Getting to Bangkok

The new Suvarnabhumi Airport is an international hub for air travel, and the most convenient way to reach Bangkok is by air. The city is also well-connected with Singapore and Malaysia by a rail network that spans the country. By car or coach, a good web of roads can get you to the capital from Cambodia, Malaysia and Laos. Whichever way you choose to get to Bangkok, Thai immigration requires visitors’ passports to be valid for a minimum of six months, with at least one completely blank visa page remaining.

By car

Thailand has a reasonably good network of roads and highways designated by numbers that trunk from international routes throughout the country. National Highway 3 arrives from a southeast direction from Malaysia; National highways 32 and 17 vein into the city from Cambodia and Laos via the northern parts of the country. Roads from Myanmar are not officially open to tourist traffic.

By rail

Thailand’s sole international train service links the city to Butterworth and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, continuing all the way to Singapore. It is a slow ride that takes close to 48 hours, and you’ll have to change trains twice. Otherwise, the luxurious Eastern and Oriental Express runs along the same route once a week. Through trains run from the borders with Cambodia (at Aranyaprathet) and Laos (at Nong Khai).

By bus

Bangkok has several bus terminals. Buses from the Thai-Malaysian border terminate at the Southern Bus Terminal, while buses from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in the north and Ubon Ratchathani and Nong Khai near the Thai-Laos border in the northeast terminate at the North/Northeastern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit).

By air

Bangkok’s new space-age Suvarnabhumi Airport is 30kms east of the city and is one of Asia’s largest hubs, with practically every airline flying to Asia also flying to Bangkok. The approximate flight time to Bangkok from London is 11 hours, 35 minutes; 19 hours, 20 minutes from New York; 18 hours, 35 minutes from Los Angeles; 19 hours, 10 minutes from Toronto; 3 hours from Manila; 2 hours, 15 minutes from Singapore; and 9 hours, 25 minutes from Sydney.
 

By ferry

There are passenger ferry crossings between Thailand and Laos at several points along the Mekong River. Ferries also cross from the Malaysian island of Langkawi to Satun in southern Thailand, with the occasional cruise from Malaysia and Singapore docking in Bangkok. The main operators are Star Cruises (tel: +66 2 886 0213; website: www.starcruises.com), Orient Lines, Princess, Radisson Seven Seas and Seabourn.

Bangkok Airport

Suvarnabhumi International Airport (tel: +66 2 132 1888; website: aotpr@airportthai.co.th) started operations in September 2006 and is now Bangkok’s main airport. There is only one terminal building, which covers both domestic and international flights. A currency exchange and tourist information bureau is available on Level 2 at Arrivals, with ATMs and public telephones located throughout the terminal building. Note that there is a departure tax for international flights, payable in cash after checking in.

Bangkok airport transportation

Limousine taxis can be reserved at the limousine hire counter on Level 2, and a limited number of ordinary metered taxis are available outside the exit on the first floor. A free shuttle bus to the satellite terminal has more taxis, and the ride to the heart of the city will take 40 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic. There is also a stop outside the first floor exit for airport express buses, which charge a flat rate and operate on four routes, each taking about 60 to 90 minutes.