All Bangkok Transportation Guide 🛵🛥️🚆
There are many ways to travel in Bangkok including both Public and private transportation system.
In this guide you will find a detailed description of each method of transportation including Taxis, Tuktuk , Sky Train ( BTS ) , Underground Train (MRT) , Bangkok Bus (BRT) , Song Thaew, Boats ( yes Boats !) , Bike and also a list of Apps you need to download for your convenience of travel here and some scams to BEWARE of !
3 things I always recommend people to consider before deciding which method of transportation to take are :
1. What is Closest to you and the destination ?
This tip comes in handy when deciding between Taxi or Trains , If the BTS/MRT station is close to you and the destination , it is better to take the Trains as that would save you Money ! However if say the destination is another 10 - 15 minute walk from the station then you can check the price for the taxi on one of the apps to see if it costs you something similar ( assuming more than 1 person is traveling ) or take a bike from the train station to the destination.
2. Number of people traveling
This is a very obvious one , if the Train costs you around 25 Baht per person and you are traveling with around 4 more people, but the taxi costs you around 105 THB , it is easier and more convenient to Split the cost of the Taxi, as you can sit comfortably and scroll Instagram throughout the journey.
3. The Weather and duration of Travel ( Including Traffic )
Bangkok is infamous for its long traffic , Peak hours are usually a headache for driver ( 6 am - 9 am , 4 pm - 7 pm and some days around noon).
Always keep in mind that the traffic will most probably extend your duration of travel and the trains will be cramped during those hours. So i recommend you to think twice, if you are taking a bike for 8 kms during peak hours or in the middle of the day during a very hot day.
Now let's get into each method of transportation
Taxis:
Taxis in Thailand are both public and also owned by private companies. The yellow-green are the personal private taxi.The red-blue are the rental taxi. The yellow-orange are the company taxi. The Taxi meter starts at 35 THB and then goes up 2 THB every Km or based on the duration that you spend in the Taxi , A lot of taxis especially in touristy areas will quote you a fixed price of 200-500 THB , it is a very common thing "scam" but to avoid that you can check the price on an app and haggle with them down to a fair price based on the distance.
Taxis based on meters can sometimes choose to take the longer route to gain some extra money during non -rush hours, you can keep checking the route on google maps and recommend them accordingly.
Tuktuk:
Tuktuk are becoming increasing uncommon in Thailand as a main method of transportation and is more of a fun - tourist activity while traveling to Bangkok and can sometimes even be more expensive than Taxis.
Even with Tuk-tuks it is recommended to check the weather as it is an open air transport and keep your bags safe to avoid some biker thieves picking up your bags and driving away. You can haggle the price with them but if the price is not too high you can also pay them fairly and tip them as this is their only means of earning , especially with people using Tuktuks lesser and lesser each month.
Sky Train ( BTS ):
The BTS Skytrain has 2 main lines , The Sukhumvit Line & The Silom Line , with only one station to interchange between these 2 lines at "Siam Station". Traveling with BTS is quite easy , all you need to figure out is the last station of the line that you are traveling to and take the train to that station. (until around midnight and starts at around 6 am , depending on the station)
If you are living in Thailand for long, I do recommend you to get a Rabbit card for convenience of travel so you can refill and use or you can buy one of the one - time use at the Kiosks in the station or at the booths in the stations. BTS also has one day pass for 150 THB tourists traveling within Bangkok but that does have some time based restrictions. There are trains every 5-8 minutes passing through every station.
Underground Train (MRT):
Similar to BTS , you can use one of the Kiosks at the train station or buy a ticket at the booth in the station by the gate to enter even use your credit card to scan to take the train.
The BTS and MRT connect with each other at some stations, so it is better to always plan your route if you are taking the train to your destination by looking at the Train Map online or simply using google maps !
Bangkok Bus (BRT)
The travel intervals are 5 minutes between arrivals during peak hours (06.30 a.m. - 09.30 a.m. and 04.00 p.m. 08.00 p.m.)
The BRT is connected with the BTS and MRT of convenience of travel and is not spread out all over Bangkok, with its own specific stops . If there is a route that you have to travel often/daily , remembering the stop where you need to get down and connect is a good thing.
Bangkok Public Bus
This is a more local form of traveling within Bangkok and is very cheap but also a more complicated because every bus has its own number and the number is how you know which route the bus travels or it will be written on the bus in Thai, if you are in Bangkok for a very short time it is best to avoid or you can easily get lost ( Speaking from experience here )
Most buses (except for all-night ones) run between 5am and 11pm daily. Regular buses cost around 8 baht, while the expressway buses cost from 10 baht. Air-conditioned buses (cream-blue) start from 12 baht (depending on the distance travelled). All-night buses (cream-red) are about 9.50 baht.
When you sit in the bus , a bus conductor will come in and collect the money , do keep some change if you are getting on the bus !
Song Thaew
Song Thaew basically means 2 Lines/ 2 rows in Thai , it is like a pick up car and is one of the methods of transportation that like to use as sort of like a smaller version of a bus! Basically Song Thaew's run all over the city, especially near the BTS and take you to specific stops near that area and there are no seat belts.
Fares are usually fixed however , Some song thaew drivers will also take you to your exact destination, but you'll pay extra for it, and they will only do it when there are no other passengers.
Boats
Yes, people still travel with Boats in Thailand ! If you are a tourist looking to get on a boat just for experience then i recommend the boat at Icon Siam that takes you to the other side of the Pier to River City for FREE or a Hop on Hop Off boat that basically takes you through some of the spots in Thailand with the boat like Wat Arun, Asiatique, Icon Siam ( Specific timings ) for the Experience.
Bike
This is my personal and probably every Thai person's favorite mode of transportation is Thailand because it is just so quick and convenient and you can travel through small alleys and get ahead of the traffic easily. However some driver do drive really rash in Bangkok.
How to know if the bike driver is a bike taxi driver , it's simple. All Bike taxi drivers in Thailand wear an orange Jacket and are usually sitting in their areas where they provide the service. You usually tell them the destination and ask them the price before getting on the bike.
Apps that you need to travel in Bangkok
For the ease of traveling around Bangkok these are some of the apps you need to have and i personally use : GRAB and BOLT, you can also schedule/pre book a Taxi on GRAB . They also provide coupons and discounts for first time users in the country.
On all these 3 apps you can basically find Taxis, Bikes, SUVs, VAN's ,People driving their own car as Taxi (Like Uber).
And that's it on Bangkok's travel and transportation guide, hope you gained lots of insight and
Congratulations ! You can travel Bangkok like a Local now !
Have a Safe Trip !
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