Bangkok Metro is the most comfortable and fastest way to get smiles in the capital of the country. Regardless of the chosen direction and type of metro you will travel, you will quickly, and most importantly without traffic jams, reach your destination. The undoubted advantage of the subway in Bangkok is the ability to overcome the maximum distances in a minimum period of time and get to the desired attraction even outside the capital. The only nuance that somewhat obscures travel in the Bangkok metro is its high cost. Payment for long-distance travel is comparable to taxi rides.
The subway in Bangkok is a real salvation for a metropolis resembling an anthill. We will tell you in detail about the metro scheme, the existing lines, the cost of tokens, cards and tickets, the rules for using transport in Bangkok.
Types of subway
Why does Bangkok need the subway so much? Construction in the metropolis has always been active and chaotic. This threatened with a transport collapse, in order to avoid problems, the government decided to provide residents with transport, which:
- will connect the entire district of Bangkok;
- will minimize the travel time.
The first branch opened in 1999. Today, the Bangkok metro scheme covers all areas and is undoubtedly the most convenient public transport.
Thais are rightfully proud of their heavenly train. The aboveground metro was built exclusively by local companies. Traveling in the carriage of such a train is not just a way to reach your destination, but a great opportunity to conduct an independent sightseeing tour. The fact is that the trains of the aboveground metro ride over all city transport.
Good to know! If you want to enjoy the panorama of Bangkok, try to take places in the last cars of the train, the glass of other cars is often sealed with advertising.
Features of aboveground compositions:
- wide wagons;
- powerful air conditioners;
- LCD monitors installed;
- smooth movement.
Stops are announced twice – in local and English.
The layout of the aboveground underground is simple, intuitive and is indicated by three colors: blue, light green, green. Recently, another purple line appeared on the chart. The names of Bangkok metro stations are indicated by a letter that indicates the direction of the world, as well as a number – the distance in kilometers from the central areas of the capital.
Nodal stop – Sayyam, here you can change the direction of movement – change from a dark green branch to a light green one.
Good to know! Would you like to visit the entertainment area? You need to find the S2 stop on the diagram and get to it along a dark green branch.
There are three types of maps in the overground subway:
- for one-time travel;
- daily subscription;
- monthly pass.
Tourists, as a rule, use the scheme of the aboveground metro, since it covers almost all the sights of Bangkok. The fare is determined by the number of stations that need to be passed.
Good to know! The Bangkok metro operating time: from 6-00 to 24-00, the interval of trains – from 3 to 6 minutes.
Underground transport is more and more often used by local residents, so if you are interested in joining the life of Bangkok, make several trips in the underground metro, but take care in advance and print out the line diagram indicating the stations in Russian. On the Bangkok metro map, the underground line is marked in blue. It covers the northeastern areas of Bangkok, where residential buildings are concentrated and there are practically no attractions.
Features:
- the design of the stations is simple, in the style of minimalism;
- the tunnel is fenced off from the lobby and passengers by a transparent partition;
- at the junction stations, two, and in some places three levels, were built.
End stations are located near major train stops. Tickets are purchased separately:
- for a single trip;
- for travel for one day;
- rechargeable card;
- subscription for 15 days;
- one month subscription.
There are three stations on the subway map intersecting with the aboveground subway.
Good to know! Schedule: from 6-00 to 24-00. Interval of movement – from 5 to 10 minutes.
In the diagram, this is a red line, it is also called an underground electric train. Traveling from the terminal to central Bangkok takes only a quarter of an hour. Today, there is only one branch on the airport metro scheme, so there will be no difficulties with choosing tokens and cards. The fare is determined in accordance with the duration of the route.
Airport metro scheme.
- Red. Use red tokens to drive through. Trains run from Makkasan Station to the terminal without stops;
- Blue (City line) – trains follow to Phaya Thai. Payment by yellow tokens. You can get to the station as follows – in the building of the terminal, go down and navigate to the signs “To City” and “To Train”. Trains stop at all stations.
- Yellow (Phaya Thai express). Trains follow to Phaya Thai. Red tokens will be required.
Airport metro is part of the ground, but you need to buy different season tickets. The fact is that the metro from the airport was built at the expense of private investors, respectively, this part of the metro system does not belong to the state-owned company BTS.
Good to know! Schedule: from 6-00 to 24-00, the interval of movement is from a quarter of an hour to 17 minutes.
