Bangkok Bus and Railway Stations: 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 continue your journey, 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! How to get to each station from the city center is described below. But if you need to get from one station to another or from a bus terminal to a railway station, don't rush to look for a taxi or run to the metro. Almost all stations have direct bus connections (minibuses), 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.

🚆 Bangkok Railway Stations

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

• Main Station Krung Thep Aphiwat (Bang Sue) – how to get there and where to go

  

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

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

  • From Suvarnabhumi Airport you can take the airport rail link to Makkasan station for 45 baht, and transfer to the underground metro (18 baht) to Bang Sue station.
  • From Don Mueang Airport take bus #29 or the commuter train, which run to the station frequently throughout the day, from 5 baht (see more details, how to get from Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok by train).
  • From central Bangkok from Khao San Road, a taxi will cost from 150 baht (4.56 USD), from Pratunam – from 200 baht (6.08 USD).

• Hualamphong Station: commuter trains and how to get there

  

  Important! Hualamphong station now only handles rare trains, mainly tourist and commuter services. There's a railway museum here (free entry), and exhibitions and events are also held. If you need to take a train from Bangkok, look for tickets from the new Krung Thep Aphiwat station first. If you have time, you can visit the old station as a landmark and museum (open 08:30–16:30, Monday and Tuesday closed).

  The old Hualamphong Train Station is now simply called Bangkok Train Station, and that's the name it appears under in schedules on the official Thai railway website. It now mainly serves commuter trains (like our electric trains), but a few long-distance trains remain. From here you can go to Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Phitsanulok (to reach Sukhothai), Aranyaprathet (on the Cambodian border), Hua Hin, and Surin.

  The station is located in the central part of the city in Chinatown (station on the map), and is easily accessible by Bangkok public transport. City buses and the underground metro run here to the station of the same name, Hua Lamphong. If there's no underground station near you, you can take the BTS skytrain to Asok or the ARL airport rail link to Makkasan transfer stations. Or just take any bus towards Chinatown – there are many of them.

  The station is very well organized and easy to navigate: all information is duplicated in English, and ticket office staff speak excellent English. Ticket counters are located inside the building and are divided into counters where you can buy tickets for same-day departure, and advance booking offices (Advance Booking Office), which are only open during the day from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Advance Booking Office uses an automated electronic queue system with numbers. The station has cafes, shops, and a currency exchange (not 24/7).

  Left luggage is available at the station from 4:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Cost is from 30 to 100 baht per day per item depending on size. More details about Hualamphong station and how to get there.

• Thonburi Station – trains to Kanchanaburi

  

  This station serves trains on the Western Line (or Short Line). Currently, only two daily trains depart from this station to Kanchanaburi province at 07:50 and 13:55. The journey takes three hours and costs 100 baht (3.04 USD).

  The station is located in a very inconvenient spot (Thonburi Train Station on the Bangkok map) and is not easy to reach by public transport. You can take scheduled boats along the Chao Phraya River from the pier to Thonburi Railway Station Pier, or take a ferry across the river from Tha Phra Chan Pier, and then walk 1 kilometer. A metered taxi from Khao San Road will cost from 150 baht, from Pratunam – from 200 baht. You can also take the underground metro to the new Bang Khun Non station and walk just under a kilometer. More details about Thonburi station and how to get there.

• Wongwian Yai – station for the trip to Mahachai Railway Market

  

  This station is the starting point of the separate Wongwian Yai-Maha Chai railway line, with at least 15 train departures per day to Maha Chai village and the railway market (the umbrella market). The train fare is only 10 baht, travel time is 1 hour. The easiest way to get to the station is by BTS skytrain 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.

• Don Muang Rail Station – train-to-plane transfer at Don Mueang Airport

  The station is located across the road from Don Mueang Airport terminal, and can be very useful if you're planning to transfer from a flight to trains heading north to Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Lopburi, etc., or if you just want to get cheaply to central Bangkok's Chinatown area or to the nearest metro stations. All trains from Bangkok north and back stop at this station (except train #311), and you can comfortably continue your journey from here, saving a lot of time instead of transferring through Bangkok. But just in case, keep in mind that sometimes tickets for long-distance routes on the next train may not be available, and buying e-tickets in Thailand is currently difficult. Read more about buying train tickets in Thailand here.

