Private cars and Vans
You can rent a car or van from a car rental company. International car rental companies are available in Bangkok, Pattaya, and other big cities. You will need an international driving license or a Thai one.
Taxis
Most taxis in Bangkok are now fitted with a meter and have a sign ‘TAXI-METER’ on the roof. The minimum fare is 35 bht for a distance of no more that 2 km and the fare then increases according to the distance covered. It is not usual to tip the driver.
Airport Express
There are four express routes from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to downtown bangkok areas. The fare is 150 bht. These Airport busses are available from the Public transport Centre which can be reached by a shuttle bus. The four Airport Express routes are: -
. AE1: Airport – Silom Rd
. AE2: Airport – Khao San Road
. AE3: Airport – Ploen Chit Road
. AE3 (special): Airport – Sukumvit (Nana)
. AE4: Airport – Hua Lang Pong railway station
Tuk-Tuk
These are the three-wheeled taxis without a meter. Fares must be negotiated beforehand. The are normally a little cheaper than ordinary taxis but are really only suitable for short journeys.
METRO (MRT)
There is just one route, running from Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue with 16 stations along the way. A train leaves the terminal every 3-5 minutes from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the fares range from 15 bht to 39 bht.
Sky Train (BTS)
The Skytrain network has two routes.
(a) The Northeastern bus terminal – Onnut route which passes Sukhumvir Road.
(b) The The national stadiun – Taxin bridge route which passes Silon Road.
A skytrain leaves the terminal every 5 minutes from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. but at shorter intervals juring rush hours (7.30 – 9.00 a.m. and 5.30 – 7.00 p.m.). The fares range from 15 to 40 bht.
Airconditioned City Busses
These are coloured white and blue. There are numerous routes and the fares range from 11 to 20 bht according to the distance. There are micro busses that charge a uniform fare of 25 bht. Also Euro busses (orange) are in service with fares ranging from 12-24 bht.
Ordinary City Busses
The fare of BMTA busses (red) is 7 bht for the whole distance and it’s 8 bht for for the non-BMTA busses (blue).
Boats
There are boat services along the Chao Phraya river between Nonthaburi pier to the north of Bangkok and Wat Ratcha Singhom pier in southern Bangkok. There are different categories of boats: -
a) Blue flag – Most Express. These stop only at Nonthaburi, Wang Lang and Sathon piers. The fare is 22 bht or 32 bht depending upon the distance.
b) Yellow flag – Express. There are more stops and the fare is 18 bht for the whole route.
c) Orange flag – Rapid. The fare is 13 bht.
d) No flag – ordinary boats, charge 9,11 or 13 bht according to the distance.
After disembarking at a main pier you can cross the river using the ferry if necessary.
Trains
The state railway of Thailand runs express, fast and ordinary train services throughout the country at very reasonable fares. The services are excellent between most cities but unfortunately the service between Bangkok (Hua Lamphong) and Pattaya is simply a joke – just one ordinary train a day.
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