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Travelling to and within Thailand

Except for Bangkok with its daily traffic congestion's, Thailand has an excellent transportation infrastructure. Actually, taking equally into account costs, connections and comfort provided, the kingdom has one of the best transportation systems in the world.

Those who prefer to fly find good connections between Bangkok and the most important provincial cities. Furthermore, from the most important provincial cities such as Chiang Mai, there are not only flights to neighbouring smaller provincial cities but also to destinations further away - without the necessity to go via Bangkok; for example, there are direct flights from Chiang Mai to Phuket. Air travel is exceptionally cheap by international standards.

Railways connect Bangkok with the North, the Northeast, the East Coast and the South. Rail travel is cheap, and the service is excellent.

A very dense network of bus routes makes it possible to reach easily every corner of the country. Buses are more comfortable than what is the case in Europe. Usually, a stewardess is on board, providing a service comparable to the one internationally common on aircraft.

Air Transportation

Thailand has 3 international airports. The Don Muang International Airport north of Bangkok serves central Thailand. In the north, there is an international airport at Chiang Mai while the south has Phuket International Airport. The flag carrier of Thailand is Thai Airways, which provides international and domestic air services.

For international flights, Thai Airways has a highly modern fleet of jumbo jets, DC 10’s and Airbus 300’s. These fly regular services to 7 cities in Europe, 21 in Asia, 2 in the US and 4 in Australia.

Domestically, Thai Airways links 19 airports in different parts of the kingdom. Domestic flights are much cheaper per kilometer than are international flights.

Some tourist destinations such as Ko Samui are served by the small private airline Bangkok Airways (airline addresses see below).

The airport tax at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport is 500 Baht for international flights and 20 Baht for domestic flights.

Airport Authority of Thailand
Vibhavadi Rangsit Road
Tel 535-1111, 535-1254, 535-1301

Airport Connections

There are 6 different means of transportation between Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport and the city:

1) regular taxi (with yellow registration plate), 2) limousine car, 3) mini-bus, 4) public bus (aircon and non-aircon), 5) normal trains from northern and north-eastern destinations and 6) special airport express trains.

Taxi fares depend on the distance and must be negotiated before boarding the taxi. A limousine car charges 300 Baht per car for any destination in Bangkok while the mini-bus costs 100 Baht per person for any hotel, or just 60 Baht to the city terminal (Asia Hotel). Both limousine car and mini-bus are run by Thai Airways International and operate 24 hours. Large hotels customarily send cars to pick up passengers who have reservations.

By Bus

The cheapest way to travel between the airport and the city is by public bus. There are bus stops right in front of the airport.

No 4 (aircon) Airport - Pratunam Market - Rajadamri Road - Lumphini Park - Silom Road - New Road, until 20:00

No 10 (aircon) Airport - Northern Bus Terminal - Victory Monument - Ratwithi Road - Southern Bus Terminal, until 20:30

No 13 (aircon) Airport - Northern Bus Terminal - Victory Monument - Sukhumvit Road - Eastern Bus Terminal, until 20:00

No 29 (aircon) Airport - Northern Bus Terminal - Victory Monument - Siam Square - Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong), until 20:30

No 29 (blue sign non-aircon) same routing as No 29 aircon bus, until 22:00

No 59 (blue sign non-zircon) Airport - Northern Bus Terminal - Victory Monument - Ratchadamnoen Klang Ave - Phramane Ground (Sanam Luang),  until 21:30

No 95 (blue sign non-aircon) Airport - Bangkapi - Ramkhamhaeng University, until 21:30

There are also number 59 and 29 buses with red signboards. They ply different, shorter routes than the buses with blue signboards.

An aircon coach connects the airport directly with Pattaya; departures from the airport are 3 times a day at 9:00, 12:00 and 19:00.

