By plane

Bangkok is served by two airports: Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK IATA) (pronounced Soo-wahn-nah-poom) and Don Mueang Airport (DMK IATA). Suvarnabhumi Airport is the main airport and used by all full-service airlines, but Nok Air, Air Asia, Scoot, and some other low cost carriers use Don Mueang Airport. Both airports lie about 30 km (19 mi) out on opposite sides of the city, so be prepared for a long ride to get into the city centre, and an even longer ride to transfer between them. A free transfer bus between the two airports is available if you can show an appropriate boarding pass. On a good day this takes about an hour, but the highway is often badly congested, so always allow 2–3 hr for this transfer. It is a good idea to have Thai baht ready for connecting to the city. Good money changing options are available at the BKK metro station.

Suvarnabhumi Airport

1 Suvarnabhumi Airport (สุวรรณภูมิ BKK IATA) (30 km (19 mi) east of Bangkok). Space-age Suvarnabhumi Airport started operations in Sep 2006 and is now Bangkok's main airport and one of the busiest airports in Southeast Asia. It is used for international and domestic flights to Bangkok. There is only one terminal building, which covers both domestic and international flights. It is huge, and by some measures the world's largest, so allow time for getting around. There are two immigration sections, but processing time can be lengthy, at least 30 min and on bad days almost 2 hr.

On the basement level of the passenger terminal, the Airport Rail Link offers a speedy train service to downtown. There are no express services, but the all-stops commuter line is still a great way of avoiding Bangkok's horrendous rush hour traffic, particularly when it's raining. Trains depart 06:00-midnight every day, with a train every 10-13 min, and after Makkasan station they continue to Ratchaprarop (transfer to MRT) and Phaya Thai (Skytrain) stations. The ride to Phaya Thai takes 26 min from the airport and costs 45 baht.

You can also take a free shuttle bus to the airport bus terminal aka Transportation Centre to catch inexpensive city buses. These may be convenient if you are going to a suburban area like Rangsit or Bang Kapi. Since June 2017 express bus S1 runs from the terminal building to Khao San Road.

If you need a taxi, ordinary metered taxis are available on the first floor (one floor below arrivals). Follow the "public taxi" signs that lead to the official taxi queue outside of the airport premises. Avoid the touts in the arrival hall; the taxis they are trying to get you into are mostly likely illegal, and the risk of getting ripped off is much higher with them. ATM-style ticket booths dispense numbered slips, with the number indicating the bay in which your taxi is parked. You can choose between a normal taxi good for 2 adults with baggage and a big taxi. Keep the slip since it helps to make a complaint if the driver scams you. There is a surcharge on top of the meter (not per passenger), meaning that trips to the city will cost 250-400 baht plus possible expressway tolls of 50 and 25 baht (March 2020) depending on route. Make sure you have change ready to pass to the toll operators to avoid being overcharged for the tolls later on. The ride takes about 45–60 min depending on traffic and destination.

Don Mueang Airport

2 Don Mueang Airport (ดอนเมือง DMK IATA) (about 30 km (19 mi) north of Sukhumvit). This was Bangkok's main airport until 2006. These days, the airport primarily caters to budget carriers, and handles flights by Thai Lion Air, Scoot, Nok Air and Air Asia. It is a bit harder to reach DMK than BKK due to the absence of a practical rail connection. (updated Feb 2026)

Taxi : the public taxi stand is on the end of the arrival area. Follow the signs to the taxi stand. (Don't be fooled by all the taxi service booths in the main hall.) The same booth and slip system as at Suvarnabhumi Airport is used here. If the queue at the taxi stand is long or you need a more spacious car, you may want to book a (so-called) limousine taxi from the desks in the terminal. This will get you a slightly nicer car at about twice the price. There is also an unofficial taxi queue (but for proper metered taxis) on the main road right outside the terminal, to get there, use the bridge towards the railway station, but get off down the narrow staircase before crossing the main road (using this queue can cut the wait considerably and avoid the airport surcharge). Ignore any touts outside and do not get into any car with white licence plates, as these are not licenced to carry passengers.

