If you travel to Seoul, you can easily navigate most of the city by subway. However, when visiting Los Angeles, it's tough to do anything without a private car. Thankfully, there are a variety of convenient transportation options available in Bangkok.
Bangkok is a city where nearly every possible mode of transportation is available and necessary to use regularly, and most are very affordable, even a Thailand chauffeur service from the airport.
On any given day navigating Bangkok, you'll likely have to take the BTS Skytrain, hop in a tuk-tuk for a quick ride, take a taxi, or jump on the back of a motorbike to beat the traffic or get deep into the neighborhood. So here are the five most common forms of transportation in Bangkok.
Table of Contents
Transportation Options
1. BTS / MRT / Airport Link
The BTS, MRT, and Airport Link are relatively new to Bangkok's transportation scene. The BTS and Airport Link are mass transit trains that run on tracks elevated above the ground, while the single-line MRT is a subway.
While grand plans are being made to create more train lines to serve Bangkok's farthest regions, the mass transit system only covers the city's central areas.
Many cheap flights to Thailand have increased international visitors, so having the Airport Link is highly beneficial for getting from the airport to the center of Bangkok.
2. Taxi
Bangkok is a city that's saturated with taxis. There are so many that I sometimes wonder just how many of them can make a profit.
Taxis, though they sometimes refuse to give you a ride if it's somewhere where there's too much traffic, have the potential to go just about anywhere in Bangkok. A ride around central Bangkok shouldn't cost more than $3-$5.
Though there are many cheap flights to Phuket, I've even heard of people hopping in a Bangkok taxi and heading straight there!
3. Bus
By far, the cheapest way to travel around Bangkok is by taking the local public bus - on some routes, there's even a free bus if you don't mind waiting!
The Bangkok bus network is far-reaching and runs smoothly overall. There are different buses, such as some that take the highway, some with air conditioning, and others with open-air windows.
4. Tuk-Tuk
One of Bangkok's most famous forms of transportation is the tuk-tuk, a three-wheeled go-cart with a metal body attached. Tuk-tuks are extremely popular for visitors who enjoy the novelty of such a mobile.
After taking my share of tuk-tuks, I realized they are not the most comfortable form of transportation. The seats are a little high, making it difficult to see the roadside, and being open-air, you smell all the vehicle fumes. That aside, it can be fun now and then to whizz through Bangkok on a thundering tuk-tuk.
5. Motorbike Taxi
The most convenient and thrilling way to travel through Bangkok is by motorbike taxi. Official motorbike taxi drivers are everywhere in the city, and they are always ready for you to hop on and deliver you straight to your destination as fast as possible.
When the streets are clogged with traffic, motorbike taxis have the advantage of sliding between lanes, weaving through vehicles, and even taking the sidewalk!
When visiting Bangkok, you'll use most, if not all, of these forms of transportation to get around. Sometimes, getting from place to place can be daunting, but luckily, Bangkok has many different transportation options.
Need a place to stay? Check out Go Backpacking's guide to the best hostels in Bangkok.
