How to get to Bangkok

Overview of how to get to Bangkok

In short, to begin with, you can get to Bangkok:

• By plane via Suvarnabhumi airport from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and other distant countries; other cities of Thailand.
• By plane through Don Muang airport from Southeast Asian countries, other cities of Thailand.
• By train from other cities in Thailand, as well as from Singapore, Malaysia and Laos.
• By bus from other cities of Thailand, as well as from Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia.

Bangkok is the main gateway to Thailand, and it is through its two airports that most tourists and travelers enter the country. Also, theoretically, there is an overland route from Russia to Thailand (by train to Vietnam with a transfer in China, and then by bus through Cambodia or Laos), but it is not advisable to use it, as it will cost more than air travel.

As for how to get to Bangkok or from Bangkok to other popular resorts in Thailand, all possible modes of transport are available in the capital and at airports, with which you can easily and inexpensively get to any remote point of the country and even to neighboring states. Read more about all the ways to get to Bangkok below.

By plane

There are two international airports in Bangkok – the old Don Muang and the new Suvarnabhumi. International flights from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and other distant countries arrive at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. The old Don Muang is mainly used by low-cost airlines for domestic and international flights to Southeast Asian countries. Both airports are located about 30 kilometers from the center of Bangkok and 55 kilometers from each other. Suvarnabhumi was commissioned in 2006, and since then it has been one of the busiest airports in Southeast Asia, and by some indicators even the largest in the world.

Currently, there are few direct flights to Bangkok from Russian cities, and their prices are quite high. But there is a great alternative – these are connecting flights via China, Turkey, and the Persian Gulf countries. Moreover, you will not need to select flights and connections yourself, since airlines offer ready-made flights with transfers within the framework of one order (ticket). In such a flight, there is already enough time for transplanting, moving luggage without your participation, and in some cases even free overnight stays at the hotel or sightseeing tours in case of long transfers. So you can safely buy such flights, especially since they are much cheaper than direct flights.

You can find and book flights to Bangkok using the search form from a reliable Russian search engine Aviasales. The search is very flexible and allows you to find flights on different dates, with or without transfers, in both directions or one, etc.:

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 49111 ₽	1 пересадка		30.07.2026	15.09.2026
Купить от 44536 ₽	1 пересадка		27.08.2026	13.09.2026
Купить от 44396 ₽	1 пересадка		08.09.2026	17.09.2026
Купить от 45228 ₽	1 пересадка		18.10.2026	19.10.2026
Купить от 44673 ₽	1 пересадка		13.11.2026	19.11.2026
Купить от 44699 ₽	1 пересадка		11.12.2026	15.12.2026

Via Suvarnabhumi Airport

30 kilometers from the center of Bangkok is the new Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (Suvarnabhumi, Suvannapum) ( Suvarnabhumi airport on the map). All direct flights from Russia to Thailand (except seasonal direct flights to about. Phuket) are executed here. If anything, we have a detailed travel guide about Suvarnabhumi airport here...

How to get from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok

There are many inexpensive ways to get from Suvarnabhumi airport to the city. Immediately upon leaving the airport, you will be "overwhelmed" with offers to take you anywhere in Thailand. But, take your time with the choice. The transport system at the airport is very developed and inexpensive. Therefore, you can safely refuse a taxi and use the services of numerous private minibuses, airport express bus, city buses, intercity buses (if you do not go to Bangkok) or metro:

• By taxi

  Travel time is 30-60 minutes (depending on traffic jams), the cost is from 250 to 800 baht (from 7.43 USD, see about the currency of Thailand) by tag, depending on the destination. You can just catch a taxi when exiting the terminal, but in this case you will almost certainly end up with an inflated price or a trip with a "wound up" meter. It is much more convenient and safer to use an official taxi. For cseo, when leaving the arrival terminal on the street, you will see signs and counters with an electronic queue for a taxi. Sometimes a queue of passengers also gathers at these terminals, but it moves quite quickly. At the terminals, you need to choose the place you need, and after receiving the ticket, go to the car to board. In addition to paying for the fare, you may have to pay an additional 50 baht for the toll highway, which is much faster during rush hours than driving a simple road.

  It is also convenient and inexpensive to order a taxi through the Grab application (instead of Uber, which does not work here). Trips via Grab are no more expensive than a regular taxi on the meter, but you will immediately see the cost when ordering. For ordering, you can use free Wi-Fi at the airport.