Special Bus + Skytrain (BTS) : The A1 airport bus runs to the Sena Nikhom BTS station. You can board it at exit 6 of Terminal 1 and exit 12 of Terminal 2. It runs from the airport 07:30-24:00 and to the airport 07:00-24:00. 30 baht collected by a steward on board once the bus leaves. Takes about 20 min and uses the Don Muang elevated tollway to avoid traffic jams. The bus can be very crowded, so make sure you stand early on the line. Most have Wi-Fi if you have a local sim to SMS register. After Sena Nikhom the bus continues to Ratchayothin BTS station and Vibhavadi hospital before returning to the airport. If you are going to the Victory Monument area, taking the A2 bus saves the trouble of switching onto the train (fare also 30 baht).

Express Bus: Since May 2017 A3 bus runs on the route Don Mueang - Dindaeng - Pratunam- Ratchaprasong - Ratchadamri - Lumphini Park, and A4 bus runs on the route Don Mueang - Yommarach - Lam Luang - Phan Fa - Democracy Monument - Khao San - Sanam Luang. Fares are 50 baht and buses pick up passengers at door #6 of Terminal 1 and door #12 of Terminal 2 between 07:00 and 23:00.

Train: across a covered overpass from the airport is Don Mueang Train Station. While the rickety old local services have been replaced by a modern commuter service running every 12-20 minutes, these terminate at Bang Sue in northern Bangkok, where you'll need to change to the MRT Blue Line to get anywhere useful.

LimoBus : This private bus service has one route serving Khao San Road and another route serving Silom and Pratunam. It is cheaper than metered taxi for a solo traveller but significantly more expensive than city buses.

City Bus : There are also a number of public transport buses going by the airport, just follow the signs out toward the train station. Buses towards central Bangkok are at the airport's side of the road, so don't cross the highway. These are useful bus lines :

Air-conditioned bus 504 will take you to CentralWorld at Ratchaprasong intersection (close to Siam Square), as well as to Lumphini Park and Silom, from where you can have access to the Skytrain.

Ordinary and air-conditioned bus 29 will take you to Hualamphong Train Station passing by many places, including Victory Monument and Siam Square. You can also get off at the Chatuchak Weekend Market, where you can switch onto the metro or Skytrain. Sometimes the final stop is Victory Monument (19 baht).

Air-conditioned bus 59 will take you to Sanam Luang in Rattanakosin. This route is time-consuming as Rattanakosin is far off from the airport.

Keep in mind that some of these city buses don't complete the route. They are called "additional bus" (Thai: รถเสริม rot serm). These kind of buses have a red sign in front of them with the final destination written on it (in Thai script of course). Check this before taking the bus. You can ask the locals at the bus stop or a conductor on the bus.

By train

Trains are run by the State Railway of Thailand.

Railways converge on Bangkok from all parts of the country: Chiang Mai to the north, Nong Khai on the Laos border, Ubon Ratchathani to the east, Ban Klong Luk on the Cambodia border, Sattahip on the coast to the south, Nam Tok to the west, and Padang Besar on the Malaysia border.

Tickets for travel on any trains departing Bangkok may be purchased from any of the larger train stations, as well as online from the official SRT ticketing website D-Ticket or various resellers such as 12go. Bangkok is the only place in Thailand where travellers can reserve tickets over the phone (the 24-hour SRT hotline is 1690 and they have English-speaking operators), because tickets must be paid for at one of many train stations in Bangkok by 22:00 the next day. The official website is not easy to use: tourists report problems with incomplete translations on the English version of the website, as well as with registering an account and setting up payment methods.

As of 2023, the name Bangkok in the SRT intercity timetable refers to the new Krung Thep Aphiwat terminal. There is one exception: the Eastern Line service to Ban Klong Luk on the Cambodian border, where Bangkok means the historic Hua Lamphong station.