By Train

A convenient connection between the airport and the city is by rail - but only for those who come from or want to get into the Silom Road area, as Silom Road is just about 15 minutes by taxi or bus from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong railway station. To take a train doesn’t make much sense for those who come from or want to get into the Sukhumvit Road area as it usually takes about an hour to travel from the Hua Lamphong station to Sukhumvit Road, or the other way around.

While it has been possible to travel between Don Muang airport and Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station for many years, a special Airport Express train service has only been introduced November 1, 1991. For the straight amount of 100 Baht per passenger, the State Railway of Thailand not only connects between Hua Lamphong station and Don Muang station but also provides transportation in an air-conditioned bus between the airport and the railway station. As the trains make the distance in about 35min, they are considerably faster than buses.

Tickets are sold at the Thai Airway’s limousine counter in the arrival hall of the international terminal, at the Thai counter in the arrival hall of the domestic terminal and on platform 12 of Hua Lamphong station.

Ordinary train connections between Hua Lamphong station and Don Muang station cost less than half, even when travelling first class, but this does not include a shuttle service between the airport terminals and the Don Muang railway station.

The Don Muang railway station and the airport terminals are just a few hundred meters apart and there is a footbridge crossing the highway. With little luggage, one can easily walk the distance.

Bangkok - Don Muang

Airport Express departures are at:
7:35, 10:35, 13:35, 15:35, 17:55 and 20:45.

All other trains leaving Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Station for northern or north-eastern destinations stop at Don Muang. Most trains take about 45min. There is no scheduled stop between Bangkok and Don Muang, but nevertheless, many trains stop for a minute or two at Bang Sue station in the northern part of town. To go to the Don Muang Airport by train is a valuable option especially during night hours when there are no buses and one would otherwise have to take a taxi.

Departures from Hua Lamphong Station are at:
6:15 (arr 6:54), 6:40 (arr 7:23), 6:50 (arr 7:35), 7:05 (arr 7:48), 7:15 (arr 8:01), 8:20 (arr 8:58), 8:30 (arr 9:15), 10:55 (arr 11:30), 11:05 (arr 11:40), 15:00 (arr 15:40), 15:25 (arr 16:12), 16:35 (arr 17:12), 18:00 (arr 18:40), 18:45 (arr 19:26), 19:00 (arr 19:42), 19:40 (arr 20:20), 20:00 (arr 20:40), 20:30 (arr 21:12), 21:00 (arr 21:42), 21:50 (arr 22:29), 22:00 (arr 22:43), 22:25 (arr 23:02), 22:45 (arr 23:26), 23:10 (arr 23:46) and 23:25 (arr 0:09).

Don Muang - Bangkok

Special Airport Express departures are at:
8:50, 11:40, 14:35, 16:55, 19:40 and 22:05.

All normal trains from northern and northeastern destinations have their last stop at Don Muang before proceeding to Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Station. Trains are convenient to get into towns if one’s plane arrives during the night hours when buses don’t operate. For fares and other remarks see entries under the opposite direction.

Departures at Don Muang Railway Station for Bangkok are at:

2:11 (arr 3:00), 2:46 (arr 3:30), 3:20 (arr 4:00), 3:41 (arr 4:25), 3:55 (arr 4:35), 4:04 (arr 4:45), 4:20 (arr 5:00), 4:38 (arr 5:20), 4:48 (arr 5:30), 5:02 (arr 5:40), 5:20 (arr 6:00), 5:43 (arr 6:25), 7:41 (arr 8:25), 9:43 (arr 10:25), 11:17 (arr 12:00), 13:40 (arr 14:15), 14:07 (arr 14:55), 14:18 (arr 15:00), 15:54 (arr 16:30), 16:39 (arr 17:25), 17:07 (arr 17:50), 17:55 (arr 18:40), 18:53 (arr 19:40), 19:23 (arr 20:05) and 21:49 (arr 22:25).

Railway

Though road travel is extremely well organised in Thailand, train travel is still the most comfortable way to get around for those who do not like to fly. Train travel is cheap (about the same as travel by bus), fast (though typically some 20% slower than buses) and reliable (by and large trains arrive with tolerable delays of around 5% of the travel times).

Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Railway Station on Rama IV Road is the middle point for all rail travel in Thailand. From there, railway lines reach out much as a star to all four directions. When travelling from the south to the north, or the east to the west, one will not only have to pass through Hua Lamphong Station but also change trains as all trains end in Bangkok.

The State Railway of Thailand divides its network into a southern, a northern, a north-eastern and an eastern line. Though the network does not branch out much, there are actually two north-eastern lines, and there is a short western line as well. One of the northeastern lines goes to Nong Khai, just opposite the Laotian capital of Vientiane, while the other goes to Ubon Ratchathani.

The main eastern line is to Aranyaprathet at the Cambodian border, and one could continue on that line until Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, were it not for the extensive damage the Cambodian railways system suffered during that country’s long civil war. The first obstacle on the route is the Thai / Cambodian border river. The railway bridge near Aranyaprathet on Cambodian territory was bombed. It is, however, just a question of time until rail service to Phnom Penh will be re-established.

A shorter eastern line goes along the coast, passing by Pattaya.

The northern line goes straight to Chiang Mai, without branching off anywhere. The western line goes up to Nam Tok, beyond Kanchanaburi; it is commercially important only up to Kanchanaburi, the site where during World War II, prisoners of war built the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai.

The southern line connects with Malaysia at Padang Besar and at Sungai Kolok. There is a straight connection from Bangkok up to Butterworth, much traveled by Westerners who stay long periods of time in Thailand without becoming residents; they have to leave the country every three month, and so far, the most convenient place to go to for renewals of visas is Penang, just opposite Butterworth.

Though one can purchase in Bangkok through-tickets to Singapore, the connections aren’t very good, and one cannot make reservations for Malaysian trains in Thailand. Though it’s possible to reach Kuala Lumpur in time for an overnight connection to Singapore, it’s often not possible anymore to make reservations for sleeping berths as the reservation counters in Kuala Lumpur just close when the train from Butterworth, carrying through-passengers from Bangkok, arrives.

Quite a few people end up with no sleeping berth on the last leg of their trip, even though they hold sleeper tickets. Refunds are easily obtained at Singapore Railway Station, which is run by the Malaysian Railway; conductors in the trains make notes on sleeping berth tickets that they weren’t used.

The connections from Singapore to Bangkok are even worse than those from Bangkok to Singapore. Often passengers from Singapore arrive in Butterworth just a few minutes after the Thai train for Bangkok has left. In 1992, a direct luxurious train, dubbed Orient Express, is to go into operation between Bangkok and Singapore.

Travel on Thai trains is in three classes, first, second and third, though in second class, two sub-classes were created, one aircon, one non-aircon. Roughly, fares for second class aircon are about double of third class fares, and first class cost about four times as much as third class. Third class is on small hard benches and not very suitable for long trips. Most foreign visitors travel second class, either aircon or non-aircon. For second class aircon and second class non-aircon, and of course in first class, sleeping berths are available on long distance trains.

Aside from different classes of seats (or accommodation), there are also different categories of trains. Ordinary trains are slowest, and they often only have third class carriages. Rapid, express, and special express are fast long distance trains. The difference in speed among the three of them is not really sufficient reason for choosing the one and not the other. Special express is a little bit faster than express, and express a little bit faster than rapid.

There are also diesel rail cars and special diesel rail cars. The ordinary carriages only operate on the eastern line, and there are no other trains there. The special rail cars go on the northern line from Bangkok up to Phitsanulok, and on that stretch they are even faster than special express trains.

In second class aircon carriages, the lower berths are considerably more comfortable as the upper berths are pretty close to aircon openings in the ceiling. Linens and blankets are provided with all sleeping berths. All express trains have sleeping berths carriages, but only some of the rapid trains.

On all long distance trains, excellent Thai dishes are served either in the carriages or in the restaurant cars. The attendants of sleeping berths cars distribute printed menus, which offer the traveller a choice of a number of, set menus. Prices are not exactly low but the food is certainly delicious.

