locals tend to use them to return home from market with loads of groceries, or for quick trips if they're available. Negotiate before you get in, but don't expect to go much beyond the edge of that particular neighborhood.
Car Rental
Car Rental
Those possessing valid International Driving Licenses may prefer to hire automobiles. English language road signs and maps are commonplace. The Bangkok Yellow Pages list local and international automobile rental companies. Visitors are advised to shop around since most companies offer different conditions. Self-drive and chauffeur-driven automobiles are widely available. International car hire companies such as Avis and Hertz also operate in Pattaya, Hat Yai, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Samui Island.
Transfer Services:
- Thai Rent A Car- S.P Limousine & Service
- Self Drive
