Guides · Trains, boats and taxis
Getting around
Bangkok rewards anyone who learns the rail map. The Airport Rail Link, BTS and MRT, river boats, Grab and Bolt, and how not to overpay in traffic.
Learn the rail map and Bangkok gets much smaller. The BTS Skytrain and MRT subway reach most places visitors go. On the BTS, a Rabbit card saves queueing at ticket machines. The MRT and the Airport Rail Link take a contactless Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card at the gate.
From Suvarnabhumi, the Airport Rail Link runs to Phaya Thai and connects to the BTS there and to the MRT at Makkasan. It is the fastest way into town in rush hour.
On the river by day, the blue-flag tourist boat (40 baht a trip, 150 for a day pass) stops at the piers for Wat Arun, the Grand Palace and Chinatown; the 19-baht orange-flag boat runs only at weekday peaks.
For cars, use Grab or Bolt: the price is fixed before you get in and the ride is tracked. Street taxis must use the meter; if a driver refuses, get out and take the next one. Expressway tolls are extra and paid in cash.
Each rail system charges its own fare, so changing lines means paying again. A single fare across all lines has been planned; the getting-around guide tracks where it stands, with current fares for every line.
The catch: traffic. Between about 7am and 9am and 5pm and 7pm, a 20-minute taxi ride can take an hour. Take the train.
Hours, fares and any confirmed closures for every line are on the Bangkok transport board.
Read the guides
The essentials, written up and dated.
28 minGuides · Written guideYour first hour in Bangkok: Suvarnabhumi arrival, step by step23 Oct 2026
48 minGuides · Written guideThailand first visit: fewer stops, the free arrival card, app rides29 Jun 2026
16 minGuides · Written guideVisit Chiang Mai from November to January and stay in the old city11 Feb 2026
29 minGuides · Written guideSleep by a station, ride the train: a first-timer's Bangkok guide18 Dec 2025
19 minGuides · Written guidePattaya for first-timers: the traps to skip and how to get around29 Oct 2025
13 minGuides · Written guideThailand in the rainy season: which coast to pick, and when21 May 2025Archive
23 minGuides · Written guideFirst trip to Thailand: the planning mistakes that cost the mostFilmed 24 Mar 2025, archive: rules may have changedArchive
26 minGuides · Written guideBangkok transport for first-timers: which train, boat or taxi to takeFilmed 29 Oct 2024, archive: rules may have changed
22 minGuides · Written guideWhere to stay in Bangkok: 10 areas, and how each one moves you15 Mar 2024
33 minGuides · Written guideThe taxi, tout and rental tricks aimed at first-time visitors19 Feb 2024
19 minGuides · Written guideFirst time in Thailand: what to know before you go7 Nov 2023
7 minGuides · Written guideGrab, LINE and Bolt: Thailand apps worth installing before you land2 Sept 2023More videos
1 videos on this topic, newest first.
14 minGuidesGetting Around in Bangkok - 16 Worst Transportation Mistakes to AvoidSince filming: old MRT stored-value cards stopped working on 1 June 2026, and MRT, boat and canal fares have risen. Current fares: our getting-around guide.18 Nov 2024Thailand, every Thursday.
One email a week. Free, and you can leave in one click.
- What's on in Bangkok this weekend
- Entry and visa changes, in plain English
- One guide worth reading, kept up to date