The same dishes can be ordered in a less fancy setting (menu thammada) and at a the same prices which are charged at the restaurant car.

While there is generally no budget food available on express trains, good and cheap Thai dishes are sold on rapid trains. They are offered in all non-aircon carriages in Styrofoam packs and typically cost just about 20 Baht. Ambulant vendors offer cheap dishes on railway station platforms but the hygienic standard is sometimes not the highest.

Reservations for sleeping berths on long distance trains are recommended and a necessity to ensure that one can travel on a chosen date. Reservations can be made up to 90 days prior to the travel date. The reservation office in Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Station, open Mon-Fri 8:30-18:00 and Sat, Sun and hol 8:30-12:00, usually is crowded, and not seldom, one will have to wait for more than one hour. The system is that one takes a number and waits until it’s due to be served.

For children under 3 years, no fare is charged, provided they do not require separate seats, and provided they are, so the State Railway of Thailand verbally, "less than 100 cms in height" (39in). This allocation should be generous enough to accommodate even the most overfed brat of Western visitors.

Children over 3 but fewer than 12 are charged half of the adult fare, provided their height does not exceed 150 cms (59in).

Changing reservations entails fees. Refunds are only available if they are claimed no later than three hours after the departure of the train for which the booking was done, and a fee is deducted.

The State Railway of Thailand also organises special tourist trips, for example to Pattaya, Ko Samui and Kanchanaburi. As itineraries change and not all arrangements are offered all the time, it is best to inquire about details either at the Hua Lamphong Railway Station or at any travel agency. Usually, these arranged trips are good value if compared to the sightseeing arrangements of private tour operators.

Furthermore, joint rail / bus / boat tickets are available for a number of destinations. The obvious advantage is that the passenger doesn’t have to worry about missing a bus or boat to carry him from the end point of his rail ticket to his final destination. Joint tickets are available from Bangkok to: Phuket (train, bus), Krabi (train, bus), Ko Samui (train, bus, express boat) Ko Pha Ngan (train, bus, express boat), Chiang Rai via Chiang Mai (train, bus), Koh Phi Phi (train, bus, express boat).

For details on connections between Bangkok and provincial places, please see the travel chapter in the Bangkok section or the notes after the entries on provincial towns in the Provinces section.

Road Transportation

The Thai road network covers some 150,400km (94,000mi); 15,800km (9875mi) are national roads, 28,600km (17,875mi) provincial roads and 106,000km (66,250mi) rural roads. Traffic is on the left.

Overland Buses

Thailand has an extremely well organised overland bus system. Each corner of the country can easily be reached from Bangkok, and there are direct connections even to small towns. Aircon as well as non-aircon buses connect Bangkok and all major provincial cities. Between smaller provincial cities, only non-aircon service is available.

Bus travel is exceptionally cheap in Thailand. On an aircon bus, the price per kilometer travelled is less than 50 satang.

By far the largest bus company in Thailand is the government owned Bo Koh So which specialises in long distance trips, especially those connecting with Bangkok. Connections between provincial towns are often on buses of private companies. Private companies also run luxury coaches between Bangkok and major provincial cities. Often, they provide so-called VIP service with full size buses equipped for less than 20 passengers. Rates on VIP buses are 20% to 50% higher. Private coach companies offer discounts of around 10% for round trip tickets

While government buses depart and arrive in Bangkok only at the large bus terminals, many private companies have their buses departing and arriving in front of their city offices. Nevertheless, they also pass by the bus terminals before leaving and after arriving in Bangkok.

Private bus companies also pick up passengers at selected hotels. Those who believe they cannot manage to reach the bus station or the office of a private company on their own should however only take this option. Often, passengers are picked up more than 2 hours, sometimes even 3 hours before the departure of the bus, and often one spends hours waiting at the office of the tour company.

