 Bangkok
Transportation and transfer guide
BY AIR Bangkok's Don Muang airport is as busy as any
major international airport anywhere in the world and there
are flights leaving and arriving every minute.
A word of caution: The Bangkok airport has more than its
share of hustlers out to make a quick baht, who often wear
uniforms and tags that make them seem official. They will
try to get you to change your hotel to one that pays them
a large commission, perhaps claiming your intended hotel is
overbooked. They will hustle you into overpriced taxis or
limousines. Do not get taken in. This is a genuine warning,
not a 'competitors' wrangle.
For more information on flight timetables etc. telephone
the department you require as follows: International Flights:
(Bangkok) 5351111, Domestic Flights:(Bangkok) 5351253, Arrivals:
(Bangkok) 5351301 and Departures: (Bangkok) 5351386
Airport - Limo When arriving in Bangkok International look
for the Airport Associate Limousine / Taxi counters. There
are two services operating out of the Airport, the Airport
Associate Limousine service or the Thai Airway Limousine.
The cars are generally clean and the drivers reliable. The
toll way for the highway is not included but the expressway
below it is. Ask for a bonus card and for each 650 Baht you
spend they will give you a stamp, when you complete the card
with a total of 5 stamps, you will be entitled to a one way
trip in either direction free of charge (if you take the return
trip at 1,150 you will only get one stamp).
Airport - Taxi Taxi's are readily available. Only take the
taxi's which are in the official taxi queue and only those
that will show you the meter is working before you get in.
A ride from the airport to central downtown should cost between
200/350 Baht.
BUSES within Bangkok There are five types of city
bus in Bangkok. The cheapest ones, cost 3.5 Baht, are not
air conditioned. The fare for air-conditioned ones ranges
from 6 Baht to 18 Baht depending on the distance traveled.
The air-conditioned microbus cost 25 Baht.
This type guarantees you a seat on the bus, however, they
are so scarce and unrealiable. Another thing about the buses
in Bangkok is that they don't like stopping, so tell the driver
where you want to disembark, as you get on. You usually have
to do this anyway so that they can determine the price of
the journey.
BUSES to destinations outside Bangkok Bangkok has three
main bus terminals. Northern/Northeast Bus Terminal on Phaholyothin
Rd., tel. 2720296 or 2796222, often referred to as Morsit,
serves Chiang Mai and the north. The Southern Bus Terminal
on Pinklao-Nakomchaisri Rd., Talingchan, tel. 4351199, on
the Thonburi side of the river, is for Hua Hin, Ko Samui,
Phuket and points south. The Eastern Bus Terminal located
on Sukhumvit Rd., Soi 40, Ekkamai, tel. 3912504 or 392-2391,
usually referred to as Ekkamai, is for Pattaya and points
southeast, to Rayong and Trat province.
BOAT There are two types of boats plying the waters
of the Chao Phraya River. One is the ferry that crosses the
river, costing only one baht per person per crossing, the
other is the boat that travels up and down the river. The
fare for this is dependent on the distance traveled and is
paid on the boat. Two lines are available: the Chao Phraya
Express and Laemthong Express
MOTORBIKE TAXI The other way to get around if you
are crazy or brave is to take a motorbike taxi or as they
are called in Thailand, a motorcy. These are readily available
and are fast and cheap. You can recognise the drivers as they
wear numbered vests. They can be fun and will definitely beat
the traffic but do be aware that the accident rate is very
high in Thailand and you may pay for your trip with your life
rather than a few Baht.
TAXI There are a number of taxi companies operating
in and around Bangkok. Our advice is to only utilise those
that are metered and check that the meter is switched on as
you get in the car, otherwise you may land up paying someone
else's fare too.
SKYTRAIN The BTS, LRT or Skytrain, is Bangkok's transport
problem's saving grace. Stretching from Sukhumvit Soi 77 all
the way to Chatuchak, with one leg running from Erawan intersection
to the Chaopraya river, just next to the Shangri-la Hotel,
the Skytrain is welcome addition to the weary fight against
traffic congestion. You can buy individual tickets as well
as monthly, yearly, and other alternative usage tickets. The
train reaches most major places in Bangkok, covering most
of Sukhumvit, Silom, Ploenchit and Phiyathai roads.
The following hotels on the skytrain route or with stops
very close by are: Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Grand Pacific,
Landmark, Amari Boulevard, JW Marriott, Grand Hyatt, The Regent,
Le Meridien President, Swissotel, Novotel Siam Square, Novotel
Bagna, Novotel Lotus, Pan Pacifc, Dusit Thani, Holiday Inn
Crowne Plaza, Shangri-la, Peninsula, Imperial Queens Park,
Rembrandt.
TRAINS to destinations outside Bangkok Thailand has
an excellent and reasonably priced railway system and tickets
can be bought pretty much at any station in the country for
travel along that line. You need to book well ahead for first
class travel and for other classes during peak travel times.
Most of the time however you can simply book in person a few
days in advance. Travel agencies also sell tickets for overnight
trains.
Tip: One can catch a train to/from Singapore, via Malaysia
to/from Bangkok (1943km) - choose from the Eastern and Oriental
Express for the ultimate in comfort and luxury, or the local
express trains which run daily offering different classes
of berths for all budgets.
First class seats on overnight services are difficult to
obtain unless you book well in advance. For a higher price
you enjoy air-conditioning and much more privacy. Second class
travel is recommended - you get a good night's sleep in a
fold-down bunk in a fan cooled carriage and the ticket prices
are affordable. Third class is good for short trips only -
you get a hard wooden seat with no fan cooling. Tickets are
cheap, so the carriages can be crowded.
You can choose from express services with minimal stops or
cheaper services that stop at every town en-route. Train travel
is the safest and most affordable way of exploring Thailand.
You do need to be a little security conscious as the occasional
theft and/or drugging of passengers occurs.
Hualamphong Railway Station located on Rama IV Rd.,
tel. 2230341, the city's main station, serves most long-distance
trains. Bangkok Noi on Arun Amarin Rd., tel. 4113102, on the
Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, is used by local trains
to Hua Hin and Kanchanaburi. (There is no train to Phuket,
though you can go as far as Surat Thani and change to a scheduled
bus service.)
For information on schedules and passes, contact The State
Railway of Thailand: (02) 220 4334 To make advanced bookings
call the Bangkok Railway Station Advance Booking Office tel.
02) 225-0300 ext 5200-3.
TUK-TUKS Although fun these can be a health problem
if in rush hour traffic and if you are on business, you may
finish with a large dry cleaning bill.
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