How to get from Don Mueang Airport

Overview of how to get from Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok

Bangkok Old Airport Don Muang is located 30 kilometers from the center of Bangkok in a remote area of the city within the city limits (Don Muang airport on the map). Urban public transport runs near the airport, and therefore it is possible to get from it to any place in Bangkok inexpensively by city or airport buses, by train (city train), and now it is also possible to take the subway. However, please note that if you travel from the airport by city buses, and especially during peak hours (on weekdays it is from 07:30 to 9:30 and 17:00 to 19:30), it may take several hours to get to the center. To get around this problem, it is best to take a taxi, metro or trains.

Or you can use the following brief tips:

• Khao San Road District. Immediately upon leaving the terminal, take the airport express bus A4 for 60 baht. Runs from 07:00 to 23:00 every 30 minutes.
• Pratunam District. The ring and Victory Monument Station can be reached by buses A1, A2, A4, 59, 29, 510, 187, 538. If your hotel is located closer to the center of the district or along Ratchadamri Road, then it is better to choose the A3 and 504 buses, they pass through the whole street.
• Sukhumvit District. You can only get there with a transfer. It is best to take one of the airport express buses A1, A2, A3 or A4 to Morchit Station. Both the BTS skytrain and the underground MRT pass through here at once, so you can take the line that is more convenient for you.

And now we will tell you more about each of the modes of transport by which you can get from Don Mueang airport to the city center or to other resorts.:

By taxi

• Cost: 250-600 baht (from 7.67 USD)
• Time spent: 40-60 minutes

A taxi ride will cost from 250 to 600 baht depending on the destination. It is better to use a taxi ordered at the counter in the terminal, in which case the trip will be on the counter. You can also order a car through the applications Grab, Maxim, InDrive. These are analogues of Uber, which does not work in Thailand. To order, you can use free WiFi at the airport or buy a local SIM card and internet. You will see the cost in the app before ordering. You can pay in cash at the end of the trip or link your card in the app (Russian cards don't work). For single trips in the applications, you can order a cheaper motorcycle taxi.

If you "Catch" a taxi in the parking lot when exiting the terminal, then you will be offered to get there at a fixed price, which is usually two to three times higher than the meter.

Well, if you are in a hurry or are used to more comfortable travel, you can book a tourist transfer in advance. In this case, the car will be waiting for you by the time the plane lands, and the driver will meet you with a sign in the arrivals area. You can order a transfer through the search form, payment is accepted online:

Rent a car

• Cost: from 600 baht/day (18.4 USD)
• Time spent: 1 hour

There are several representative offices of world-famous rental companies at Don Muang Airport, and if you wish, you can leave here by car, and use it to return or return the car to the rental company elsewhere. You can also rent a car in Bangkok itself or at other resorts. It is better to book a car in advance via the Internet. The rental price when booking in advance starts from 600 baht, and the longer the period, the lower the price. You can find and book a car for rent through one of the price comparison services from different rental companies:

To drive a car in Thailand, tourists no longer need to obtain an international driver's license (IDP). On May 1, 2021, the long-awaited event finally took place - Thailand ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which it initially joined back in 1968. And now in Thailand, theoretically, it is possible to manage rented transport using ordinary Russian rights. However, so far in Thailand there has not been a practice of adopting national VUS on the roads by police officers, therefore, in order not to finish off our rightness every time, we still recommend that you additionally issue an IDP.

On BTMA city buses

• Cost: 8 - 36 baht (from 0.25 USD)
• Time spent: 1-2 hours

The city bus stop is located to the left of the airport exit near the highway. Do not confuse it with the stop of airport express buses A1 - A4, which is located immediately at the exit from the terminal. The city bus stop is located on the main highway next to the airport from the terminal side. It won't be difficult to find it, there are signs leading to it, it's only a couple of minutes to walk.

The fare depends on the type of bus (air-conditioned, non-conditioned), and the route number. Tickets are paid to the conductor, sometimes to the driver. Most of the routes are open from 05:00 to 22:00.

Here are the most useful routes:

• 59 – Dong Muang->Victory Monument Ring and metro station-Khao San Tourist Area
• 29 – Dong Mueang->Victory Monument Ring and Subway Station – Hualamphong Railway Station
• 510 - Dong Muang->Victory Monument Ring and metro station
• 555 – Don Mueang–>Suvarnabhumi International Airport
• 554 – Don Mueang–>Suvarnabhumi International Airport
• 187 - Dong Muang->Victory Monument->Riverside district
• 538 - Dong Mueang->Victory Monument–>Siam District
• 504 - Dong Mueang–>Pratunam district–>Silom district–>Riverside district

Almost all city buses go past the nearest metro station Mor Chit, where you can transfer to the underground metro MRT or elevated BTS. If you need to get to the tourist area of Khao San, you can wait for the direct bus number 59, or get to Victory Monument, and then transfer to buses №№ 59, 157, 159, 171, 183, 201, 503, 509 Democracy Monument bus stop, from where you can walk to Khao San.

By airport express bus

• Cost: 30 baht (0.92 USD)
• Time spent: 40-60 minutes

There are four routes A1 - A4. They are faster than BTMA city buses, run more frequently and on the toll road bypassing traffic jams. The cost of A1 and A2 is 30 baht, A3 and A4 are 60 baht. Their stop is located immediately at exit No. 6 (Gate 6) from the terminal.

