Public Transport at Bangkok International Airport
There are several different public transport choices for getting from the airport to Bangkok. Taxi and bus services are the main ones, but the rail service is also worth considering, and for a little luxury take the limousine option.
Taxi
Located at the entrance to the arrival hall of each terminal, the taxi ranks provide access to three different kinds of taxi, and it is important to know the differences. The first and best is the licensed, metered taxi, which is governed by the Bangkok city council to ensure the car and driver are safe and charges are based on a set meter, with only toll road charges to add on. Almost as good are the unmetered but licenced taxis, where the price needs to be confirmed prior to setting off, just to confirm everything.
Finally, and to be avoided realistically are the unlicenced and unmetered taxis which are basically people trying to make some money by offering to drive people to the city. They could be honest and upfront or then again perhaps not, but you wouldn’t know either way so staying away is the best policy. Better to wait a little while for a licensed taxi thank taking a gamble with your money and belongings in a strange place, in a strange car with someone you have no idea about.
Limousine
The desks to book the limo services are in the terminal arrival halls, and can be a nice way to get into the city. Bangkok is around 15 miles away from the airport so a pleasant ride in may well be the order of the day.
These can sometimes be ordered as a hotel transfer when booking accommodation, which usually works out cheaper than picking one up at the airport.
Train
Don Muang railway station is only a few hundred metres from the airport and easy to find. From here trains run into the centre of Bangkok, going into Hua Lumpong Station from where trains head out to the rest of Thailand. They operate from around 6am until 8pm, after which time an alternative form of transport would be needed.
Airport Bus
With air-conditioning and good quality seating the airport buses are a good choice for travelling to the city, their departure point being outside the arrivals hall at Terminal 1.
There are a number of different routes taken by the airport buses, taking passengers to all of the main hotels in Bangkok as well as the train and bus stations. The buses operate along four main routes, taking in different parts of the city with each one, an dbetween them covering all of it, or at least the tourist parts where the hotels are based.
Local Bus
In addition to the Airport Buses there are the local bus services too, which although not as comfortable do provide an alternative form of transport should other ones be unavailable. Some of the buses are air-conditioned which is a major plus and they do also stop at more different and diverse places than the airport buses, with not as many hotels covered.
Bangkok International Airport
Overview
Terminal 1 Arrivals
Terminal 2