Bus and Railway Stations in Bangkok: A Complete Guide for Independent Travelers

Bangkok is Thailand's main transport hub, through which almost all intercity and international routes pass: from south to north, from west to east. Buses and trains from different directions arrive at different stations, and to travel further, you often need to make transfers. In this article, we'll tell you where all the capital's transport hubs are located, which destinations they serve, and how to get to them.

Attention! Information on how to get to each station from the city center is written below. But if you need to get from one station to another or from a bus station to a railway station, for example, don't rush to look for a taxi or run to the metro. There is direct bus service (minibuses) between almost all stations, so first look for such transport nearby. For example, between Mo Chit and Sai Tai stations, a minibus runs every 15 minutes for 35 baht, travel time is only 30 minutes.

🚆 Railway Stations and Train Stations in Bangkok

Bangkok is the country's main railway hub, with several train stations located here. The city's main station, where four railway directions of the country converge, is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Station), which replaced the old Hualamphong Train Station in early 2023. Besides it, there are several other stations that may be useful for tourists and travelers.

• Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue) – How to Get There and Where to Go

  

  All long-distance trains from Bangkok (160 trains in total) now arrive and depart from Bangkok's main railway station Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Station), not from the old Hualamphong station. The new station is located not far from the city center and is easily accessible via Bangkok's metro (See the railway station location on the map)

  You can get to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Station) via Bangkok's metro and many city buses:

  • From Suvarnabhumi Airport you can take the airport rail link to Makasan station for 45 baht, and there transfer to the underground metro (18 baht) to Bang Sue station.
  • From Don Muang Airport take bus No. 29 or the suburban train (commuter rail), which runs to the station very frequently throughout the day, from 5 baht (see more details, how to get from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok by train).
  • From central Bangkok from the Khao San Road area, a taxi will cost from 150 baht (4.47 USD), from the Pratunam area – from 200 baht (5.97 USD).

• Hualamphong Station: Commuter Trains and Travel Routes

  

  The old Hualamphong Train Station is now simply called Bangkok Train Station, and that's exactly how it appears in train schedules to/from it on the official website of the State Railway of Thailand. It now mainly serves commuter trains (like our suburban electric trains), but a few long-distance trains remain. From here you can travel to Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Phitsanulok (to get to Sukhothai), Aranyaprathet (on the border with Cambodia), Hua Hin, and Surin.

  The station is located in the central part of the city in the Chinatown area (station on the map), and it's easy to get there via Bangkok's public transport.

  Everything at the station is organized very conveniently and clearly: all information is duplicated in English, and the ticket office staff speak excellent English. The ticket offices are located inside the building and are divided into counters where you can buy tickets for same-day departures, and the Advance Booking Office, which only operates during the daytime from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Advance Booking Office uses an automated electronic queue system with numbered tickets. The station has cafes, shops, a currency exchange (not 24/7), and even a small museum of Thai railways.

  The station has luggage storage (Left luggage) open from 4:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Price from 30 to 100 baht per day per piece of luggage depending on size. More details about Hualamphong Station and how to get there can be found here.

• Thonburi Station – Trains to Kanchanaburi

  

  This station serves trains on the Western Line (or Short Line). Currently, only two daily trains depart from the station to Kanchanaburi Province at 07:50 and 13:55. The journey takes three hours, cost 100 baht (2.98 USD).

  The station is very inconveniently located (Thonburi Train Station on the Bangkok map) and getting there by public transport is not easy. You can take a regular boat along the Chao Phraya River to Thorbury Railway Station Pier, and from there walk 1 kilometer. A metered taxi from the Khao San Road area will cost from 90 baht, from the Pratunam area – from 150 baht. More details about Thonburi Station and how to get there can be found here.

• Wongwian Yai – Station for the Trip to Mahachai Railway Market

  

  This station is the starting point of a separate railway line, Wongwian Yai – Maha Chai, with at least 15 train departures throughout the day to Maha Chai village and the railway market. The train fare is only 10 baht, travel time 1 hour. The easiest way to get to the station is via BTS Skytrain. Take it to Wongwian Yai BTS station, then exit to the street and walk about 800 meters more. More details about Wongwian Yai Railway Station and how to get there can be found here.