Some tourists prefer to buy from agents like 12go, that have easy-to-use websites and English-speaking customer service. All agents charge extra fees for their services.

A high speed railway is under construction between Bangkok and Vientiane, Laos, with a plan to continue it southward into Malaysia and Singapore.

3 Hua Lamphong Station. An old stately terminal, this is no longer the main railway station in Bangkok. It's central, near Yaowarat and has its own metro station. It's a charming old building of 1916, yet surprisingly efficient and convenient. On timetables, it's usually called "Bangkok" in English or "Krung Thep" in Thai. Tickets for commuter trains leaving the same or the next day can be bought at the counters under the big screens. The only intercity train that terminates here is the Eastern Line from Ban Klong Luk on the Cambodian border.

4 Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. Unofficially Bang Sue Grand Station, this is now the terminus for most inter-city trains. The station is directly connected to the MRT Blue line station of the same name, and is connected by Bus 52 to Mo Chit, for the long-distance bus terminal. It is the largest railway station in Southeast Asia, with 26 platforms; some 600 metres long.

5 Thonburi Train Station (ธนบุรี formerly Bangkok Noi Station) (west of the river in Thonburi). The terminus for twice-daily trains to Kanchanaburi (via Nakhon Pathom). Just to keep things confusing, the previous Thonburi Train Station right next to the river (accessible by the Chao Phraya Express Boat pier Railway Station) is now mothballed and turned into a museum, but it's only 800 m away from the new station. The weekend-only second class air conditioned tourist trains to Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok depart from Hualamphong Train Station.

6 Wongwian Yai Train Station (วงเวียนใหญ่) (About 800 m from the Skytrain station of the same name. To get there, take a metered taxi or walk (using a map)). Serves the rustic Mae Klong commuter line to the fishing village of Maha Chai. Trains run roughly hourly and the trip takes about one hour. The ride is of little interest if you want to get there fast, but is an experience for rail fans and an attraction in itself, with a nice view on the countryside's orchards, vegetable plantations and coconut groves. Maha Chai is a nice seafood destination, and if you feel like it, you can cross the Tha Chin river by ferry and continue by rail to Samut Songkhram. Tickets for trains departing from other stations are not sold at Wongwian Yai Train Station.

By boat

Not many people come to Bangkok by cruise ship. Medium to large ships must dock at 7 Laem Chabang Port. about 90+ min (varies considerably in rush hours) southeast of Bangkok and about 30 min north of Pattaya. A taxi service desk is available on the wharf, but charges extortionate prices for a trip to Bangkok, to charter a taxi (4 passengers), or to charter a minibus (usually 11 passenger seats). Slightly lower prices can be found by walking out to the main road and taking a minibus, but even these rates are still almost double the typical rate in the opposite direction. Better deals may be possible for round trips (even if returning the following day).

If you can easily get to and from the following bus terminals...

Frequent first and second class bus services directly connect Laem Chabang with Bangkok's Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai); less frequent direct services run to the Northeastern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit). A first class air conditioned bus (blue and white) to either will take 90 min or less. A quick way to get into Sukhumvit is to get an Ekkamai-bound bus and then disembark early at On Nut, where you can hop onto the Skytrain. The bus will always stop here if a passenger requests it.

Southbound buses to Pattaya can be boarded at the traffic lights on Sukhumvit Road in Laem Chabang. These are extremely frequent (at least 10 per hour).

Smaller ships may dock well upriver at 8 Khlong Toei (Bangkok Cruise Port). close to the city's center. Reaching major hotels and the many major points of interest is cheaper and much quicker than from Laem Chabang. A modest terminal provides processing for passengers. You'll also find "managers" inside who arrange tours and taxis. Costs can vary widely according to your negotiating skills or if you have the option of using a ship's shuttle other locations. The facility is within an active freight port. (Its entrance is not close to the metro stop of the same name.) The distance to the very-active port entrance from the terminal (about a kilometer) and heavy traffic in-between mean pedestrians are not allowed. Thus, options to get to/from the terminal are metered taxi and ship's bus/shuttle if offered.