Types of tickets and fare
| Disposable | Price from 15 to 52 THB | The price is determined by the duration of the trip. It’s not worth calculating the route specifically — stops are built at a distance of 1 km from each other. On the official website there is an interactive scheme – click on the starting point and the point of arrival, and the system will indicate the distance and cost. The token is valid for two hours. Penalty for misuse is 40 THB or more. |
| Day | Cost 140 THB | It can be used on the day of purchase, respectively, in the evening it is impractical to buy it. |
| For a month | Price from 345 to 900 THB | It does not give the right to unlimited travel. The document allows you to make a fixed number of trips per month:
The price of the document depends on their quantity. As a rule, a monthly pass is suitable for those who make more than three trips in the subway every day. |
| Disposable | Price from 16 to 40 THB. | For children discounts of 50% are provided. |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | The minimum price is 230 THB. | Of this amount, 30 THB is the price of the card, 150 Baht can be spent on travel expenses, and 50 remains as a deposit.
The minimum deposit amount is 100 THB. There are cards at a reduced cost on sale – for children and for people over 65 years of age. |
| Day | Minimum cost 120 THB | The card is valid from 6-00 to midnight on the day of purchase.
One trip should not exceed 90 minutes. Fine 40 THB. |
| For 15 and 30 days | 600 to 1,500 THB | The terms of use are the same as with the daily card. |
Where to buy tickets, action algorithm
At all the stations indicated on the metro scheme, there are automatic machines where you can purchase tokens for a one-time trip. Documents for a different number of trips are presented at the box office, they also work at subway stations.
To purchase tokens for traveling in overhead trains, three types of machines are used.
| Type of machine | Payment | Features of use |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket Issuing Machine (TIM) | You can pay with coins of two denominations: 5 or 10 THB. Change machines give out 5 THB. | Before buying, you need to find out the cost of the ticket. For this, special tables are installed next to the machine. On the device you need to select the button with the corresponding number, only after that the money is paid. |
| Integrated Ticketing Machine (ITM) | You can pay with banknotes of the following denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, as well as 100 THB. Coins of 5 THB are provided for change. | Automata screens are touch-sensitive. You can select English, the desired station, then deposit money. |
| Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) | You can pay with banknotes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 THB. Coins 1, 5 and 10 THB are provided for change. | The principle of use is no different from the previous machine. The difference in the functionality of the machine is that you can purchase several tickets at a time. |
Good to know! If there are no banknotes of the required denomination, make a change at the nearest cashier.
You can purchase a ticket for the underground metro as follows:
- a token for a single passage is bought at any cash desk, as well as in a special machine;
- tickets are available exclusively at ticket offices at stations;
- only tickets for adults are purchased in vending machines, and a document for children must be purchased at the box office;
- machines accept the following bills: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 THB;
- only coins are provided for change in machines.
Tickets for the airport metro are also bought in vending machines at the stations.
How to use the subway in Bangkok
Difficulties with using the subway in Bangkok should not arise. Automatic machines are simple and intuitive even for those tourists who do not know English.
First of all, you need to buy a ticket (travel card). All travel documents are valid for all elevated lines, you can also change branches.
A ticket (card) is used to pass through the turnstile at the departure and arrival stops that you indicated at the time of purchase. If you try to use the document at the wrong stop, the turnstile will not work.
Good to know! You can go to another station provided that the fare matches the amount paid.
The underground metro is relevant when you need to get to the train station. To go down to the station, you will need a subscription or a one-time token. Where to get them is described above.
Ticket control also takes place at the entrance and exit of the subway. That is why a ticket, token or card must be kept throughout the trip. Remember that each ticket has a specific stay in the paid metro area. The maximum trip period is 90 minutes. After this period, the passenger must pay a fine of 40 Baht.
Interesting facts and features of the subway in Bangkok
Despite the huge passenger traffic in the metro, the first thing that tourists and travelers immediately notice is the order and perfect compliance with the rules. Work at all stations marked in the diagram is streamlined and subject to the approved regulations. You will never see in the subway that passengers are pushing, quarreling. Landing and disembarkation takes place calmly and in turn.
Many platforms have sealed glass doors that are hermetically sealed until the train arrives. For children, as well as older passengers discounts are provided.
- The price depends on the length of the route selected in the diagram.
- All stops are announced twice – in local and English.
- Moving on escalators in two rows, passengers do not move up the stairs.
- If you want to go down to the underground metro, you will have to go through the metal detector frame and show the bags to a subway employee.
- It’s always cool in the cars, of course, after the heat in the street it’s nice to be in a cool room, but you can even freeze after the rain.
When planning a trip, be sure to bring the Bangkok metro scheme in Russian with you. This will facilitate movement around the capital and allow you to visit the maximum number of attractions.
Now you know what Bangkok metro is like – this is a convenient and fast way to get around the capital of Thailand. Travel with pleasure and comfort.