Public Transport in Thailand (Part 2)
(Part 1)

This is the second page of a set about Public Transport in Thailand. These pages are mainly meant to given a visual impression, but some of them also give some detailed information. There also are some practical hints.

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On this second page I continue with specific public transport for Bangkok.

Water buses

Another means of transport that I want to mention here, and that is typical for Bangkok, is what I would like to call the water bus. They are a kind of long tailed boats that have a fixed route and have fixed stops, like a bus. It is a special sensation to sit in these water buses. There are only a few "lines" in operation. One starts near the Democracy Monument, at the Golden Mount (Wat Saket) side of the Monument. Another one near Pratunam market. Between World Trade Center and Pratunam market, to be precise. (It is on the last mentioned spot that this picture was taken).

Taxi's

The taxi is one of the best and most comfortable means of transport in Bangkok. There are two kinds of taxi's: the "normal" taxi's with just the word "taxi" on their roof and the metered taxi's, with he words "Taxi-Meter" on their roof (see the picture). You should only take the second type. The only exception to this rule is a taxi from the Airport to the City, if you use the taxi booth service at the airport. Then you will get a ticket with a fixed price. (See also my Thailand FAQ section). Only then a "normal" taxi is OK. However, almost all taxis are metered taxis now in Bangkok. But outside Bangkok you will find plenty of "un-metered" taxis!

Metered taxi's have a very ingenious meter. It will count slowly when the taxi is standing still, and it will count at normal speed when the taxi is driving. You can see this ingenious piece of high-tech on the left hand side picture above. (The picture is not very sharp, because it really is difficult to take such a picture in a driving taxi!). On the picture you can see that the taxi has been standing still for 3 minutes so far (top left) and that the distance driven at this moment was 3.4 kilometers (top right). The total fare at the moment was 47 Baht (middle). The meter starts at 35 Baht when you get in.
Never believe the driver that his meter is not working! These meters never fail! (See my experience with a taxi driver).
On the right hand side picture above, you see a table from which you can calculate the fare exactly. (Again, it is difficult to take such a picture, so don't tell me that it is not sharp. The information is readable, I think; click to enlarge).

And please observe this rule: Do not take a taxi that is standing along the road. Always stop a driving taxi. The taxi's that are standing along the road and ask you the familiar question "Taxi, Mister?" will always, I repeat always, try to ask a fixed fare from you, which will be too high in 100% of the cases!

Express Boats

(for fees see the bottom of this page)

The next means of public transport in Bangkok I want to show is the "Express Boat Service". This means of public transport in Bangkok is probably the only one that is not (yet?) hindered by traffic jams, although traffic on the Chao Phraya River is getting more busy every year.

This is an excellent service for traveling along the Chao Phraya River. It is cheap and relatively fast. In my opinion the Express Boat Service is also an excellent way for sight-seeing. You buy a ticket for a few Baht and you can travel from -say- Rama III Road, up to Nonthaburi. It is a relaxing tour. My only further remark is that also in River traffic there is a rush hour, during which the boats are very crowded. In Bangkok the afternoon rush hour starts at 16.00 hours.

Since 2002 the Express Boat service has become easier, and I want to explain the current system a bit further.

The piers have now received numbers. Nonthaburi (the northernmost pier) is pier N40, the Oriental Pier is number N1 (see the left hand side picture above), the next one southbound is called "central pier", with a possibility to change to the skytrain (see below), and four more southern piers are called S1 to S4. Soon the maps of Bangkok will contain these numbers, and traveling by Express Boat will become extremely easy! Now already free maps for the Express Boat service are being distributed at hotels and some piers. Furthermore at (almost) every pier there is a plan of the complete service.
But there is more: there are in fact three Express Boat services: The normal service, that stops at every pier, the orange service, that stops at about half of the piers, and the yellow service, that hardly ever stops and is meant for rush hour traffic (and only is being operated then). The piers are marked with a flag for the different services. See the right hand side picture above: At that pier all types of boats stop. If there are no flags, only the normal service stops.

To make the idea complete with pictures, here are a boat of the orange service (left hand side, with orange flag on the boat) and a boat of the yellow service (right hand side, with a yellow flag).

Since 2003 there is a yet another new type of Express Boat, called the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat. This new boat has a flat fee per day and you can jump on and off as often as you like for that fee. You can recognize them from their blue flag. See the two pictures above.
However, this new type of boat has a limited range: from Central pier to Banglampoo pier only, and it does not stop at all piers. It does stop, however, at all piers that are interesting for tourists. So I only see any advantage in using this boat if you are shy to try to communicate with the ticket sellers on the normal boats. You can buy tickets for the Tourist Boat at all the piers where it stops. Remember, however, that it is hardly possible to spend the day fee for the Tourist Boat on the normal boats!

Fees for the Express Boats (October 2005):

- without flag: 9, 11, 13 Baht (dependent on distance)
- orange flag: 13 Baht
- yellow flag: 18, 27 Baht (dependent on distance)
- blue flag (Chao Phraya Tourist Boat): 22, 32 Baht (dependent on distance) or 100 Baht (whole day)

If you can reach your destination from the river, the Express Boat is the most convenient means of public transport in Bangkok. And remember: At Central pier (one pier further southbound than pier #1 near the Oriental Hotel) the Express Boat service is linked to the Skytrain, to be discussed next.

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