The Bangkok BTS Skytrain
The Bangok BTS skytrain (รถไฟฟ้าบีทีเอส rot fai fa BTS in Thai) is the quickest and safest way to get around central Bangkok. You can get around quickly and efficiently even in a city that is known for having some of the worst traffic in the world.
The Bangkok BTS consists of twenty-three stations on two lines: Sukhumvit line running northwards and eastwards and the Silom line which services the Central Business District of Bangkok. There is one main BTS intersection point at Siam Station though when combined with the underground Bangkok MRT trains there are many intersection points.
The trains run daily from 06:00 until 24:00. All of the trains are air conditioned which is a huge relief in the hot and humid Bangkok weather.
And the pricing can’t be beat. The fare for going from Mo Chit to On Nut (an 18 station journey) runs 40 baht ($1.20 USD or 1 Euro). Though many shorter journeys are much cheaper as you are charged by distanced travelled. Considering the fact that just getting into a taxi will cost your 35 baht it certainly makes getting around Thailand’s capital inexpensive.
If you’re in Bangkok on holiday you should consider the different ticketing systems used.
* Stored value
* Daily / monthly passes
* Single trip tickets
The One-Day pass for 120 baht offers unlimited travel on the BTS skytrain network (but not the underground MRT). While it might seem expensive after we’ve just told you that you can travel from one end of Bangkok to the other for 40 baht one has to keep in mind that most people travel between several stops. The minimum fare is 15 baht so if you’re going to be hopping on and off the BTS sightseeing all day you might want to consider this option.
The monthly student and adult smart passes are also a good option if you’re going to be doing a lot of traveling around Bangkok and will be here for some time. Both passes allow you to buy a certain number of journeys for a fixed price. If you buy the most expensive pass (675 baht for students and 900 baht for adults) you can get fares as low as 15 baht (student) or 20 baht (adult).
The stored value card is how regular commuters typically get around. You pay an amount upfront and each time you use the BTS it is deducted from your balance. When your balance has been used up you put more money on the card. There is no discount on any of the fares.
It should also be pointed out that the daily, monthly and stored value cards have a one-time 30 baht issuance fee.
The way most people use the BTS though is via the single trip tickets. You go up to the machine, figure out which zone you want to travel to, press the button and it tells you how much the fare is.
Many tourists have reported that they buy an extra single trip ticket at the beginning of their holiday because they have a BTS and MRT on the back of the card which can serve as a portable, credit card sized map of how to get around the city. At the end of the holiday they simply use the card on their last trip and they’ve gotten a convenient map of Bangkok for free.
