Bangkok
Information
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When
arriving in Thailand ask for free copies of Thaiways magazine
and Thaiways maps from the information counter at airports
or hotels.
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1. Bus
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There are four types of public buses in
Bangkok with a different ranges of fare, depending on the types of
the bus.
1) The ordinary buses:
- The red-stripe bus, 7 baht (whole route)
- The blue-stripe bus, 8.50 baht (whole route)
2) The air-con buses -- the normal blue buses and the Euro buses:
- The air-con blue buses, 12-20 baht (depending on the distance)
- Three types of Euro buses -- the light blue colour, the orange colour,
and the white colours, 12-24 baht (depending on the distance)
3) The microbuses
The microbus, charging a flat rate of 25 baht, is the most favoured
as it ceases taking up passengers once every seat is filled. During
rush hours, however, it is rather difficult to get on a microbus unless
you take it at or near its terminals.
4) The green minibuses
The fare of the green minibuses is 7 baht for the whole route.
Although travelling by bus is the cheapest, you should be careful
with your belongings while riding, especially on a crowded ordinary
bus.
If you plan to tour Bangkok by bus, you are recommended to consult
Thaiways
Maps of Bangkok, a free copy of which can be obtained from
the TAT counter at the airport or from your hotel. |
2. BTS Skytrain
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BTS Skytrain
operates from 06.00 - 24.00 hours everyday with two main lines --
Sukhumwit and Silom lines. |
Mo Chit (Northern Bus Terminal) - Onnut
Line or Sukhumwit Line
This line is 17 kilometres in length covering 17 stations as follows:
Mo Chit – Saphan Khuai – Ari – Sanam Pao –
Victory Monument – Phaya Thai – Ratchathewi –
Siam Square – Chit Lom – Phloen Chit – Asok
– Sukhumvit – Phrom Phong – Thong Lo –
Ekkamai (Eastern Bus Terminal) – Phra Khanong – On
Nut
National Stadium - Taksin Bridge Line or Silom
Line
This line has a length of 6.5 km and covers only 7 stations as
follows:
National Stadium – Siam Square – Ratchadamri –
Sala Daeng – Chong Nonsi – Surasak – Saphan
Taksin
Passengers can change their routes at the Interchange Station
at Siam Square. Apart from being the fastest means of transportation,
the skytrain has two more advantages -- it offers a panoramic
view of Bangkok and it stops at several prime shopping centres
lying along Silom, Ratchadamri, and Sukhumwit roads.
Interchange stations with MRT are also provided at Mo Chit, Sukhumvit,
and Sala Daeng stations.
The fares range from 15 to 45 baht based on the distance travelled.
One Day Pass is available at the cost of 120 baht.
See Skytrain
& Metro Map
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3. Bangkok Metro (MRT)
4. Taxi
 Taxis
in Bangkok are fixed with a meter and have a sign "TAXI-METER" on
the roof. The minimum fare is 35 baht for a distance of no more
than 2 km. Then the rates are 4.50 baht per km for the next 10 km,
5 baht per km for 13 to 20 km and 5.50 baht per km for any distance
over 20 km There is a surcharge of 1.25 baht per minute for traffic
congestion when the taxi moves no faster than 6 km/hr.
The rates only apply to trips within the limits of Bangkok, which
include Don Muang Airport. A toll of 40 - 60 baht for expressway
or tollway must be paid by the passenger.
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5. Samlo (Tuk-Tuk)
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This is a three-wheeled taxi without
a meter or air-conditioning. Fares must be negotiated beforehand.
They are normally a little cheaper than ordinary taxis and are suitable
for short trips only.
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6. Boat
6.1 Chao Phraya River Express
 There
is a motorboat service on the Chao Phraya River called "Chao Phraya
River Express Boat". The boats run between Wat Ratchasingkhon (in
southern Bangkok, near Krungthep Bridge) and Nonthaburi province.
See Thaiways
Maps of Bangkok
There are four types of boats, spotted by a flag in different colours.
The boats marked by a blue flag (the most express), which stops
only at Nonthaburi, Wang Lang and Sathon piers, charge 24 or 34
baht, depending on the distance. The express boats, marked by a
yellow flag, charge 20 baht for the whole route while the rapid
boats, flying by an orange flag, charge 15 baht per person (whole
route) and the ordinary boats, without a flag, charge 10, 12 or
14 baht, depending on the distance of the trip. After disembarking
at a main pier, you can cross the river using the ferry service
(details on 6.4 below) if you need. |
6.2 Chao Phraya Tourist Boat
This is a special boat service for travelling along the Chao Phraya River.
The boat route, connected to BTS Skytrain at Taksin Bridge station, starts
from Sathon Pier and proceeds up the river to Banglamphu Pier (near Khaosan
Road). The boat stops at 10 major piers which provide easy access to important
tourist sites such as the Grand Palace, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat
Pho, Chinatown, Khaosan Road etc. A guide is provided on board and the boat
is not crowded as the express boat. The boat service is available daily
from 9.30 to 15.00 hours, departing every 30 minutes.
One day river pass is available for unlimited trips at 120 baht which includes
a Chao Phraya River Guidebook.
6.3 Long-tail Boat
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In Bangkok, long-tail boat services
are available at many piers along the Chao Phraya river, offering
different routes, such as those from Khlong Bangkoknoi to Bangyai,
and from Khlong Bangphrom to Khlong Bangramat. The fares depend
on the distance of the route, roughly from 10-20 baht. Most boats
are in service from 6 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.
There are also cruise services along numerous canals which form
an extensive network of waterways around Bangkok. Some popular places
that you can go for a cruise by boat are the Damnoen Saduak floating
market, the Temple of Dawn, the Royal Barges Museum and various
Buddhist temples. As tourists, you are advised to ask for the fares
from more than one pier before making a decision to assure that
you will be charge at an appropriate rate. |
6.4 Cross-River Ferry
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From almost every boat landing in Bangkok,
there are cross-river ferries that ply back and forth across the Chao
Phraya River. The standard fare is 3.50 baht and usually collected
at the entrance to the landing.
See Thaiways
Maps of Bangkok for the boat landings.
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7. Motorcycle Taxi
Due to heavy traffic in rush hours in Bangkok, nowadays motorcycle taxis
are abundant. Normally, a motorcycle station can be found at the entrance
to a soi (lane). Fares are about the same as samlos except during rush hours
when they may cost a bit more. If you are not really in a hurry, you'd better
avoid using them as they are not safe.
8. Car Rent
Cars are easily rented at rental shops and
companies all around Bangkok. See Transportation&Car
Rental in General Information section
for more details or contact Petchburee
Car Rent for complete services.
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