• Don Muang Rail Station – Transfer from Train to Plane at Don Muang Airport

  The station is located across the road from Don Muang Airport terminal, and can be very useful if you're planning to transfer from a plane to trains heading north to Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Lopburi, etc., or if you just want to get to central Bangkok very cheaply to the Chinatown area or to the nearest metro stations. All trains from Bangkok to the north and back make a stop at this station (except train No. 311), and you can calmly continue your journey from here, saving a ton of time instead of transferring through Bangkok. But just in case, keep in mind that sometimes tickets for long-distance routes on the nearest train may not be available, and buying an e-ticket in Thailand is currently difficult. Read more about purchasing train tickets in Thailand here.

🚌 Bus Stations and Terminals in Bangkok

Bangkok has several bus stations, each of which, theoretically, serves its own direction, although in practice the directions overlap and some stations serve adjacent directions.

Most of the information at bus stations is presented only in Thai without English duplication, which creates some difficulties. However, this is easily solved by asking the station staff: just name the city you need, and they'll take you to the right ticket counter.

• Southern Bus Terminal Sai Tai Mai – Routes to Phuket, Krabi, and Samui

  

  Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal Sai Tai Mai (Southern Bus Terminal) is one of the largest bus stations in the capital. Intercity buses to all southern destinations depart from here, as well as minivans to Kanchanaburi, Pattaya, and other cities near Bangkok.

  Where you can go from Sai Tai Mai:

  • Popular resorts: Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Phuket, Krabi
  • Islands (with ferry transfer): Samui, Phangan, Tao, as well as Satun (ferry to Langkawi Island in Malaysia or to Koh Lipe)
  • Transit cities: Surat Thani, Hat Yai (border with Malaysia), Chumphon, Ranong, Phang Nga
  • Minivans: Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Pattaya, Mae Klong and Mahachai villages

  The station is located far from the center in the western part of the city (southern bus terminal on the Bangkok map). There's no metro nearby, so you'll have to get from the center by taxi or buses. More details about Sai Tai Mai and how to get there can be found here.

• Northern Bus Terminal Mo Chit – Routes to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, Cambodia and Laos

  

  The largest and busiest bus terminal in Bangkok is the Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit). It is now simply called Bangkok Bus Terminal, but in all guidebooks it's designated as Mo Chit or Mor Chit. The terminal serves all directions north of Bangkok (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Sukhothai, Mae Sai, Lopburi, Lampang, and many others), as well as cities to the southeast of the capital (including Pattaya and Aranyaprathet). Also from here (from the Mochit 2 terminal) buses depart to Phuket Island, Samui Island, Pattaya, Chanthaburi, Koh Chang, Rayong, Hat Yai.

  There's often conflicting information online about the existence of Mo Chit and Mo Chit2 terminals, about the new and old terminal. This confusion arose in connection with the relocation of the terminal from one place to another. In reality, there are essentially two terminals Mo Chit and Mo Chit2, but they are located in the same place.

  The Northern Bus Terminal Mo Chit is located next to BTS MoChit and MRT Chatuchak Park metro stations (northern bus terminal on the Bangkok map). You can walk from these stations to Mo Chit in 15 minutes. If you have luggage or don't want to walk, you can take a motorbike taxi for 30 baht or a taxi from 45 baht. From Bangkok's Hualamphong Train Station, you can get here without transfers on the MRT Blue Line. Also, buses No. 77 (from Victory Monument along Phahonyothin Road), 3, 509, 138 go here. From Don Muang Airport, buses No. 29, 510, A1, as well as the suburban red line train, fare 30 baht.

• Mo Chit Minivan Station – A Convenient Way to Get to Pattaya and Hua Hin

  

  Across the road from the large Mor Chit bus terminal is a small minivan station (minivan station on the Bangkok map). Many minivan and small private bus routes that used to depart from the former spontaneous stop near Victory Monument have moved here, and now you can get from here to at least Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chanthaburi, Rayong, Kanchanaburi, and many other places. Many of the buses here overlap with those that run from the large Mor Chit bus terminal, but there are some destinations that only operate from here. For example, we couldn't find buses to Chanthaburi at the large station, and the counter staff directed us to this mini-bus station. To get there from the large Mo Chit, you need to cross the highway via the pedestrian bridge, and you'll come to a row of several buildings with ticket counters. Inside these buildings, there are many counters, and the directions also overlap, so don't rush to buy tickets right away – first walk through and check prices and find out who departs earlier. Advance booking isn't customary here; tickets are bought on the spot before departure.

