Bangkok & Around - Thailand - page 275

BANGKOK TAXI TIPS
Never agree to take a taxi that won't use the meter; these drivers park outside hotels and in tourist areas. Simply
walk a block or two and get one that's passing by instead.
Bangkok taxi drivers will generally not try to 'take you for a ride' as happens in some other countries; they make
more money from passenger turnover.
It's worth keeping in mind that many Bangkok taxi drivers are in fact seasonal labourers fresh from the coun-
tryside and may not know their way around.
If a driver refuses to take you somewhere, it may be because he needs to return his rental cab before a certain
time, not because he doesn't like you.
Very few Bangkok taxi drivers speak much English; an address written in Thai can help immensely.
Older cabs may be less comfortable but typically have more experienced drivers because they are driver-owned,
as opposed to the new cabs, which are usually rented.
River Crossing Boats
There are also flat-bottomed cross-river ferries that connect Thonburi and Bangkok. These
piers are usually next door to Chao Phraya Express Boat piers, cost 3B per crossing and
run from approximately 7am to 7pm.
BTS & MRT
The elevated BTS (Skytrain; 0 2617 7300; www.bts.co.th ) , also known as the Skytrain, spans two
lines that whisk you through 'new' Bangkok (Th Silom, Th Sukhumvit and Siam Sq). The
interchange is at Siam station, and trains run frequently from 6am to midnight. Fares
range from 15B to 42B, or 130B for a one-day pass. Most ticket machines only accept
coins, but change is available at the information booths.
Bangkok's MRT ( www.bangkokmetro.co.th ), or metro, is helpful for people staying in the Th
Sukhumvit or Th Silom area to reach the train station at Hualamphong. Otherwise the sys-
tem is mainly a suburban commuter line. Fares cost 16B to 40B, or 120B for a one-day
pass. The trains run frequently from 6am to midnight.
BUS
The city's public bus system is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority ( 0 2246 0973;
www.bmta.co.th ) ; the website is a great source of information on all bus routes, but this
doesn't really help the fact that Bangkok's bus system is confusing and generally lacks
English. If you're determined, or are pinching pennies, fares for ordinary (fan) buses start
at 7B and air-conditioned buses at 10B. Smaller privately operated green buses cost 5B.
Most of the bus lines run between 5am and 10pm or 11pm, except for the 'all-night'
buses, which run from 3am or 4am to midmorning.