By bus

When buying tickets for buses out of Bangkok, it's best to skip travel agents and their private buses, and get the tickets for public buses directly at Bangkok's three public bus terminals. These buses are cheaper, safer, faster, more comfortable and won't scam you onto a clapped-out minibus halfway along the way or to a bedbug-infested hotel at the end. Each of these long haul bus terminals serve a different direction. They are purposefully located in off-central locations, so the long-haul buses avoid the heavy traffic congestion in the centre of the city. They are:

9 Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai (เอกมัย)), ☏ +66 2 391-2504. A relatively compact terminal right next to Ekkamai BTS station in Sukhumvit. Ekkamai serves destinations in Eastern Thailand, including Pattaya, Rayong, Ban Phe (for Ko Samet), Chanthaburi and Trat. If you're heading for Ko Chang, there is a specifically designated stop for it between Chanthaburi and Trat. You can also get a bus to the Cambodian border crossing at Poipet, look for the bus to Aranyaprathet and tell them you are going to Poipet when you buy the ticket.

10 Northern and Northeastern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2 (หมอชิต 2), ☏ +66 2 9362841 (-3). The largest, busiest, and most modern terminal, replacing the old Mo Chit terminal. The upper floor serves the Isaan region in the northeast of Thailand. The ground floor serves Northern Thailand, and shares some destinations with Ekkamai (including Pattaya, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat). The bus terminal is a fair hike from BTS station Mo Chit or MRT station Chatuchak Park. Motorbike taxis do the trip for a fixed fare (bargaining is pointless), while tuk-tuks charge whatever they feel like — when bargaining, remember that a real taxi with air conditioning will cost you about the same as a motortaxi (assuming little traffic). You can also take Bus 77 and pay the flat fare on board (this bus also goes from the terminal via Victory Monument, Pratunam, and Silom Rd). If you have a considerable amount of luggage, the easiest, if not necessarily fastest, option is to take a taxi directly to or from the bus terminal.

Buying tickets at the terminal is reasonably easy: find a window with your destination written on it (in friendly Roman letters), pay the fare in big numbers on the same window, and you'll get a ticket on the next available departure. Blue writing means 1st class, red means 2nd class (avoid on longer trips), and tickets for destinations in Isaan are sold from the third floor. Ask the information desk on the first floor if you need help, or any of the Transport Co. staff, easily identifiable thanks to their natty white shirts with gold buttons. Next just find the departure stall and you're on your way. If you have time to kill, there are two fairly decent air-conditioned food courts at both ends of the main terminal building, plus KFC, Dunkin' Donuts, and lots of 7-Eleven outlets.

Air-conditioned buses are available directly from Bangkok Mo Chit to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Transport Co., the state-owned company running the buses, offers daily services to Siem Reap. Departures every day at 08:00 and 09:00 in both directions.

11 Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai (สายใต้ใหม่)), Phutthamonthon Sai 1 Rd, Thonburi, ☏ +66 2 894-6122. Serves all destinations west and south of Bangkok from its somewhat inconvenient location on the Thonburi side of the river. Long-distance buses leave from here to destinations throughout Western Thailand (including Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi) and Southern Thailand (including Krabi, Phuket, Surat Thani, Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan, Hat Yai, and others). The new terminal is a fairly pleasant airport-like structure with air-conditioning, electronic departure monitors (in English), a few bank offices, and fast food restaurants. The ground floor houses mostly Thai restaurants outside. The first floor has ticket sales and most restaurants. The third floor is a small shopping mall and is a good place to sprawl on the floor if you have a long layover. Unlike the rip-off operators at Khao San Road, all buses from here are public, well-regulated, cheap, and reasonably safe. Just buy your tickets at the numbered desk with your destination posted on it (almost always in English). (updated Jan 2018)

Getting to the terminal is a bit of headache, as public transport is limited. The easiest option is to take a metered taxi, but if you're going there in the evening, especially during workdays, be prepared to fight a serious traffic jam — getting there can take 30 min or a full hour from the city centre. Ignore touts at Khao San Road — unlike what they might say, there really is no "faster" way when all the roads are congested.

