How to get from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the tourist area of Pratunam

Bangkok's Pratunam district is very popular among tourists not only with a huge number of shopping malls and markets, but also thanks to a well-developed transport infrastructure. There is a ground and underground metro, the ARL airport metro line comes here, as well as a water channel through which you can travel by boat to other parts of the city. Many tourists even prefer to stay here, rather than in the traditional tourist area on Khao San Street (see more details about hotels and districts of Bangkok, and where to stay). And objectively we can say that this is the most convenient place to get here from Suvarnabhumi International Airport, or vice versa to go to this airport. Here is a detailed instruction of all the ways to get from Suvarnabhumi to Pratunam:

By airport metro

• Travel time: 26 minutes
• Cost: up to 45 baht (1.34 USD, see Thailand's currency and exchange rate)
• Working hours: from 05:30 to 00:00, every 10-15 minutes

Pratunam district is the most convenient and fastest way to get to the airport metro Airport Rail Link (see learn more about all types of metro in Bangkok here). It takes only 26 minutes to drive, the fare costs 45 baht. Transportation is carried out in new modern trains on the overpass, bypassing all traffic jams.

At the airport, the station is located on the lowest level, there are signs leading there. Tickets are purchased at vending machines (there are at every airport metro station). The fare depends on the distance. On the screen you need to select the destination station and pay the cost calculated by the machine. The machine accepts banknotes and coins, issues change in coins and tickets. Then follow the ticket-card to the automatic turnstiles, as in a regular subway. Do not forget to take the card after entering, because it will be needed at the exit, where it will also have to be passed through the turnstile.

The trains make seven stops along the way. To get to the Pratunam district, you only need two of them:

• Stop Ratchaprarop (designated A7). This is practically the center of the Pratunam district, one of the most popular among tourists. Hotels in the area, Bayok Sky Tower, Pratunam Market, CentralWorld shopping center are within walking distance from here.
• Phaya Thai stop (designated A7). It is the terminus, also in Pratunam district. There are also many hotels within walking distance nearby, but not as many as near Ratchaprarop. Here you can transfer to the Bangkok BTS (Skytrain) skytrain, and drive one stop to the Victory Monument transport hub, get to the right place in the Sukhumvit area.

If you are poorly oriented or do not know the location of your hotel, you can use a city taxi to travel from the station to the hotel. A trip by the meter within the district is unlikely to cost more than 100 baht, but be sure to check with the driver before boarding the car that he will be lucky by the meter. You can do this with the question "Taxi meter?". To avoid misunderstandings with taxi drivers, it is better to have a hotel address in Thai. On the voucher for booking hotels booked on the sites Trip.com and Ostrovok.ru The address will be written in both English and Thai.

By taxi

• Travel time: 30-60 minutes
• Cost: 250-400 baht (from 7.43 USD)
• Working hours: around the clock

A taxi ride from Suvarnabhumi to Pratunam district is relatively inexpensive, around 400 baht. Additionally, you will have to pay for travel on toll roads (50 or 25 baht, depending on the time of day), for which it is better to have a trifle, because the change is not issued at the payment points.

It is best to use an official taxi ordered at the counter. This is the only way you guarantee yourself that you will not overpay for travel. It is easy to find the racks, follow the "public taxi" signs to the first floor of the terminal. There is always a queue here, and the electronic queue system for coupons works. When your turn comes, the counter will need to indicate the place (hotel address) where you need to get to, and you will be given a two-part coupon. Follow him to the landing, and give one part with the address to the driver. To avoid misunderstandings with your destination, it is better to have the address of the hotel in Thai. On the hotel booking voucher on the sites Trip.com and Ostrovok.ru The address is written in both English and Thai.

Near the counter there are "helpers" who will offer you to leave without a queue. This is a traditional wiring, and you will be offered a much higher price, up to 2500 baht per trip without using a meter. If you are not in a hurry, it is better to avoid communicating with them.

If you have mobile internet or connect to the airport WiFi network, then you can order a taxi through the application, and it is often cheaper than the official one at the counter. Uber doesn't work in Bangkok, you need to use Grab, Maxim or InDrive apps instead. In all applications, you will see the cost of the trip immediately before ordering, and you can pay in cash at the end or link your card in the online payment application (Russian bank cards do not work).

And another convenient option is to order a taxi transfer in advance. The price will be higher than the meter, but you will not have to stand in line, besides the cars are more comfortable. The driver will meet you at the airport with a sign, and immediately after receiving your luggage you can go to the place you need in Bangkok. You can check prices and order a transfer using the search form:

By rented car

• Travel time: 1 hour
• Cost: from 600 baht/day (from 17.84 USD)
• Working hours: around the clock

There are representative offices of world-famous car rental companies at the airport, and if you wish, you can leave here by car, and use it to return or return the car to the car 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. For more information about renting a transport in Thailand, read here.