Bangkok Airport to the City

The Airport Rail Link, or City Line, is an elevated train from the airport's basement to Phaya Thai in central Bangkok, eight stations and about 27 minutes end to end. Follow the train signs down to level B1 from arrivals on Level 2. Trains run from 05:30 to midnight, every 10–11 minutes at the morning and evening peaks and every 12–13 minutes the rest of the day. Buy a token at the machines or the counter, or tap a contactless bank card at the gates.

The fare depends on how far you go, from ฿15 to ฿45. Most visitors ride to one of three stations. Makkasan connects by a walkway to the MRT Blue Line at Phetchaburi, for Sukhumvit (Asok), Silom and Chinatown. Ratchaprarop is the stop for Pratunam's hotels. Phaya Thai, at the end of the line, connects with the BTS Sukhumvit Line for Siam, Sukhumvit and the Chatuchak side of the city. The old express service is gone, so ignore any older page quoting ฿90 or ฿150.

It's the best way in at rush hour, when the taxi can take well over an hour, but it isn't built for luggage. There are no racks, the trains fill with commuters at the peaks, and Phaya Thai and Makkasan involve stairs and walkways to the next line. With one bag it's easy. With two large cases and a hotel off the BTS, I'd take a taxi. From 1 January 2027 Bangkok brings in a common rail fare of ฿17–45, with one entry fee and a ฿45 maximum even when you change lines, so the train plus the BTS or MRT should get cheaper.

The public taxi rank is on Level 1, one floor below arrivals, between Gates 4 and 7, and it runs 24 hours. Take a queue ticket from the kiosk, which gives you a lane number and a slip with the driver's details, and keep the slip, because it's how you report a problem. The driver should run the meter. You pay the meter, a ฿50 airport surcharge and the expressway tolls, which you hand over in cash at the toll gates, usually about ฿75 in total to Sukhumvit or Silom. All in, that's about ฿400–600 to the center, and about ฿500–600 to Khao San Road and the Old City.

If a driver refuses the meter or quotes a fixed price, say no and go back to the queue. Two electric VIP taxi services also wait outside, at ฿150 on the flag before the meter starts, which only makes sense if the queue is very long.

Grab and Bolt pick up at Level 1, Gate 4, and show the price before you book, usually about ฿400–600; the tolls may be added on top, so check what the app says. The airport limousine counters on Level 2 sell walk-up cars at fixed prices, from ฿550 for a small sedan to ฿850 for an eight-seat van, if you'd rather skip the queue altogether.

The S1 bus is the backpacker's route, straight from the airport to Khao San Road and Sanam Luang for ฿60, from 06:00 to 20:00, in about 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. Airports of Thailand lists it at Level 1, Gate 7; follow the bus signs and pay the conductor in cash. The S6 runs to Krung Thep Aphiwat station, for the long-distance trains, from 05:30 to midnight, and the 554 goes north past Don Mueang airport. The old Airport Express buses no longer appear in the airport's list.

Don Mueang is closer to the center than Suvarnabhumi but has no direct train to the hotel districts. The SRT Red Line is the fastest way to the rail network. Walk the skywalk from the terminal's second floor to Don Mueang station, and ride to Krung Thep Aphiwat for ฿33, then change to the MRT Blue Line at Bang Sue for Chatuchak, Sukhumvit, Silom or Chinatown. Trains run every 10 minutes at the peaks and every 15 the rest of the day.

The A-buses leave from outside Terminal 1. The A1 is the useful one for most people, ฿30 to BTS Mo Chit, where the Skytrain takes you on to Siam and Sukhumvit. The A4 is ฿50 to Sanam Luang, a short walk from Khao San Road, and the A3 runs to Lumphini Park near Silom for the same fare.

A metered taxi from the counters in each terminal is about ฿250–400 to most of the city, plus the ฿50 surcharge and the tollway, which you pay in cash. The Don Mueang Tollway alone is ฿90 into town. Bags larger than 26 inches can add a small luggage fee. Grab picks up at Gate 12 at the domestic terminal and Gates 4 and 5 at the international one.

Where you're staying decides the best option more than the price does. These are the routes from Suvarnabhumi; from Don Mueang, use the Red Line and the MRT, or a taxi.

If your flight lands after about 23:00, plan on a taxi or a pre-booked car, because the Airport Rail Link stops at midnight and the buses earlier. The taxi rank, Grab and the limousine counters all run through the night.

Connecting between the two airports, there's a free shuttle bus for passengers with an onward ticket or boarding pass and a passport, from 05:00 to midnight, every 30 minutes. At Suvarnabhumi it leaves from Level 2, Gate 3, and at Don Mueang from Terminal 1, floor 1, Gate 6. Allow at least an hour for the ride, more at rush hour, and leave a big margin if your two flights are on separate tickets.

Going back, the Airport Rail Link from Phaya Thai or Makkasan is the most predictable way to Suvarnabhumi at rush hour, and the first train leaves around 05:30. Aim to be at the airport three hours before an international flight. The departure charge is built into your ticket, so there's nothing to pay at the airport.