Trifter

Getting Around Bangkok:

Image via Wikipedia

It was an enormous experience we had during our stay in Bangkok. We have a great deal of fun and excitement as we try to explore and go around the so many beautiful and famous places in Thailand.

Getting around the city is what makes our stay so memorable. Driving in the city requires a great deal of patience and a certain stubbornness as you may say. Normally few visitors like us hired cars, as good knowledge of the city is a must for us to be able to go and enjoy driving around. The huge traffic at anytime of any day and the number of lanes means that you always need to know which lane to drive in. There are many expressways crossing the city with clearly signposted exits but traffic is grid locked during rush hour, usually its about from 7:00 am to 9:00 and and in the afternoon at about 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Traffic direction, entry and exit location changes during the day without warning.  We’ve noticed that drivers in Bangkok, particularly buses, taxis, and motorbikes, are very aggressive and unlikely to give way, lol.

And for those who don’t want to risk driving, car parks are available at a number of large shopping malls and hotels.

Bangkok has an excellent and modern public transport system in place making it easy for anyone to navigate around. River and canal boats, along with the Skytrain and subway system, taxis and tuktuks, are  apparently cheap means to explore Bangkok:

Motorcycle Taxi

Motorcycle Taxis all over Thailand provide a faster option for commuting during peak traffic hours. They can be found in almost every corner and can go anywhere around town. Simply look for the orange-vested men in bikes and they can take you to where you want to go in no time. Helmet is provided by the driver, lol.

Buses

Taking the bus is the cheapest way also to tour the city. Buses ply specific routes around the city. Free city maps available at BTS station can greatly help you to get to places on a bus.

Tuktuk – Me driving tuktuk, lol

A taxi-style transport unique to Thailand, the three-wheeled, open-air “tuktuks” can take you almost anywhere around the city.

River Boats

River boats ply routes along the Chao Phraya River to nearby provinces or through canals in the city. There are piers near major commercial districts such as Sukhumvit and the World Trade Center. Long-tailed boats could be hired for special river tours.

Skytrain

Skytrains have two railway lines: one from the northern bus terminal and the other one runs from the National Stadium. Trains run every few minutes from 6 a.m. until midnight, I should say a quicker alternative to land transportation especially during heavy traffic jams.

Image via Wikipedia

Canal Boats

Canal boats serve tourists and locals traveling through  Khlong Saen Saeb, one of Bangkok’s many canals (Khlong). You get the chance to see the ‘backside’ of the neighborhoods and also comparatively safe.

There are other public transport available that makes it easy to navigate around the beautiful places in Bangkok. Its such a wonderful experience.