  Instead of searching for a taxi on the spot, you can order a personal transfer. This is an analogue of a taxi, but the cars are more comfortable, and the drivers meet you on arrival with a sign. Ordering and payment is made online for the entire car, not per person. You can order not only a passenger car for four passengers, but also minibuses of large capacity for large groups. You can check prices and book a transfer on the websites kiwitaxi.com, intuitravel.ru or via this search form from kiwitaxi:

• By rented car

  There are several representative offices of world-famous rental companies at Bangkok 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 (from 17.84 USD), 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 re-enforce our rightness every time, we still recommend that you additionally issue an IDP. For more information about renting a transport in Thailand, read here.

• By city bus

  This is the cheapest way to get to the center of Bangkok. The cost depends on the route and is several dozen baht. All buses are paid in cash to the driver or conductor.

  But to take the city bus, you first need to take the free shuttle bus to the airport bus station Suvarnabhumi Bus Terminal (Public Transportation Center). Shuttle busses depart from the exit of the arrival terminal from a separate stop across the street, and go literally 5 minutes. From the Suvarnabhumi Bus Terminal (Public Transportation Center), private minibuses (minibuses) are also sent to different areas of Bangkok and other resorts, which are a little more expensive and faster, because they do not stop at all stops. Buses depart at intervals of 20 minutes.

  City bus flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok:

  • # 549 to Minburi;
  • #550 to Happy Land;
  • # 551 to Victory Monument (express) station Sky Train;
  • No. 552 to Nuch BTS station (to Sky Train On Nut station);
  • # 553 to Samut Prakan;
  • #555 to Rangsit (Express);
  • No. 556 to the Southern Bus Terminal (Express) Attention! according to some information, this route has changed its route and does not go to the airport;
  • No. 557 to Wongwien Yai;
  • # 558 to Central Rama 2;
  • # 559 to Future Park Rangsit;

  A convenient exception is the S1 express bus, which departs from the terminal exit and goes directly to the tourist area of Khao San. Also from the airport there is a bus number389 to Pattaya and bus number 554 to Don Mueang Airport (express)

• By airport metro

  To get to the center as quickly as possible, you can use the high-speed train of the Airport Metro line (Airport Rail Link). The train will take you to the center of Gorroda in the Pratunam district for 45 baht (1.34 USD). Learn more about this type of transport here.

  There is another way to get to the airport by train for just 21 baht, more about it here - The cheapest way to get to Bangkok airport.

• By minivan and LimoBus buses

  All kinds of minivans and tourist buses to the popular tourist areas of Bangkok constantly depart from the airport. You can find information and tickets for them at the counters on the ground floor of the airport at exit 8 (Gate 8), tickets are also sold there and from there the shipment takes place. The fare depends on the area of the city where you need from 200 baht.

• By intercity bus

  Immediately from the airport you can go to some popular resorts. Flights are available at least to Pattaya, Hua Hin, to O. Chang, in Aranyaprathet (border crossing to Cambodia-Siem Reap). The ticket counter is located at exit 8 on the ground floor. You can check the schedule and purchase tickets online through the search form.

Via Don Mueang Airport

The old Don Muang Airport (Don Muang, Don Muang) specializes in flights of budget airlines, including international ones. It is located 30 kilometers north of the center of Bangkok in the city limits (Don Muang airport on the map). You can read more about this airport in our guide to Don Mueang here...

How to get from Don Mueang Airport

There is an incredibly cheap way to get from Don Muang to Bangkok - for just 5 baht: After leaving the airport, go under the covered walkway to the Don Muang Train Station. A ticket to Hualamphong Train Station in the center of Bangkok is purchased at the ticket office at the station.

You can also get to the center of Bangkok by city buses:

• No.29 – North Bus Station (Mochit) – Victory Monument – Hualamphong Railway Station
• #510 - ever bus station (Mochit) – Saphan Khwai – Victory Monument
• No.555 - Suvarnabhumi Airport
• No.59 - Bangkhen – Kasetsart University – Central Lad Phrao – Chatuchak – Saphan Khwai – Victory Monument – Khao San Road tourist Area
• No.554 - Suvarnabhumi Airport
• №187 - Victory Monument – Charoenkrung – Thanam Sipraya
• №538 - Victory Monument – Rama Hospital
• No.504 - Pratunam District – Silom District – Saphan Krung Thep

The bus stop is located right at the exit from the terminal, a little to the right. Bus fares range from 8 to 60 baht. (from 0.24 USD)

A taxi from Don Muang to the center of Bangkok costs 250-600 baht (7.43-17.84 USD)

Free shuttle buses run between Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Muang from 05:00 to 00:00 if you have a boarding pass or ticket, travel time is about an hour. They depart every 12-30 minutes from exits 2 and 3 on the ground floor (Gate 2, 3). You can also take city buses 554 and 555, 1-2 hours on the way. Learn more about how to get from Suvarnabhumi airport to Don Muang here.

