Transportation in Thailand
It may be a slight strain on your purse to get to Thailand by air, but once you've made it, you can take advantage of bargain-basement flights. The departure tax on international flights is waived if you're in the country for less than 12 hours. Just bear in mind that flights in and out of Thailand are often overbooked, so keep confirming until the eleventh hour!
Use the information provided here to plan your holiday to Thailand and take care of most of your Thailand travel worries.
Our Thailand transportation guide below will tell you all you need to know about transportation to and getting around Thailand. Also visit our Thailand Country Guide for some local travel tips, and what better way to see the culture than taking a local tour .
For more local travel information, take a look at our sites below:
- Bangkok
- Chiang Mai
- Chiang Rai
- Koh Samui
- Pattaya
- Phuket
- Sukothai
Thailand Transportation Guide
Overland travel from Malaysia is popular and there are four border crossings between Thailand and Malaysia, two on the west coast, one in the centre and one on the east coast. It's not possible to buy through-fare tickets for rail journeys between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, unless you ride the luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express, but the trip can be made on express trains via the Thai-Malaysia border at Pedang Besar. The journey usually requires an overnight stop in Butterworth (Malaysia) in order to comfortably make train connections.
There are plenty of crossing points between Thailand and Myanmar, Laos or Cambodia, but very few border crossings are made - officially, at least. It's legal for non-Thai foreigners to cross the Mekong River by ferry between Thailand and Laos at the following points: Nakhon Phanom (opposite Tha Khaek), Chiang Khong (opposite Huay Xai) and Mukdahan (opposite Savannakhet).
By Air
Air Asia: http://www.airasia.com
Air Andaman: Air Andaman is based in Phuket and is making travel to Southern Thailand easier than ever. http://www.airandaman.com
Bangkok Airways: Domestic Flight schedules information http://www.bangkokair.com
Bangkok International Airport: http://www.airportthai.com
Orient Thai: http://www.orient-thai.com
PB Air: http://www.pbair.com
Phuket Air: http://www.phuketairlines.com
Thai Airways International: Flight schedules as well as general information http://www.thaiair.com
By Train
State Railway of Thailand: http://www.railway.co.th
By Bus
BTS Sky Train: www.bts.co.th
Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand: www.mrta.co.th
Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA): www.bmta.co.th
By Car
Airport Limousine: www.aaclimousine.com
Subway
Bangkok Metro Public Company Limited (BMCL) www.bangkokmetro.co.th
Getting Around Thailand
The only fault of the trains that ply around Bangkok is tardiness, otherwise, they are a delightful option - cheap, comfortable and efficient. Motorbikes are popular, but if you want to take to the roads, even in a car, beware of the anarchic Thai traffic. A cruisier option is to take one of the many forms of taxis - there are cars, rickshaws both of the motorised and the people-powered variety, and small pick-ups.
Trains
Trains are comfortable, frequent, punctual, moderately priced and rather slow. Sleeping berths are a bargain and a wonderfully comfortable way to traverse the countryside.
Buses
Buses are phenomenally (read hair-raisingly) fast, well serviced and air-conditioned. Beware of booking private buses from agencies on Khao San Road; the service on such buses can be unbelievably bad. A unique feature of Thai public transport is the women-only buses that revved up in June 2000 - an attempt by the government to protect female passengers from crime and sexual harrasment.
Car Rental
Cars, jeeps or vans can be rented in Bangkok and large provincial capitals. Thais drive on the left-hand side of the road - most of the time.
Local Transport
Local transport includes taxis, tuk-tuks (motorised rickshaws), samlors (bicycle rickshaws) and songthaews (small pick-ups). Taxis are (mostly) metered in Bangkok and songthaews tend to run regular routes, but samlors, tuk-tuks and taxis outside Bangkok require bargaining and agreement on a fare before departure
Motorcycles
Motorcycles can be rented in major towns and tourist centres. Always check the condition of the bike thoroughly before you take off, and remember that the Thais are notorious scoff-laws when it comes to road rules.
