BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi,

My plane lands in Bangkok at about 11pm. What's my best option for getting from the airport to a guesthouse in the Th Khoa San area? And about how much time will it take?

Thanks!

Since you will be beat, just take a METERED air conditioned taxi from the official taxi stand outside. It will cost you about 350 baht total, and take less than 50 minutes. $11. Fast, easy, safe.

Book your first night's accommodations and take a taxi there.
The flights from the States are enough of an ordeal.

Yeah. What they said. Use a metered, air-conditioned taxi from the official taxi booth outside, and eschew smarmy limo operators who may sidle up to you inside and offer you a taxi.
The nice ladies in the official booth will know what you mean when you say "Khao San", the driver will load your luggage and take you exactly where you wanna go.

After that dreadful flight, don't be baht-shit crazy and try to take the bus upon arrival. It ain't worth it.

Even better than going through the booth...

Just head upstairs to the departures level and grab a cab that is dropping someone off. Tell them to use meter. THe ones dropping people off don't even bother to argue.

(just did this 4 hours ago so I still remember the prices)...

225 Baht to Khao San. If you use expressway you pay two extra tolls - 40 and 25 baht). I reckon you don't need to use the expressway that late at night.

I'm pretty sure the Airport bus stops running at 10pm? not sure about that though.

Thanks guys! Now let me ask the opposite. A few days after I arrive, I'll be flying from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. What's the best/cheapest way to return to the airport from Khao San?

quote:

What's the best/cheapest way to return to the airport from Khao San?

Buses leave from KSR through out the day. I asked my hotel to arrange to have me picked up at 11am. I forget the exact price but it wasn't much, maybe a few hundred baht depending on how many people join you. It takes about an hour (depending on traffic) so give yourself plenty of time.

There are other options to get back to the airport from KSR so just keep your ears and eyes open, they will all present themselves at one point or another if you're in BKK for a few days.

Take the same "Metered" taxi back to the airport. There is no reason to cram you and everyone else into a "mini" bus to get to the airport. It is fast and worth the 10-12 dollars to be comfortable.

Good luck and safe travels,

quote:

Originally posted by hayden:
Take the same "Metered" taxi back to the airport. There is no reason to cram you and everyone else into a "mini" bus to get to the airport. It is fast and worth the 10-12 dollars to be comfortable.

Good luck and safe travels,

You know, I went back through my journal and realized I never took a mini-bus back to the airport. You are absolutely right about the metered taxi.

I took a mini-bus to Pattaya from KSR.

Ignore my advise!

quote:

Originally posted by static:

The nice ladies in the official booth....

One of whom has been working that booth every time I've been through there for 3-4 years. Even at the old airport. She remembers me. Importantly, she writes your destination in Thai for the driver which is worth the 50baht surcharge you would save if you go upstairs.

I just did it again last week and was 271 baht on the meter to Sukhumvit + 50baht. Took 35 minutes.

quote:

Originally posted by SimilanDiver:
Even better than going through the booth...

Just head upstairs to the departures level and grab a cab that is dropping someone off. Tell them to use meter. THe ones dropping people off don't even bother to argue.

(just did this 4 hours ago so I still remember the prices)...

For someone who's familiar with Bangkok, this could be good option. But, for someone asking this question, it might not be a wise option.

Bangkok taxi drivers are getting worse every day. Even Thais are often getting the run around.

There are some protections when you use the Meter Taxi booth (2 located outside the arrivals hall, near the curb.)

The clerks manning (or womanning) that desk speak enough English to ensure that the taxi driver knows for sure where you are going! They write this address down in Thai for the driver to read. They are supposed to check that the meter is set correctly too! They record the taxi number on a receipt that you keep to report any problems with the driver.

At old Don Muang when a bus was not available (my first choice, even if it is a little longer) was to get a taxi dropping off someone at departures. But from Don Muang to where I wanted to go was almost a direct shot right down the expressway with lots of police, traffic lights and other traffic around! The new Suvarnabhumi airport is way out in the sticks! There is not a lot of traffic around at midnight or just after and of course not a lot of police patrolling.

It's just a little safer to use the Meter Taxi sign up desk, especially if a "visitor" is not used to Bangkok. The 50 baht surcharge shouldn't break anyone's bank!

(I arrive on NWA real late all the time now. I just get my ride at the meter desk. There are two of them, sometimes there is no line at the desk closer to door 3-4. Door 7-8 often has a longer line because it is closer to where you leave the arrivals hall.

Good luck.

Just to close the loop on this…taking the taxi was definitely the best way with a late night arrival. But even if you take a metered taxi from the official stand, you may encounter what I did. After I got in and the driver saw where I was going, the following conversation ensued:

Him: 450
Me: No, I want the meter
Him: Long way
Me: Meter or I get out of taxi.

So he put on the meter. Do I even need to mention that using the meter was less expensive than the flat rate charge the driver offered???? And honestly, what’s the point of the airport having an official taxi stand for metered taxis if the drivers are still going to try and pull crap like that??? Anyway…

As for returning to the airport, turns out there’s an express bus that goes from Khao San to the airport. At 150 bhats, it’s less than half the price of a taxi. You have to look around a bit to find it – it stops a block or two from Khao San on a street that has lots of buses going up and down it.

quote:

Originally posted by EMH:

Him: 450
Me: No, I want the meter
Him: Long way
Me: Meter or I get out of taxi.

That is SOP for taxis in Bangkok, but I've never seen it at the airport taxi stand. I hope the airport clamps down on this quick. Not a good first impression. You handled it perfectly BTW.

Now, since you're staying in Khao Sarn Road, I suppose you're in Bangkok and Thailand for the full backpacker experience. So while you may do well in getting in a cab, IF you can get past immigration and customs before midnight, you can get on the airport bus, which leaves every half hour throughout the day until then.

It's going to cost you 150 baht, and it takes probably a little bit over an hour at that time. It's real easy. Just go to the bus booth and get a ticket to the A2 bus. If you look like a backpacker they will just get you this ticket without even asking where you're going. Then you get on the bus, and at the last stop, you're there, at one end of the Khao Sarn Road. Outside there will be people with brochures offering you accommodation.

Likewise, getting back to the airport can be done by bus every half hour from the ticket office at the end of the Khao Sarn Road. 150 baht, slightly longer travel time during the day.

Chances are you'll meet other backpackers on the bus and maybe agree to have dinner with them when you arrive. It's always a good start in Bangkok, unless you're so tired after traveling that you just want to sleep.

Happy trails,

Bjørn
http://bjornfree.com/