• A1 - airport->Morchit North Bus Terminal->Victory Monument. It runs from 07:30 to 23:30 every 20 minutes. This route is convenient if you want to get to the bus terminal and take an intercity bus there further in Thailand, or to get to the elevated or underground subway in Bangkok.
• A2 - airport->Morchit North Bus Terminal->Victory Monument Station. It runs from 07:30 to 23:30 every 20 minutes. This route also goes past the northern bus terminal and the Mor Chit skytrain station, but does not go directly to the terminal, you will have to pass or take a taxi. Ends the journey at the bus stop Victory Monument, from where you can take minivans to the nearest cities in Thailand (Pattaya, Hua Hin, Ayutthaya), or transfer to buses 59, 157, 159, 171, 183, 201, 503, 509 before the stop Democracy Monument, from where you can walk to the popular tourist area of Khao San (Khao San Road). If you are staying in the Pratunam area, then some hotels can be reached on foot from here.
• A3 - airport->Morchit North Bus Terminal-> Pratunam District. It runs from 07:00 to 23:00 every 30 minutes. This route also goes through the northern terminal and the Mor Chit skytrain station, but does not pass through Victory Monument. Then it passes through the very center of the popular tourist area of Pratunam along the main street of the Ratchadamri road district, and ends up near Lumpini Park.
• A4 - airport->Victory Monument->Khao San Road district. It runs from 07:00 to 23:00 every 30 minutes. This route passes through Victory Monument, and ends up in the most popular tourist area of Khao San Road.

By train (train)

• Cost: 33 baht (1.01 USD)
• Time spent: 1 hour

Directly opposite the exit from the airport is the Don Muang Railway station. To get to it, after leaving the airport, you need to go to the right, and next to the bus stop of public transport, cross the highway on the overpass. From there, a commuter train (electric train) departs every 15 minutes at a cost of 33 baht, about an hour on the way. Tickets are purchased at the box office. The exact schedule is here - https://srtet.co.th/en/fare-timetable

Trains arrive in Bangkok at the main railway station Krung Thep in the center, from where you can go to another place in the city by underground metro or skytrain (see Bangkok Metro). Learn more about how to get from Don mueang to Bangkok by train here.

By metro

• Cost: 16-44 baht / 0.49-1.35 USD
• Time spent: 1 hour

Until recently, there was no metro station near Don Muang at all, but now the Sukhumvit green line of the elevated Bangkok metro has been extended in this direction, and now it is possible to arrive and leave the airport by this transport. Which is convenient, you can get directly to Chatuchak Market and Mo Chit North Bus Station, to Pratunam and Sukhumvit, and with a transfer to other areas and even to the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

But what is very inconvenient is that the station is located on the reverse side of the airport relative to the exit from the terminal, and you will have to go to it by taxi or buses. So, to be honest, the convenience of this method is rather dubious. But if you still decide to get there, then you need the Royal Thai Air Force Museum station.

How to get from Don Mueang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport

It will take no more than an hour and a half to move between the two airports, but we recommend that you put in at least 4 hours, since you will also have to go through passport and customs control, receive luggage, and check in for a new flight. Here are ways to move between airports:

• By taxi. A taxi ride on the meter between airports will cost 400-500 baht, 30 minutes on the way. But it is better to put a little more time, because sometimes there are queues even at the taxi ordering desk, delays are also possible due to traffic jams.

• 

  On the free shuttle bus. Free airport buses (Shuttle Bus) run between the two airports if you have a boarding pass for the flight you plan to take from another airport. If there is no boarding pass, then you can show a printout of the electronic ticket. Departure from Don Muang takes place to the right of the airport exit, and there is also a counter where you first need to apply for a free ticket, From Suvarnabhumi departure from exit No. 2 of the second floor (Gate 2, Level 2).

  The bus has a luggage compartment, air conditioning. The journey takes 50 minutes. Timetable:

  • 05:00 - 08:00 – every 30 minutes
  • 08:12 - 11:00 – every 12 minutes
  • 11:30 - 16:00 – every 30 minutes
  • 16:12 – 19:00 – every 12 minutes
  • 19:30 – 00:00 – every 30 minutes

  The bus does not run at night from 00:00 to 05:00.

• By city bus. City routes No. 554 and 555 run between airports.

  • Bus number 554 runs around the clock*, runs rarely, costs 34 baht. The journey takes 1-2 hours.
  • Bus number 555 runs from 05:00 to 22:00*, every 15-20 minutes (from 11 to 14 o'clock 1 time per hour), the cost is 34 baht. The journey takes 1-2 hours.

  *The schedule information is inaccurate, so check on the spot.

  Boarding buses at Don Mueang airport takes place from a stop slightly to the right when exiting the airport from the terminal (no need to cross the road). Buses arrive and depart from the Public Trasportation Center in Suvarnabhumi, which is connected to the terminal by a free Shuttle Bus that runs around the clock. You can take the shuttle bus at the exit from the first floor (exits 3 and 8); from the second floor (exit 5); from the fourth floor (exit 5).

Learn more about how to get from Don Muang airport to Suvarnabhumi here....

How to get from Don Mueang Airport to other cities in Thailand

Directly from the airport you can take the trains of the northern and north-eastern direction. To do this, you need to cross the covered crossing over the highway to the Don Muang Railway station. The station is small, but from it you can go to Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Pitsanulok, Chiang Mai, as well as to Nong Khai on the border with Laos. With a transfer in Bangkok at the new main railway station Krung Thep, you can go south to Chaam, Hua Hin, Chumphon, Surat Thani (further from here to Phuket, Koh Samui or Krabi), Hat Yai, and further to Malaysia and Singapore.

There is no regular direct bus service to other cities of Thailand from Don Muang, so if you want to go by bus, it's better to first take the A1 airport bus for 30 baht to get to the northern bus Mor Chit, where you can already take the bus you need.

The easiest way to get to Pattaya is also with a transfer to Mor Chit. From Pattaya, you can take a minivan to Suvarnabhumi Airport, and then take a free shuttle bus to Don Muang (if you have tickets for a flight from the airport).

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Transport schedule from Don Mueang Airport