🚌 Bangkok Bus Terminals

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

Most information at bus stations is only in Thai without English translation, which can cause some problems. However, this is easily solved by asking station staff: just name the city you need, and they'll direct you to the right ticket counter.

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

  

  Sai Tai Mai or 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 west of the city (southern bus terminal on the Bangkok map). There's no metro nearby; getting from the center will require a taxi or buses. More details about Sai Tai Mai and how to get there.

• 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's now simply called Bangkok Bus Terminal, but in all guidebooks it's referred to 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, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Chanthaburi, Koh Chang, Rayong, and Hat Yai.

  Online, you'll often find conflicting information about the existence of Mo Chit and Mo Chit2 terminals, about new and old terminals. This confusion arose due to 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 in the same location.

  The Northern Bus Terminal Mo Chit is located next to BTS Mo Chit and MRT Chatuchak Park 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 mototaxi 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. Buses #77 (from Victory Monument along Phahonyothin Rd), #3, 509, 138 also go here. From Don Mueang Airport, buses #29, 510, A1, as well as the commuter train on the Red Line, 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 spontaneous stop near Victory Monument have moved here, and you can now travel from here at least to Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chanthaburi, Rayong, Kanchanaburi, and many other places. Many of the buses here duplicate those from the large Mor Chit terminal, but some routes only operate from here. For example, we couldn't find buses to Chanthaburi at the large station, and staff directed us to this mini-station. To get here from the large Mo Chit, cross the highway via the pedestrian bridge, and you'll reach a row of several buildings with ticket counters. Inside these buildings there are many counters, and routes are duplicated across them, so don't rush to buy tickets right away – walk around, check prices, and find out who departs earlier. Advance booking is not common here; tickets are bought on the spot before departure.

• Eastern Bus Terminal Ekkamai: buses to Pattaya and Koh Chang

  

  This terminal serves buses east of Bangkok, including Pattaya (160 baht), Rayong, Koh Chang (350 baht), Trat (300 baht), Hua Hin and Cha-am (200 and 220 baht), Koh Samet (220 baht). There are also buses to Aranyaprathet (Rong Kluea market to the Cambodian border, from 270 baht) and Vientiane (900 baht).

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

  Bus #55 goes from the airport to the Eastern Bus Terminal:

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

  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 reach Koh Chang), or Aranyaprathet (to continue to Siem Reap in Cambodia). However, note that some routes from here are duplicated at the arrivals terminal from Gate 8, and it's easier to leave from there directly rather than coming here first, provided the schedule works for you.

  We have a separate guide to 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 Terminal on the Bangkok map). Upon arrival, after exiting the terminal on the first floor, cross the road via the pedestrian crossing, and on the left you'll see a marked stop. Buses run 24/7, approximately every 15 minutes during the day, and less frequently at night. More details about Suvarnabhumi Airport Bus Terminal and its bus schedule.

• Victory Monument Bus Stop

  Important: Intercity buses no longer depart from Victory Monument (including routes to Pattaya). However, this location remains a key transport hub for city buses and a convenient transfer point between metro lines. This information will be useful for getting around 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 by skytrain to Victory Monument BTS station, which is literally a hundred meters from the "circle." City buses #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 (Public Transportation Center) you can get to Victory Monument by bus #551 (25-70 baht). From Don Mueang Airport, buses #29, 510, 59, 187, 538. From the tourist area of Khao San Road from the Democracy Monument stop on buses #59, 157, 159, 171, 183, 201, 503, 509.

• World War 1 Monument Bus Terminal

  This is the terminal stop for many city buses and airport buses, located near the Khao San Road tourist area. Airport buses S1 from Suvarnabhumi, as well as A4 and 59 from Don Mueang, end their routes here, passing through the Khao San Road area. If you're heading to this area, you can ride to the terminal stop, then walk (5–10 minutes) or take a taxi to your hotel. Similarly, 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 Bangkok's historic district on Rattanakosin Island (bus stop on the map). From the tourist area of Khao San, you can walk here (5-10 minutes) or take a taxi. From Don Mueang Airport, bus A4 goes here; from Suvarnabhumi, bus S1.

Bangkok Bus Schedule