To Bangkok by bus

If you are traveling in Thailand or other Southeast Asian countries, it is convenient to use the system of international and intercity buses, as well as tourist buses (tourist bus, open bus or open tour bus). By bus you can get to Bangkok or go from Bangkok to almost anywhere in Thailand, as well as to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and even China.

• Tourist buses and minivans

  If you decide to use a tourist bus, then travel companies will offer a large selection of different destinations, different classes of buses, different schedules. Tourist buses are convenient because you don't have to worry about how to get to the bus station from the hotel and where to buy a ticket. Tickets for them are sold in hotels and travel agencies on the street, you can buy them online.

  However, be careful with difficult routes and get ready for difficulties. If there is a bus change or a ferry transfer along the route, then this is not very good. It so happens that in one move you have to make several transfers from bus to bus, move luggage, go almost squatting in an embrace with suitcases. For example, the route by tourist minivan from Pattaya to Koh Chang Island involves picking up from hotels by minivan, transferring to a bigger bus on the outskirts of the city, arriving by ferry and disembarking by ferry, and transferring to another minivan already on the island. Well, there is also a problem when traveling with large suitcases on tourist minivans: sometimes they just don't fit on the bus or you have to pay extra for them.

  You can buy tickets for the tour.buses and minivans in hotels and travel agencies on the ground, or buy online. Many tickets to Bangkok are sold on the website 12go.asia. True, there is a problem with paying with Russian cards, but if you are already in Thailand, you can pay for 12go tickets through supermarket ticket offices.

• Regular buses

  These buses are only slightly inferior in convenience to private tourist buses, but they are much lower in price, safer and often faster. But the inconvenient thing is that you will have to get to the bus stations in detail from the hotel, and there is no clarity with the schedule. Unfortunately, there is no current schedule of all regular buses on the Internet in online form.

  Regular buses come in several classes and vary in price. It is better to use VIP or first class, but for short-distance travel, the second class will do just fine. Second-class buses are also air-conditioned, but they travel slower because they stop at many stops. Tickets can usually not be purchased in advance, but bought before departure. If tickets for the next flight are sold out, buy for the next one. But for long-distance trips and on holidays it is better to take care of tickets in advance.

  Regular buses depart and arrive in Bangkok at three bus terminals, each of which serves certain destinations. The terminals are not located in the city center, and therefore you will have to get to them yourself by Bangkok public transport or by taxi:

  • Northern Bus Terminal (Northern Bus Terminal, Mo Chit) is the largest, most saturated and modern terminal. It serves destinations in the northeast and north of Thailand, as well as cities in the south. Including from here there are buses to Pattaya, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Khuhain, Koh Chang, Phuket.

    The fastest and most convenient way to get to the terminal is by underground or surface metro. The terminal is located near the BTS Mo Chit and Chatuchak underground stations, at 999 Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road (Phaholyothin Rd). It's quite a long walk from the station (about 1.5 km if you know where to go), so there are a lot of taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers who will take you to the terminal for 30-50 baht. It is not worth giving more for 1.5 kilometers of the way. You can also get there for 10 baht by bus number 77. By the way on buses №77, 49, 3, 134, 136, 145, 517, 512 you can easily get to the terminal and from other places in the city without using the metro.

  • Eastern Bus Terminal (Eastern Bus Terminal, Ekkamai). From here buses go to the east of Thailand, including Pattaya, Rayong, Chanthaburi.

    It is located at the intersection of Thanon Sukhumvit Highway and Sukhumvit 63 Street and is directly adjacent to the Ekkamai BTS Skytrain station. The best way to get to it is by SkyTrain skytrain.

  • Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Taling Chan) is located quite far in the south of Bangkok. It serves flights to the west and south of Thailand.

    The terminal is located away from the metro lines and you can get here by taxi or city bus number 511, 516 and 66.

To Bangkok by train

The railway connection in Thailand is well developed, and connects Bangkok with most of the country's major cities, as well as the cities of Malaysia and Singapore. It is planned to implement an ambitious project to unite China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar have a developed railway network, but so far this project has been stalling for many years.

All trains now arrive and depart from Bangkok's main railway station Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Station). This station is located near the city center and is accessible by Bangkok Metro (See the position of the railway station on the map).

Tickets can be purchased at the station itself, on the official website of the railway of Thailand railway.co.th, as well as some flights available for booking on 12go.asia. It is better to purchase tickets for recumbent seats in advance.

For more information , read more about trains in Thailand and how to travel on them here.

Search and book bus/train tickets to Bangkok

Bus and train schedules to Bangkok