From Victory Monument BTS station, the terminal can be reached with pale orange air-conditioned Bus 515. When approached by the conductor, just say "Sai Tai". After quite a ride, the large bus terminal will be on the left side about 9 km (5.5 mi) after crossing the river (you won't miss it and probably will be told as well). Getting there by bus actually does not take much more time than taxi (it's almost the same in the likely case of a traffic jam), but the ride is much cheaper, especially if alone. Bus 556 no longer goes from Suvarnabhumi Airport, but from Makkasan Airport Rail Link (ARL) station. There are also white minibuses from various points around Bangkok, e.g., from Ramkhamhaeng (near Rajamangala National Stadium). There are inexpensive shuttle buses and slightly more expensive (but quicker loading and a bit faster) minibuses to and from the Northeastern Bus Terminal as well.

By van

For travelling to Bangkok suburbs or locations within 200 km of the city, the fastest and often the cheapest way is to use public van (minibus) services. They run from parking lots beside the 12 Victory Monument Square (Thai:อนุสาวรีย์ anusawarii) (Use footbridge leading north from BTS Victory Monument exit 2). . Facing the monument itself are the city bus stops, behind it there is a small market, and behind the market you will find many white-coloured minibuses just parking at the roadside and waiting for passengers. They depart when full, usually each 10–30 min. Fare is usually similar to long-distance buses with the same destination (if there are any). Other way, it could be estimated as 1 baht/km.

Since October 2016 the minibuses to other provinces have been relocated to the three public bus terminals which makes them far less convenient. The city is easing the transition by providing free shuttle buses from Victory Monument Square to the bus terminals. The shuttles to Southern Bus Terminal, and Northern and Northeastern Bus Terminal depart from the northwestern quadrant of the square. It is unclear how long these free shuttles will remain in place.

Destinations are written on the front and the side of the minibuses in Thai, so you should ask drivers or ticket sellers about your destination. Minivans are usually the fastest way of transportation because they take elevated expressways right from Victory Monument, thus avoiding traffic jams. Another advantage is that they start from the city centre of Bangkok and usually arrive at the city centre of their destination. Normal long-distance buses sometimes stop further away from the city centre. Minibus drivers are infamous for unsafe driving and deadly accidents. A disadvantage of minibuses is that leg room is limited, and might be not comfortable for tall people. If you have bulky baggage you either keep it on your lap or buy a seat for it.

Some useful destinations within the city: Min Buri (for Siam Park), Nava Nakorn (for Don Mueang Airport or to get out along hwy 1 for hitching to the north/northeast), Phra Ram 2 (to the highway, for hitching to southern Thailand), Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Some destinations served from Eastern Bus Terminal: Pattaya, Ban Phe (for Ko Samet), Rayong, Chanthaburi.

Some destinations served from Northern and Northeastern Bus Terminal: Ayutthaya, Lopburi.

Some destinations served from Southern Bus Terminal: Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Hua Hin.

By car

Getting into Bangkok by car is not a good idea, as you can easily waste half a day waiting in traffic just to get to the other side of the city. Three major highways lead to Bangkok from every direction in Thailand. The best way to get to Bangkok from Northern Thailand is via Phahonyothin Road (Rte 1), which comes from Mae Sai near the Myanmar border. Sukhumvit Road (Rte 3) comes from cities in Eastern Thailand, such as Trat, Pattaya, and Chonburi. Phetkasem Road (Rte 4), one of the longest roads in the world, extends all the way to the Malaysian border, serving Southern Thailand.

To ease congestion on these highways, a new system of motorways has emerged which will be extended in the future. The New Bangkok-Chonburi Motorway (Motorway 7) connects Chonburi and Pattaya. The Kanchanaphisek National Highway (Motorway 9 or "Outer Ring Road") makes a giant loop around Bangkok serving most satellite towns around it such as Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.