Getting Around Bangkok: Transport Guide

Getting around Bangkok can be a harrowing experience- the city’s traffic jams are reputed to be the worst in the world. However if you’re up to it, probably the most convenient way to make your way about is by a  hired car- there are lots of local car rental companies. Arm yourself with a good map before you set out. Walking is not all that pleasant an experience or a healthy one, as Bangkok is one of the world’s most polluted cities. An air conditioned car/van or bus is the only thing that makes travelling/ sitting in a traffic jam for hours bearable.  Ofcourse if you are travelling solo and want to beat the traffic, hop on to the pillion seat of a motor bike taxi and weave through the traffic to reach your destination.

If you’d rather someone else did the driving, you’ve got plenty of other options- taxi, tuk tuk (the bright, noisy three-wheelers which ply the streets of Bangkok- they’re cheap and good for an adventure or two) or `river taxis’ which travel on the Chao Phraya River within the city limits. There’s a good bus service too, which covers the entire metropolis: you can get hold of a bus route map at all the large bus stations, at some book stalls, and most hotels. The latest addition is the   skytrain, an elevated rail system. This is a convenient and quick way of getting around in the city - the only drawback being that it operates only in certain areas - the Silom and Sukhumvit districts.