bangkok airport railway link

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

The Airport Rail Link is up and running. Price from the airport to the Pratunam area is only 45 baht using the City Line. In Pratunam you can use a cheap meter taxi to continue on to your hotel. Or, at Phaya Thai, you can connect with the Skytrain. There is a connection with the subway at Makassan but it is a little more of a hike than connecting with the Skytrain at Phaya Thai.






There were enough signs in English to help you out. Once you get to the Skytrain, Rail Link or Subway you can figure things out or ask one of the workers for help. These rail services are pretty good compared to some of the older and crappier rail services in other countries.

One thing to keep in mind is that these rail services stop running at midnight! If you arrive at the airport after midnight or you need a ride in the city after midnight you will end up in a meter taxi. (Meter taxis, for tourists, are cheaper than using tuk-tuks. Cheaper if you insist that the meter be used. If you bargain the fare you pay more!)

Good luck.
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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

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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Unless something changes between now and February you wouldn't be able to use the Skytrain at 5 a.m. No Skytrain service to 6 a.m. Also you must be at the airport 2 hours before your international flight plus allow for travel time and maybe even traffic tie-ups.

Sukhumvit is a good area to stay at. Even though you can't use the Skytrain to take you to the airport you can still use it for the day before, etc.

Bedbugs. They come in with the customers. Even expensive hotels can have a bout of them every now and then. But they have more available money to replace mattresses, etc. Suk 11 Hostel is in the Sukhumvit area not far from the NANA Skytrain stop.

Pratunam is not really in the Sukhumvit area. Pratunam area for me is more around the Phetchaburi - Ratchaprorop Road area.

A meter taxi to Suvarnabhumi early in the morning will run around 300 baht. Usually when I leave a hotel in this area on Sukhumvit Soi 4 (just down from Nana Ibis Hotel) I pay less than 300 baht using the meter only - plus tolls! No surcharge like you pay leaving the airport. When you use meter taxis in Bangkok always have small bills and coins to pay the driver. Don't get in unless the driver agrees to use the meter.

A hotel can arrange for a ride for you but the ride will cost probably double what you pay for a taxi on your own.

Lub D Hostels are something you can look over. Also not too far from a Skytrain stop.


What "reasonable price" do you want to pay for a night in a Bangkok hotel? (I only stay in cheap places but with A/C, private toilet and TV. Usually in the 500 baht to 700 baht range. Being a guy I wouldn't care if a bar was downstairs except for noise!)

Near the Suk 11 Hostel is the President Inn, Bangkok Inn and the Business Inn. Some rooms are better than others. Always look at the room first and try to choose from a couple places.

The Swiss Park is on the same little side soi that the above budget hotels are located but at a higher price. These cheap places should be looked at in person before you book. For February you should have a few vacancies available.
http://www.swissparkhotelbangkok.com/location.htm


Lemon Seed is in the Pratunam area.

http://www.lemonseed-rooms.com/

Good luck.









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" I think that (taxi) will be faster and less stressful than skytrain, yes? I won't have trouble getting one before dawn when I speak no Thai?"

* No Skytrain available before 6 a.m. Probably easier to get a taxi at 4 a.m. than 4 p.m. Your hotel door guy can wave one over for you. Your front desk can write a note "SUVARNABHUMI Airport" and the driver will read it or the doorman can tell the driver. But most drivers know what you mean or if not just wave another meter taxi over! Use meter only!

I have never been around this particular hotel. There are worse locations. Looks better than the Nana hotels above. But I only stay in the Nana area and Pratunam area when in Bangkok. I like the hustle and bustle of the Nana area late at night.


I guess you will have to see if it is scary at night time or not. Perhaps someone else has been in that area.

Meter taxi starts at 35 baht, just over a US dollar. Very reasonable price!

Have fun.








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Thanks Hal, this is useful to know. Reply to this