Whilst traveling and working in Thailand we made use of almost all the public transport we could use. The experience of living in another county not having your own vehicle can sometimes be very scary, however in Thailand the transport system works really well and is a safe way to travel.
What kind of transport do you get in Thailand?
There are many ways to commute in Thailand, you can make use of your local meter taxi, motorcycle taxi or even hop onto a Songthaew. Most tourists should at least jump onto the famous 3-wheeled vehicles called Tuk-Tuk whilst they are there. It is a memorable experience that you won’t find back in your home country.
The BTS Sky train can be confusing at first but once you get the hang of it, this transport is fast and efficient especially in Bangkok with all the traffic jams all the time. This overground railway network stops off at many tourist areas and attractions in Bangkok and is very developed much like the large Western cities of the world making it very easy to find your way around the city.
The MRT Subway, otherwise known as the Blue Line, is the first underground railway line to be introduced to Bangkok’s railway network. It is comprised of 18 stops and follows a slightly different route to the BTS Skytrain which allows travelers to commute via train to the inaccessible neighbourhoods of the Skytrain. Both the BTS and MRT intersect at various points allowing travelers from both lines greater variety when it comes to getting to their destination of choice. Both the BTS and MRT networks are in operation from 6 am to midnight Monday to Friday.
For longer distance travel we would highly suggest to move away from the normal travel by air and get into the groove of taking the bus.
Bangkok has the largest bus system in the country. When it comes to getting around within the majority of smaller cities and towns, Songthaews are usually the norm as opposed to buses but many of the smaller cities do have bus systems that provide long-distance transport to other towns, cities, and popular tourist destinations. We never travelled with Songthaews to smaller cities we made use of the bus. In Bangkok, you will find a variety of buses of all different sizes and colours some of which are public and others private buses.
For long-distance travel from Bangkok all the way to the north of Thailand you can travel via Train. Thailand’s overground railway network runs throughout the
country and offers a comfortable travel option
compared to some of the cheaper bus routes. The train is still a cheap option and you can get from Bangkok all the way to Chiang Mai in the north for as little as 800 Baht (R400.000 where you can get your own private cabin and take in the exquisite scenery that accompanies this journey. The Thai train also has three different classes with different rates.
However, if the train and bus option does not tickle your fancy then you are more than welcome to try out the airlines in Asia. Travelling by air in Thailand is definitely the quickest way of getting from A to B and there are a lot of budget airlines which cater for those travelling on tight budgets.
Thai Airways offer the greatest variety of destinations and flight options and one can get from Bangkok to many of the tourist islands and destinations simply by boarding a 1-hour flight from Bangkok. However, you can check out AirAsia, Bangkok Airlines and Nok Air for amazing deals to travel by air.
Whichever way you decide to travel in Thailand will it be by plane, train, bus or just a motorcycle taxi, it will sure be an adventure.
Happy Travels!
Author: Claudine van Staden
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