Recommend Hotels

Want to discover the soul of Thailand? Take a bus and party your way North-east to the Issarn and to Udon Ratchathani, Buriram, Sisaket or Khon Kaen. Remember: Sanuk is the name of the game, so don’t expect any sleep or quiet, and be prepared to laugh, sing along to Thai music and share food on a trip you’ll never forget.

Domestic buses use a modern highway system that reaches into all corners of the kingdom. Most, but not all, offer air-con. They are often loud. Bangkok boasts three bus terminals, organized by destination direction. For the North, contact Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal 0-22794484-7 (air-con) and 0-22710101-5 (regular). For the South, the Southern Bus Terminal is on Pinklao-Nakhon Chaisri Road, Tel: 0-24351190, 0-24351200 (air-con) and 0-24345558 (regular). For Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard, go to BTS Ekamai and the Eastern Bus terminal (Sukhumwit Road) 0-23929227, 0-23919829 (air-con) and 0-23912504,0-23922521 (regular).

Inside Bangkok:
Public buses are plentiful and cheap in Bangkok, with prices starting from as low as 7-8.50 Baht for non-air buses to 22-24 Baht for air-con. Go to BMA  for more info.
The BTS skytrain and the MRT subway are very popular, inexpensive and easy to use.

Bangkok is the hub of a slightly aged but reliable and safe rail system that links it to major northern, north-eastern and southern cities. Some lovely overnight or day-trips depart from Hualumpong Station (MRT Hualumpong) that will transport you north to magical Sukhothai, adventurous Pitsanulok and Chiang Mai, or south to the beaches and tropical lushness of Hua Hin, Chumpon, Surat Thani and beyond. 

Most domestic trains have first, second and third-class seats, though slower trains may only have third-class available. The State Railway of Thailand organizes one- day, two-day economy tours to various destinations on Saturdays, Sundays and official holidays. Other tours include trips to Surat Thani (for Koh Samui), Chumphon and Chiang Mai. Railway schedules can be obtained from Hualumpong Railway Station, 02223-7010, 0-2223-7020. 

A 60-minute flight from Bangkok transports you south to Krabi’s karst-studded white beaches or Phuket’s tropical paradise and nightlife, Chiang Mai’s northern Thai charms, Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle or Nakhom Phanom and the Mekong and Laos. Within two-hours, you can shop in Singapore, party in Kuala Lumpur or marvel at Siem Reap’s majestic Angkor Wat.

Bangkok’s brand new Suvarnaphumi (soo-wan-na-poom) International Airport  is a 20-30 minute taxi ride to most downtown Bangkok hotels and serviced apartments and 75 minutes by car or bus to Rayong and the quiet Gulf of Thailand beaches. Click here for nearby lodging.
After Suvarnaphumi opened in 2006, most—but not all—domestic flights relocated to Don Muang Airport (DMK), the old international airport. Since then, some international flights moved back to Don Muang, so check your ticket carefully

Many boats criss-cross and hop from one pier to the next on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. Popular with locals and tourists, their fares go from 5-15 Baht. Read more.

You can rent a car with a valid credit card and International Driver’s License. Thailand boasts an impressive highway and local road system. Major highway and urban signs are bilingual (Thai and English) and Thai only on secondary roads. North Americans and some Europeans may take a bit to get used to driving on the ‘wrong side’ but all drivers should be extra-vigilant as u-turns abound and Thai road traffic includes a variety of motorized conveyances that come from unexpected directions. 

Thailand is the land of pampering, though, and most locals or hotel concierges can recommend travel services that take you by car or mini-van to Ayuttaya, Siam’s ancient capital, only one-hour drive away, or to hilly Kanchanaburi, 2 ½ hours by car, where you can see the Bridge on the River Kwai, stroll through one of the steamy jungle cuttings that Allied and Asian POWs labored in at the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum or head on to Three Pagodas Pass and the Burmese border.