Bangkok + Hua Hin Day 1: Transportation Guide

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Suvarnabhumi Airport – Airport of Smiles

There are three easy ways to get to Bangkok city:

1.Limousine (fare starts from 950 baht for distance of >30-35 km)
click here for map of Limousine Service Counter and Fare Table

2. Public Taxi (fare charged according to the distance traveled plus a fee of THB 50 for the driver, ~500 baht)
click here for map of Taxi Service Counter

3. Airport Rail Link
i.   SA City Line – The line makes 6 stops before reaching Phaya Thai station within 30 minutes (runs every 15 minutes). Fare is 15-45 baht.
ii.  SA Express Line – Runs directly from Suvarnabhumi Station to Makkasan Station without stops. A journey takes about 15 minutes (runs every 20 minutes). One way ticket 90 baht, round trip ticket 150 baht
iii. New SA Express Line – New SA Express runs directly without stops from Suvarnabhumi Station to Phyathai Station twithin 18 minutes (runs every hour starting from June 1st, 2011).

Click here for ARL time table and route map.

ARL is by far the fastest way to get into the city, especially during rush hour. We took the escalator down to basement two, bought a ticket to Phaya Tahai station (45 baht) and off we go!

We opted for the slightly slower City Line that stops at all stations. The cabin is new and clean with plenty of space to store luggages.

The ride to Phaya Thai takes about 30 minutes from the airport. Once alighted, we walked through a short pathway to Phaya Thai BTS station.

Getting Around Bangkok:

1. BTS Skytrain & MRT

You’ll have to buy a new ticket at the BTS station as it is running under a different operator. Coins are essential to purchase Skytrain tickets from vending machines. ares range from 15 to 40 baht depending on your destination. Some stations haves single touchscreen machine that will accept 20, 50 and 100 baht notes. If you do not have coins, queue for change from the staff at the booth.

To avoid the hassle of scrambling for coins,  purchase a rechargeable stored-value card with a minimal value of 100 baht, with a 30 baht refundable deposit and a 30 baht non-refundable card cost. Day pass is also available at 120 baht per day if you are moving around a lot in 24 hours.

click to enlarge

We bought a single journey ticket (25 baht) to Ratchadamri Station to get to Hansar Bangkok.

We were impressed by the modern, well maintained and punctual BTS Skytrains.

The trains run daily between 6.00am and 12.00midnight with frequent services in the day and an increase in frequency during rush hour. Most of the time, we waited for only 2 – 3 minutes for the next train to arrive.

Bangkok traffic is the worst traffic you will ever see and if you ever get stuck. So it is advisable to take the BTS Skytrains or MRT during rush hours.

2. Metered Taxi

We usually take a cab early in the morning (before 9 am) or after a long day of shopping (after 9pm). The hailing fee is 35 baht and there are no surcharges (except from the airport), even at night.

It is so cheap to hail a cab when the traffic is smooth; somehow the meter jumps at a slower pace compared to Malaysia taxis. Our cab fare usually costs less than 100 baht.

3. Tuk Tuk

We were warned to avoid tuk tuks like plague. However, if you really have to take a tuk tuk, always agree on a price before entering the tuk tuk and insist on your original intended destination. If they claim that your intended destination is closed for the day and offer to take you to other nearby tourist spots, do not give in!

There are a lot of tuk tuk scams that you should be aware of. Read more about 8 things travelers should watch out for in Bangkok here

Next Up: Hansar Bangkok (No.1 Hotel in Trip Advisor) – The Room