• Eastern Bus Terminal Ekamai: Buses to Pattaya and Koh Chang

  

  Buses to the east of Bangkok depart from this terminal, including Pattaya, Rayong, Koh Chang (Trat town). It's worth noting that buses to Aranyaprathet (border with Cambodia) depart not from here, but from the Northern Terminal Mo Chit.

  Getting to the Eastern Bus Terminal is very easy via Skytrain to Ekkamai BTS station (eastern bus terminal on the Bangkok map).

  From the airport to the Eastern Bus Terminal, bus No. 55 runs:

  • 55 - Ekkamai Bus Terminal (Bangkok Eastern Bus Terminal) – On-nutch Intersection – Suvarnabhumi Airport – Klongsuan – Klong Prawes – Chachoengsau – Amphur Bang Klah

• Suvarnabhumi Airport Bus Terminal

  

  Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport has a bus station called Suvarnabhumi Bus Terminal (Public Transportation Center). More precisely, it's located next to the airport, and you can get there from the terminal on a special free airport shuttle bus. There's a cafe, ATM, ticket counters, waiting area, and a shop.

  City buses to Bangkok depart from here, as well as some intercity routes to nearby cities. For example, if you need to get to Pattaya, Hua Hin, Rayong, Trat (to get to Koh Chang), or Aranyaprathet (to continue to Siem Reap in Cambodia). However, keep in mind that some routes from here are duplicated at the arrival terminal from Exit No. 8 (Gate 8), and it's easier to leave directly from there than to get here first – if, of course, the schedule works for you.

  We have a separate guide about Suvarnabhumi Airport. We recommend studying it before your trip so you don't get lost and know where to go and what to do. Read the Suvarnabhumi guide.

  Suvarnabhumi Bus Terminal (Public Transportation Center) is a 10-minute ride on the free shuttle bus from Suvarnabhumi Airport terminal (Suvarnabhumi Bus Station on the Bangkok map). Upon arrival, after exiting the terminal on the first floor, you need to cross the road via the pedestrian crossing, and on the left you'll see a marked stop. Buses run around the clock with approximately 15-minute intervals during the day, and less frequently at night. More details about Suvarnabhumi Airport Bus Terminal and its bus schedules can be found here.

• Victory Monument Bus Stop

  Important: Intercity buses (including routes to Pattaya) no longer depart from Victory Monument. However, this place remains a key transport hub for city buses and a convenient transfer point between metro lines. The information about it will be useful for your travels within Bangkok itself.

  Victory Monument is located in the Ratchathewi area (bus stop near Victory Monument on the Bangkok map). The easiest way to get here is via Skytrain to Victory Monument BTS station, which is literally a hundred meters from the "circle." City buses No. 8, 12, 14, 18, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 38, 39, 54, 59, 63, 74, 77, 92, 96, 97, 108, 112, 139, 515, 539, and 542 also go here.

  From Suvarnabhumi Airport (from Suvarnabhumi Bus Terminal (Public Transportation Center)) to Victory Monument, you can take bus No. 551 (25-70 baht). From Don Muang Airport, buses No. 29, 510, 59, 187, 538. From the tourist area of Khao San (Khao San Road) from the Democracy Monument stop, buses No. 59, 157, 159, 171, 183, 201, 503, 509.

• World War 1 Monument Bus Terminal

  This is the terminal stop for many city buses and buses from the airport, located not far from the Khao San Road tourist area. Airport buses S1 from Suvarnabhumi, as well as A4 and 59 from Don Muang, end their route here, passing through the Khao San Road area. If you're going to this area, you can ride to the terminal stop and then walk (5-10 minutes) or take a taxi to your hotel. Likewise, if you need to leave from here to the airport by bus, come to this stop. You can check the schedule at a special kiosk here.

  How to get there:

  The World War 1 Monument bus terminal is located in the historic Rattanakosin Island area of Bangkok (bus stop on the map). From the tourist Khao San area, you can walk here (5-10 minutes) or take a taxi. From Don Muang Airport, bus A4 goes here; from Suvarnabhumi, bus S1.

Bus Schedules from Bangkok