BANGKOK
along Mae Nam Chao Phraya to destinations
both south and north of Bangkok. The central
pier is known varyingly as Tha Sathon and
Saphan Taksin, and connects to the Saphan
Taksin BTS station, at the southern end of the
city. Visitors are most likely to go northwards,
to the stops designated with an N prefix.
Tickets range from 13B to 32B and are generally
purchased on board the boat, although some
larger stations have ticket booths. Either way,
hold on to your ticket as proof of purchase.
The company operates express (indicated by
an orange, yellow or yellow and green fl ag), local
(without a fl ag) and tourist boat (larger boat)
services. During rush hour, pay close attention
to the fl ag colours to avoid an unwanted journey
to a foreign province. Ask for one of the route
maps provided at some of the larger piers.
Local (h6-8.30am & 3-6pm Mon-Fri; 9-13B)
The local line (no flag) serves all company
piers between Wat Ratchasingkhon, in south-
central Bangkok, north to Nonthaburi, stopping
frequently.
Tourist (h9.30am-3.30pm; 19B, one-day pass
child/adult 80/150B) The more expensive tour-
ist boat offers heaps of seating and English-
language commentary (though it may be hard
to comprehend); it operates from Tha Sathon
to 10 major sightseeing piers, only going as far
north as Tha Phra Athit (Banglamphu).
Orange Express (h5.50am-6.40pm Mon-Fri,
6am-6.40pm Sat & Sun; 14B) This, the most
frequent line, operates between Wat Ratchas-
ingkhon and Nonthaburi with frequent stops.
Yellow E xpress (h6.10-8.40am & 3.45-7.30pm
Mon-Fri; 19-28B) The yellow express line oper-
ates between Ratburana to Nonthaburi with
stops at major piers.
Green-Yellow Express (h6.15-8.05am & 4.05-
6.05pm Mon-Fri; 11-31B) This rush-hour-only
boat takes commuters directly to Pakkret Pier,
in the far north of Bangkok.
Blue Express (h7-7.45am & 5.05-6.25pm Mon-
Fri; 11-32B) Another rush-hour-only boat takes
commuters directly to Nonthaburi.
There are also fl at-bottomed cross-river ferries
that connect Thonburi and Bangkok. These
piers are usually next door to the Chao Phraya
Express piers and cost 3.5B per crossing. BTS (Skytrain)
The most comfortable option for travelling in
‘new’ Bangkok (Silom, Sukhumvit and Siam
Square) is the rót fai fáh, BTS or Skytrain, an
elevated rail network that sails over the city’s no-
torious traffi c jams. The BTS has revolutionised
travel in the modern parts of Bangkok. Trips that
would have taken an hour now take 15 minutes.
Another advantage of the BTS is that it off ers
a pleasant bird’s-eye view of the city, allowingglimpses of greenery and historic architecture
not visible at street level.
So far two lines have been built by the Bang-
kok Mass Transit System (BTS; %0 2617 7300;
http://www.bts.co.th) – the Sukhumvit and Silom lines.
The Sukhumvit Line terminates in the north
of the city at the Mo Chit station, next to
Chatuchak Park, and follows Th Phayathai south
to the Siam interchange station at Th Phra Ram
I and then swings east along Th Ploenchit and
Th Sukhumvit to terminate at Bearing station, at
Soi 107, Th Sukhumvit.
The Silom Line runs from the National Stadium
station, near Siam Square, and soon after makes
an abrupt turn to the southwest, continuing
above Th Ratchadamri, down Th Silom to Th
Narathiwat Ratchanakharin, then out Th Sathon
until it terminates at Wong Wian Yai across the
Mae Nam Chao Phraya in Thonburi.
Trains run frequently from 6am to midnight
along both lines. Fares vary from 15B to 40B,
depending on your destination. Most ticket
machines accept 5B and 10B coins only, but
change is available from the information booths.
The staff ed booths are also where you buy
value-stored tickets. Brochures available at the
information booths detail the various commuter
and tourist passes. Bus
The city’s public bus system is operated by
Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (%184; http://www.
bmta.co.th); the website is a great source of
information on all bus routes, but this doesn’t
really help the fact that Bangkok’s bus system is
confusing and generally lacks English. If you’re
determined, or are pinching pennies, fares for
air-conditioned buses typically start at 11B and
ordinary (fan) buses start at 6.5B. Smaller pri-
vately operated green buses cost 5B.
Most of the bus lines run between 5am and
10pm or 11pm, except for the ‘all-night’ buses,
which run from 3am or 4am to midmorning.
Bangkok Bus Guide by thinknet, available at
Kinokuniya and Asia Books (p136), is the most
up-to-date route map available. The following
bus lines are useful for tourists travelling be-
tween Banglamphu and the Siam Square area:
Bus 15 From Tha Phra, on the Thonburi side of
the river, to Sanam Luang (accessible to Wat
Phra Kaew) with stops at MBK Center (connect
to BTS) and Th Ratchadamnoen Klang (acces-
sible to Th Khao San).
Bus 47 Khlong Toei Port to Department of
Lands, along Th Phahonyothin, in northern
Bangkok, with stops along Th Phra Ram IV, MBK
Center, Th Ratchadamnoen and Sanam Luang. Car
For short-term visitors, you will fi nd parking and
driving a car in Bangkok more trouble than it is