Local buses in Bangkok offer an affordable way to travel around the city. Besides, it is also a great way to see the real Bangkok, but it takes some time to get used to it. The fierce driving style, bad traffic, pollution and sweaty fellow passengers are some of the things you will encounter during your ride. This is real, hardcore Bangkok & we loved it!
General information on Thailand
Are you working on a travel plan for Thailand? Then check out our tips for the best travel period, daily budget and transport to and in Thailand.
Public transport Bangkok | Bus
We used local buses a lot in Bangkok. These regular buses fall under the government bus company and are therefore cheap. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) provides bus services in Bangkok and provinces such as Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan and Nakhon Pathom. The BMTA has more than 100 routes and more than 3,000 buses. In other words; you should be able to find a bus to your location!
Types of buses in Bangkok
Many tourists don't know that Bangkok's bus routes are very extensive. A shame, as it can save you dozens of euros compared to taxi or tuktuks. Most buses run daily between 05:00 and 23:00. The buses cost between 8 and 10 bath (€0.22 - 0.27) for the whole route. So it doesn't matter where you board and how long you sit on the bus.
We took several buses during our visit to Bangkok and never paid more than 10 Bath (€0.27 cents) per person.
Tip: Are you opting for a bus ride outside the city of Bangkok or at night? Then keep in mind that prices may vary slightly. We can find this online: Air-conditioned buses (cream blue) start from 12 baht (depending on the distance travelled). Night buses (cream red) cost around 9.50 baht. EURO II buses (yellow-orange) cost between 13 and 25 baht, depending on the distance travelled.
How to take a bus in Bangkok
Destinations on city buses are written in Thai. So this can be a bit tricky. But fortunately, we have Google Maps. You can via Google Maps easily plan your route. You can see in the overview which bus to take, where to get on and what time they arrive. The buses are almost always on time and run regularly. We do recommend that you check the sign posted at the boarding point/bus stop. In doubt? Ask the locals, they will be happy to help you!
Tips for public transport Bangkok
There are a few things to keep in mind when taking the bus in Bangkok:
- The bus stops only when you tell it to stop. Wave to the bus driver until the bus is in front of you. Don't stop waving before then because when in doubt, they drive on.
- The fare / your bus ticket will be collected on the bus by a bus conductor. You will find the price of your bus ticket on the receipt. They have fixed fares for the regular buses.
- Make sure you have change with you. A 100 baht note is acceptable in an air-conditioned bus, but not so much in regular or smaller buses (500 and 1,000 baht notes really can't do!).
- Keep the receipt/bus ticket with you. If you go a longer distance then you may have to pay per distance. This does not apply to shorter distances in the city of Bangkok itself.
- Relinquish your seat to small children, monks, the elderly and pregnant women. Need to stand? Make sure you can hold on tightly to the rails.
- Once on the bus, keep walking inside. Do not stand in front of the door or in the middle of the bus.
- Let us know if you want to get out. Warn the driver that you want to get off by pressing a buzzer/stop button before the bus reaches your stop. If you are not sure where to get off, ask the bus conductor to let you know. After all, they are happy to help you!
Tip: It is useful if you can show your address or final destination on Google Maps.
How do I survive a long bus journey?
Are you also going to tour Thailand? Cool! You will then end up in long-distance buses or mini vans several times besides the local bus. To make sure you don't get bored, we have listed a few fun games. They are compact, cheap and provide a lot of fun. Besides, this is the ideal way to make friends.
To return to local buses in Bangkok. Not everyone will like this way of travelling. The violent driving style, bad traffic, pollution and sweaty fellow passengers are not for everyone. But again, this is real, ‘hardcore’ Bangkok. A unique experience that we recommend to everyone. If you keep the above tips in mind, you'll soon get the hang of it. Let us know what you thought of it?
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