There is more than enough transport in Bangkok! How not to get confused and what is more convenient to move around the metropolis? We will tell you about the features of the Skytrain and underground metro, buses, taxis and water transport in Bangkok. Travel prices and our advice.
Exchange rate: 1 Thai Baht (THB) ≈ 2.2 RUB.
Buses
City buses are the cheapest public transport in Bangkok. On the streets there are inexpensive buses without air conditioning with ceiling fans and more expensive cars with air-conditioned cabins. Some make stops along the entire route, others go non-stop, like express trains. BRT metrobuses travel on a dedicated lane, so they get to the place faster than anyone else.
The bus routes in Bangkok, and there are more than 300 of them, allow you to get to any, even the most remote part of the city. Prices are also attractive - 7-24 baht. Day buses run from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm, while night buses run around Bangkok from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.
Locals use this type of public transport with might and main, and it is difficult for an ordinary tourist to figure out which route is needed. The fact is that the names on buses and stops are written in Thai. In addition, due to the constant traffic jams, the bus journey can take too long.
If you are visiting Bangkok for the first time, we do not recommend traveling by bus. Choose the metro or taxi!
Bangkok subway
A modern and safe form of transport appeared in the city in 1999. Since then, the metro lines have been constantly being completed. Now in fast cars it is easy to get to the southern suburbs of the Thai capital Samut Prakan, where the country's oldest crocodile farm, unique museums Erawan and Ancient Siam are located. Bangkok subway hours are from 6:00 to 24:00.
The underground metro is called MRT and is indicated on the diagrams in blue and purple colors. The journey costs from 15 to 52 baht, depending on the distance.
Bangkok BTS Skytrain - green and light green. The fare is 16-40 baht.
Metro Red Line Airport Rail Link, which can take you to Suvarnabhumi Airport, is laid out from the city center. The journey will cost 15-45 baht.
There is a Bangkok subway map at every station, and there are street maps at the exits. All stations are standard. Information on vending machines selling tickets or tokens and on signs is duplicated in English. The announcements in the carriages are made in Thai and English. Once you have driven it, you can easily navigate the Thai subway!
Map of metro stations in the city center. Here is the complete Bangkok metro map.
Taxi in Bangkok
No matter how convenient the metro is, it does not run to all attractions, so many tourists use taxis. Cars of different colors travel at the same rates. Getting in the car costs 35 baht. A trip around the city is inexpensive - 50-250 baht.
Driving without a meter is illegal. When a taxi driver drives up to you, check with him - taximeter... If the driver refuses to drive on the meter - let him go in peace! In a minute or two, a new car will slow down next to you.
How to book a taxi in Bangkok? The most convenient way is through the mobile application Grabtaxi... Install, register, enter your phone number and order a car online.
The cheapest taxi in Bangkok is motosai... This is the name given to motorcycle drivers who carry passengers from metro stations, shopping centers and train stations. Depending on the distance, travel costs 20-150 baht. Motorcycles can easily avoid traffic jams, but unfortunately you can't ride them with a lot of luggage.
Tuk-tuki
Asian transport - three-wheeled tuk-tuks - are very colorful! In the city center, near tourists, a tuk-tuk will certainly slow down and its driver will offer a ride for free or for only 20 baht. This is a typical Bangkok divorce. First, you will be taken to a jewelry store, offered to choose an inexpensive ring for "100 million thousand", and then they will bring you wherever you say.
However, there are enough places in the city where tuk-tuk drivers carry passengers without divorce. There are no meters for this type of transport, so the price is negotiable. A short tuk-tuk ride in Bangkok costs 30 baht, and for a long trip you may be charged up to 300 baht. More expensive than a taxi!
River transport in Bangkok
Tourists use little water transport in Bangkok, but in vain! Many parts of the city are connected by canals - khlongs, and the journey by water takes much less time than a taxi, bus or metro. By ferry Cross-river ferry for 3 baht it is easy to get to the right bank of the Chao Phraya - to the famous Arun Wat.
Traveling by river transport in Bangkok is inexpensive - from 9 to 32 baht. For a detailed schedule, route map and prices, see the website of the Chao Phraya River Express company. Prices for Canal Boats, which run on Khlongs - 9-19 baht.
Our tips for transport in Bangkok
- If the place you want to go to is near the metro, use this mode of transport. Traffic jams in Bangkok - a real scourge of the metropolis! In the overground and underground metro, you will get where you want quickly and take a break from the heat in an air-conditioned carriage.
- Store tickets and tokens for the subway! You will need them to exit through the turnstiles at the end of the trip.
- For those who plan to travel a lot by metro, we advise you to buy One-Day Pass... It costs 140 baht for the overground metro, and 120 baht for the underground. You won't be able to skate all day. One ticket in the metro is allowed to stay no more than 90 minutes.
- Taxi drivers in Bangkok speak poorly or at all don't speak english... They will quickly understand where you need to if you show the hotel business card or printout with the name of the desired place in Thai. You should not show the map on a smartphone or tablet. We tried - they don't understand!
- Metro passage pay in an automatic terminal... If you don't want to deal with the interface, go to the ticket office, tell the cashier the name of the station you need, and he will sell the ticket.
- You can get to know Bangkok at hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses... They depart every hour from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm from Siam Paragon Shopping Center. Travel with an audio guide, get in and out at any stop. Tickets for 24, 48 and 72 hours are sold at the information kiosk located in front of the mall, near Exit 2 of BTS Siam. The ticket costs from $ 30.
- Admire Bangkok from the water Chao Phraya Tourist Boat offers boat trips on the Chao Phraya River. Boats run through 10 marinas every half hour from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Tickets cost 40-100 baht.
