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| Thailand Travel Guide - Transportation and Transfer Services |
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Air : With Bangkok serving as the international travel hub of SE Asia, the capital serves as the landing port for numerous international airlines, most with direct flights from their destinations. Some chartered and regional flights may land at one of the other international airports within Thailand, consisting of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Phuket, and Ubon Ratchatani. The country's national airline is Thai Airways. Airport departure taxes for international departures costs 500 baht/person. The check-in counters open 2 hours and close half an hour prior departure time.
Busses : Inter-city bus services offer a fast means of transport to all corners of the country. Air-conditioned buses service many provincial areas and bookings for both regular and tour coaches (private companies) can be made through major hotels and travel agents, or at the following bus terminals
- Northern Bus Terminal : Kampaengphet 2 Rd, Bangkok Tel: 0-2936-2852-66 ext. 614, 0-2936-3670
- Eastern Bus Terminal : Sukhumvit Rd, Bangkok. Tel: 0-2391-6846, 0-2391-2504
- Northeastern Bus Terminal : Kampaengphet 2 Rd, Bangkok Tel: 0-2936-2852-66 ext.605, 0-2936-0657
- Southern Bus Terminal : Boromratchchonnani Rd, Bangkok Tel: 0-2435-1200, 0-2435-1199
- Central Bus Terminal : Kampaengphet 2 Rd, Bangkok Tel: 0-2936-2841-8 ext.311, 0-2537-8055
- The government bus company, called Bor Kor Sor (BKS), provides the cheapest mode for getting around Thailand. Being frequent and reliable, no advance booking is necessary. Both air-conditioned ones and open-aired ones stop almost everywhere along their route, with the latter being the cheapest and slowest.
Trains : The State Railway of Thailand runs an efficient rail service linking Bangkok (Hua Lam Phong is the central train station) to the rest of the country at very reasonable prices for express, fast and ordinary trains. Limited western and southern routes out of Bangkok also operate from the Thon Buri Station, traveling to destinations as far as Kanchanaburi province in the west and Chumporn province in southern Thailand.
On express trains, sleepers are available in three classes: first and second class (air-conditioned), and second class (non air-conditioned, but with fans).
Advance tickets are available at all principal stations or the Bangkok Railway Advance Booking Office at Tel : 0-2220-4444
Car and motorbike rental : is also easy on the budget. A driving license from your home country or an International one is required for all vehicle hire. Keep in mind however, that the road accident rate in Thailand is extremely high. Expect the unexpected and be alert at all times! Thai law requires motorbike drivers to wear a helmet and car drivers and front passengers to wear seat belts. If renting a motorbike, helmets are required by the driver only. Ask for a second helmet if carrying a pillion passenger.
When opting for public transport especially when renting a Tuk-Tuk (small van taxi) or one of the motorbike taxis it is recommended that you agree on a price before you set off or you may end up paying more.
Both & Ferry : The many southern islands are reached by ferry or long-tail boat, or both. While most travel routes to these smaller islands provide a convenient combination of bus and ferry, it is also possible to charter your own water route utilizing the abundance of small long-tail boats to hop from island to island or beach to beach. Again, settle on a price before embarking.
Metered Taxis : are abundant and fairly cheap in Bangkok, the meter is not commonly used in other areas. Most taxis have a standard fixed fare depending on the destination, usually considerably higher than what you'd pay if they used a meter. You can try bargaining in this case and decide on a price before getting in the taxi. While metered taxis are available directly outside the doors of the Bangkok airport, Phuket's airport is dominated by non-metered taxis. However, if you look out into the airport parking lot, you will see a Taxi Meter sign. Pay 100 Baht at the stand and the rest of your journey will go by the meter. |
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