Bangkok’s traffic congestion is notorious, so on a recent trip to the Thai capital, Mark looked at different ways of getting around!
“The first time I came to Bangkok was 1991, and I can remember to this day taking four hours to get from the edge of town to the city centre – a journey that should have taken half an hour on a good day. 17 years later, things have improved with new forms of transport, but the City’s traffic is still amongst the worst in Asia. Beating the jams is considered sport in Bangkok!
The best thing to happen to Bangkok’s transport system is the fantastic Skytrain, an easy to use monorail network that links most of the areas of the city that are important to the visitor. Frequent and air-conditioned, the high-level tracks give excellent views of the city centre and the stations are well located. An unlimited day pass costs about £1.50 – worth it for the air-con alone!
For a more traditional view of the city, take the Skytrain to Taksin station and walk down the steps to the river. Here, express boats zip up and down the river, offering a bus-style service to points up and down the river – take the boat to the Grand Palace, Wat Po or the Temple of Dawn – a local boat will cost you around 10p. It’s more than just transport, though, as the boats are a way of life, and you’ll see daily life Bangkok-style while aboard.
It’s essential to take a tuk-tuk ride while in Bangkok – not for the faint-hearted, though, and make sure not to put your arms outside of the vehicle, as they’ll squeeze through the narrowest of spaces, whether you like it or not! Typically Thai, tuk-tuk’s are open-sided three-wheel vehicles that wiz around parts of the city that are heavily congested – you’ll get a face-full of fumes and a street-level view of the city – if you keep your eyes open! Bargain hard before you get in, though, as there seems to be two price brackets – one for locals and one for tourists.
To complete my circuit of Bangkok, I took a tuk-tuk to Hualamphong station, Bangkok’s main railway station, and the starting point for the City’s latest transport system, the underground MRT subway. As a London underground user, Bangkok’s MRT is a breath of fresh air, with air-con trains, spacious stations and surprisingly few users. The system is efficient and links Hualamphong to Silom Road, the Convention Centre and the Sukhumvit areas of the city. Personally, I find the Skytrain to be the best form of transport in the city as it has the advantage of giving great views from it’s high-level tracks, so I’d always stay in a hotel that has easy access to the network!“
Links:
Main page: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/thai/destin/bkk.shtml
Gallery: http://www.farawayescapes.co.uk/gallery/Escape%20Worldwide%20Bangkok%20Photo%20Gallery/
Visit #EscapeWorldwide for loads of holiday ideas: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk
“The first time I came to Bangkok was 1991, and I can remember to this day taking four hours to get from the edge of town to the city centre – a journey that should have taken half an hour on a good day. 17 years later, things have improved with new forms of transport, but the City’s traffic is still amongst the worst in Asia. Beating the jams is considered sport in Bangkok!
The best thing to happen to Bangkok’s transport system is the fantastic Skytrain, an easy to use monorail network that links most of the areas of the city that are important to the visitor. Frequent and air-conditioned, the high-level tracks give excellent views of the city centre and the stations are well located. An unlimited day pass costs about £1.50 – worth it for the air-con alone!
For a more traditional view of the city, take the Skytrain to Taksin station and walk down the steps to the river. Here, express boats zip up and down the river, offering a bus-style service to points up and down the river – take the boat to the Grand Palace, Wat Po or the Temple of Dawn – a local boat will cost you around 10p. It’s more than just transport, though, as the boats are a way of life, and you’ll see daily life Bangkok-style while aboard.
It’s essential to take a tuk-tuk ride while in Bangkok – not for the faint-hearted, though, and make sure not to put your arms outside of the vehicle, as they’ll squeeze through the narrowest of spaces, whether you like it or not! Typically Thai, tuk-tuk’s are open-sided three-wheel vehicles that wiz around parts of the city that are heavily congested – you’ll get a face-full of fumes and a street-level view of the city – if you keep your eyes open! Bargain hard before you get in, though, as there seems to be two price brackets – one for locals and one for tourists.
To complete my circuit of Bangkok, I took a tuk-tuk to Hualamphong station, Bangkok’s main railway station, and the starting point for the City’s latest transport system, the underground MRT subway. As a London underground user, Bangkok’s MRT is a breath of fresh air, with air-con trains, spacious stations and surprisingly few users. The system is efficient and links Hualamphong to Silom Road, the Convention Centre and the Sukhumvit areas of the city. Personally, I find the Skytrain to be the best form of transport in the city as it has the advantage of giving great views from it’s high-level tracks, so I’d always stay in a hotel that has easy access to the network!“
Links:
Main page: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/thai/destin/bkk.shtml
Gallery: http://www.farawayescapes.co.uk/gallery/Escape%20Worldwide%20Bangkok%20Photo%20Gallery/
Visit #EscapeWorldwide for loads of holiday ideas: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk
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