Is this railway functional and have people used this method of transport as opposed to using a taxi. Is the skytrain user friendly for a travellor
hello,
Im just wondering if the Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link has been set and fully functional as i heard on a few forums it may not be.. I was thinking of using this method of transport rather than a Taxi since my hostel is right outside the train station at Hua Lamphong . ( thus getting off at makkasan and going onto the metro to hua lamphong )..... lol sounds easy..... hhhmmmm i figure if i get lost then i will get a taxi but i will see how it goes
Anyway my main question how easy is it too use the skytrain and the rail link for a traveller who doesn't know the language. does it have english signs displayed? i haven't really travelled before so the culture shock and the difficulty of getting around will be testing...
anyway i hope to here from you, richard
Reply to this It's increadible easy to use the skytrain and the metro in Bangkok. The signs are in both English and Thai. YOu can buy tickets using the machines which are also in both languages. The staff also usually speak English.
You usually need change to use the ticket machines, which can be got from the staff in the booths.
It's exactly like a metro system anywhere in the world.
Reply to this Hello Richard 😊
There is also a tourist bus which takes people into the city from just outside the international airport. They speak English and will probably drop you where you want to go. It costs around a third of the what a taxi costs.
I used the Sky Train a few times. I dont remember if there were signs in English, but I do remember it being easy to use. I think, the people selling the tickets might speak some English. There might even have been a few staff standing around the stations, ready to point people in the right direction.
Mel
Reply to this When you get off the Rail Link in the Ratchaprorop area there are hotels that you can walk to not far from this rail link station. Some of the hotels are in the 700 baht to 1200 baht range. There are a couple of the more expensive Baiyoke Hotels you can walk to, the Baiyoke Boutique is one of the closest. P.R. Place, located right on Ratchaprorop, is around 1000 baht, can be seen from the train station.
In this photo you can see some hotels on the right and left sides. P.R. Place shows up on the left side. I think the taller hotel on the left is one of the Baiyoke Hotels. The side streets on the right have smaller cheap hotels. The canopy looking thing in the far background in this photo is the Ratchaprorop Rail Link station. Phetchaburi Road is behind the photographer.
At the Phaya Thai final stop (where you can meet up with the Skytrain) there are hotels you can walk to, Florida is one. If you are more into shopping you may want to consider a hotel in the Pratunam area.
No Skytrain in the Khao San Road area, no subway either. In the Sukhumvit Road area you can find hotels with air and private toilet from around 600 baht on up to over 6000 baht per night. In the Sukhumvit area you can easily find a Skytrain station near you. Besides the Rail Link, the Skytrain can connect you with the subway, the Ekamai Bus Terminal, MBK, Patpong, Chatuchak Weekend Market and many other locations. The subway can take you to the national train station, Hualamphong.
Have fun.
Reply to this hey guys I would like to thank you for the time taken to answer my post.. The links that have been posted has been invaluable to me and the short video of the Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link is really awesome..
for me , planning makes the trip go far more smoother and now i know what to expect it will give me more confidence to use public transport rather than be at the mercy of taxi drivers ;-)
I have to get off at makassan and then use the MRT to get off at the end of the line at Hua Lamphong since my hostel is near the national train station
These links are great for the day to day traveliing aswell and i think i will be getting a DAY TOURIST card to use for the skytrain.
thanks again.... Richard
Reply to this Don't be afraid of using meter taxis in Bangkok. More drivers will agree to use the meter than not. Before you get in the cab tell the driver to use the meter and only get in if he agrees. Wave a moving taxi over - parked taxis more often want to bargain the fare.There are hundreds of meter taxis available. The meter fare begins at 35 baht so remember to check. Always have small bills and change for paying the taxi drivers. If he can't change your big bill he is not screwing you - just poor planning on your part!
A hotel near Hua lamphong kind of limits what you can do in the evening.
Good luck.
Reply to this at the mercy of taxi drivers
One important thing to know about taxis in Bangkok is to always ask them to switch on the meter. Taxis in Bangkok are not at all expensive, and well worth taking for the convenience, but if they dont switch on the meter they will generally charge you a lot more then what the meter would clock up. They call it a fixed price, which is really a nice term they use for what looks to me like fleecing clueless foreigners.
If you are taking a taxi with more than one person, the journey will likely cost less than getting there on the Sky train. And, taxis are always airconditioned, so a nice break from the sweltering heat.
Reply to this I searched for skytrain some Bts is there....At the BTS Tourist Information Center visitors can get useful information on Bangkok’s variety of attractions and assistance in traveling around town. The BTS Tourist Information Center is open daily from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm at the following stations:Siam, Nana and Saphan Taksin.
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In response to: Msg #133902
Hello Hal, I saw your blog reply to someone who inquired about the rail link to Suvarnabhumi Airport and I was wondering if you can further help me out a bit. I will arrive in BKK for 2 days only on morning of Feb. 11 departing 8:00 am Feb 13 for the US. I know it's not long but I will be completing a month long first time visit to Asia. My flight out is set in stone. I will be arriving from Chiang Mai.
I had hoped to stay at Suk11 which is a Lonely Planet recommendation but there have been some scary recent reviews about bedbugs and chaos, so I'm looking further , and thought that Sukhumvit area might be a good choice as it's enroute to Airport. But I am not keen on rail link with I don't know how much luggage at say 5:00 am. Pretty sure I will want a cab and would like place that offers shuttle or the like. Isn't Pratanum right by Sukhumvit? Can you recommend a reasonable place in either area? Lucy
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In response to: Msg #163054 Thanks much for responding quickly and thoroughly Hal. I see you really know Bangkok! Never been to Asia myself.
I wonder if you are familiar with Aravinda Living Home (http://www.aravindabangkok.com)?That's what I was looking at until you wrote. It's what I call pretty reasonable; $23/ night (not a hostel fan...yet). Only thing that concerns me about it is that reviews say it's a bit scary to walk there at night; "Hotel very clean and nice place to be . But its far from the road . It is very scary 2 walkthrough street to get back at night. " But another said, "good value,swimming pool,free wifi in room.I've had a few nights in Bangkok now,and considering the area,this is the best value. Quite close to skytrain. No breakfast,but i preferred this as excellent cafe just a few minutes walk towards main road. Friendly staff. Tv channels could be better,but plenty of films in the evening. A few stations to asok & other central locations.Restaurant Tip: Excellent cafe just around corner." Do u think I should be concerned or no?
I checked lemonseed. Seems lovely; a hair more $. Have yet to check the others; Presidents, Bangkok Inn, etc.
Thanks for taxi tips as well. I think that will be faster and less stressful than skytrain, yes? I won't have trouble getting one before dawn when I speak no Thai? Lucy
Reply to this In Bangkok the Skytrain has added more stops over the past year.
Previously the last top on the Sukhumvit Line was On Nut. Now 5 more stops have been added to that route. Last stop is now at Bearing.
The Silom Line goes past Saphan Taksin over the river past Wong Wian Yai to Talat Phlu.
*From Bearing you can take a taxi to Erawan Museum.
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