If this is your first time in Southeast Asia, be patient! Although at first glance, just arriving can be a bit stressful, believe me that Bangkok is quite calm if we compare it with other Asian cities.
There are several options to move around the city, cheaply and quickly.
In this post I have talked about how to get around Bangkok, what are its transportation options and some tips and advice so that you are not fooled.
GETTING AROUND BANGKOK
Tuk tuk, a comfortable and fun way to get around Bangkok
The tuk tuk is a transportation option that you will find throughout Thailand. Its price is similar to that of a taxi, with the difference that in a taxi you have air conditioning, a meter and above all you are not swallowing the pollution of Bangkok. I usually use them a lot to move around Bangkok, especially short distances. When you don't feel like walking anymore or at some point you need to get somewhere "faster".
Recommendations: You should always agree on the price with the driver BEFORE GETTING ON THE TUK TUK. Sometimes they tend to abuse their prices (although Bangkok in Tuk Tuk fares is much cheaper than other cities like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket...).
Before getting on, show him on the map where you want to go and what he is going to charge you. Always haggle! Tell him that before the same route has cost you half and get the best price. They are very smart!
There is the possibility of hiring a tuk tuk for a tourist ride. If you have never traveled by tuk tuk Bangkok is the city with the lowest rates with this means of transport.
Skytrain, very useful in Bangkok rush hour
The Skytrain is an elevated train also called BTS. It currently has two lines and is a very good option to avoid traffic jams in Bangkok. It is my favorite option together with the boat, faster and cheaper.
The price is quite cheap. You pay according to the route you are going to travel, although you can also buy day passes. The price of a single journey varies between 16 and 44 baht and the daily ticket costs 140 baht. To give you an idea, the price of the ticket for the whole day does not reach 4 euros.
Single tickets are taken out in some machines where we must press a number. This number will depend on the destination station regarding where we are and we will see it in the station plans. The machines only accept coins, we can change bills at the ticket offices.
Although it may seem somewhat complicated without knowing the language, it is very visual and easy.
Subway
The Bangkok metro opened in 2004 and so far only has one line. Next to the Skytrain it is a good way to get around without getting stuck. Having only one line is usually more uncomfortable to fit it with the places of interest.
Taxi
The taxi is a comfortable and cheap option, being sometimes cheaper than the Skytrain.
The first thing to do when getting into the taxi is to remind them to turn on the meter and ask for the rate per kilometer. (since they have different rates and sometimes they tend to sneak the most expensive) and, if they do not accept to put the meter, I advise you to get off and look for another taxi.
There are some cities (including Bangkok) that after midnight it will be mission impossible to try to get a taxi that puts the meter.
It is recommended that when taking a taxi we have the name of the destination written in Thai or that we carry a map with us.
Taxi - Boat, one of the best options to move around Bangkok
The boat is an ideal option to visit the places of interest near the river such as Wat Arun, the reclining Buddha, the royal palace... The price of the Chao Phraya Express boats varies between 10 and 32 baht depending on the distance and of the ship. The schedule is approximately from 6 in the morning to 7 in the afternoon with a frequency of between 10 and 20 minutes.
It is perfect for crossing the river and not having to make a long detour on foot. If you are staying in the part of the river near Khao San Road, to reach the points of interest you have to cross the river by bridges or by boat. During the day there can be many traffic jams on the road. It is a very useful option.
stops:
Grab app
This VTC company is a highly recommended and efficient option to get around Bangkok. The trips are booked through an application and the journey has a fixed price, so you will save yourself from discussions or haggling with taxi drivers. The app allows payment by card, but there is also the option to pay the driver in cash. Even if you don't use the application if you have it downloaded on your mobile and you know it's worth a trip, when you haggle with the taxi driver you can always show yourself the price of Grab. Most of the time it works, because they know that by accepting directly they save the commission of the application.
To walk
Walk, walk and walk. Bangkok is very big and it is impossible to cover it all by walking. But as much as possible, I recommend you take advantage and walk, wander around and get to know the corners of the city.
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PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Thailand very much and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!
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