To reach the bus terminals is much less difficult than most newcomers' fear. For example, to get from the Sukhumvit area to the Northern Bus Terminal on Phahonyothin Road, one just hops on a No 13 aircon city bus. Every conductor understands "Northern Bus Terminal" and will tell the foreign visitor when to get off. From Sukhumvit Road to the Northern Bus Terminal it takes about 45min.

Several private bus companies serving northern and northeastern destinations have their offices around the Indra Hotel on Radjaprarop Road.

For aircon buses, Bo Koh So as well as private companies take reservations (which means: they sell advance tickets). While such advance bookings not only secure that one can actually travel on the date intended but also allows a choice of the best seats, experience has shown that in most cases one will usually still get a seat if one arrives about half an hour before departure. For most destinations, several buses leave within a few hours, and for destinations like Chiang Mai, it’s one every half hour in the late morning or in the early evening.

Many bus connections are overnight trips. The buses leave at an hour in Bangkok, which usually works out to an arrival between 6:00 and 8:00. Therefore, buses to further destinations, such as Chiang Rai, have a tendency to depart earlier than others which only go about half or two third of the distance, as for example to Phitsanulok. For Chiang Mai there are either day trips, departing in Bangkok in the late morning, or night trips, departing in the evening. There are no noon or early afternoon trips to Chiang Mai, as an arrival after midnight but long before dawn wouldn’t make much sense. A similar logic applies to other destinations.

In aircon overnight buses, blankets are usually provided. Long distance buses normally have toilets; usually there is at least one stopover at a terminal with a restaurant. On practically all aircon buses (government and private) snacks and soft drinks are served free. Even Westerners usually have no problem sleeping on aircon buses, as seats are usually similar to those on aircraft, allowing the passenger to recline. Air conditioning in overnight buses can be fairly strong and it is advisable to wear long pants and socks.

For information on connections, please see the chapter Travel to/from Bangkok and the entries under listed towns and cities.

Bangkok Bus Terminals

Northern and Northeastern Bus Terminal
Phahonyothin Road
Tel 271-0101 to 5, 279-4484 to 7

Southern Bus Terminal
Pinklao-Nakhon Chaisi Road
Tel 434-5558

Eastern Bus Terminal
Sukhumvit Road (Ekamai)
Tel 391-2504, 392-2521

City Buses

City buses are of importance mainly in Bangkok where they provide the most convenient low price transportation. City buses also operate in Chiang Mai but there, more people get around on passenger pickups.

Bangkok has an excellent public bus network with aircon and non-aircon buses. Fares are exceptionally low by Western standards. Bus fares are among the lowest found in non-communist Asian countries.

Aside from the large buses of the central Bangkok bus company, small private Mercedes buses (always painted green) ply the same routes at the same charges. In this case, Mercedes does not mean comfortable transport. Western men will commonly find the ceilings too low.

These smaller buses are also noted for reckless driving which adds to the discomfort. And finally, the conductors of these buses are often unfriendly to Westerners, probably for rather materialistic reasons: Westerners take up double space and nevertheless just pay ordinary one person fares. Furthermore, foreigners object to being squeezed into the middle of the bus and prefer standing near the doors thus blocking the way of passengers boarding or getting off - a behaviour that annoys conductors.

Bus maps for Bangkok are available at most hotels and practically all bookshops at 35 Baht. For more details on city buses in Bangkok, please refer to the transportation part of the Bangkok section.

Passenger Pickups

Passenger pickups, Songthaew in Thai and in some places, like Pattaya, referred to as mini-buses, basically are pickup trucks with the load areas equipped with two benches. Passenger pickups operate in various modes throughout the country. In Bangkok, mostly the suburban areas, they function much like short distance buses, plying fixed routes (in the Sukhumvit Road area for example on Soi 16). On pickups that just ply short fixed routes, the fare is 2 or 3 Baht.

In most provincial towns pickups criss-cross without a fixed route. Passengers tell the driver their destination before boarding, and the driver says yes or no, depending on whether the destination lies on the approximate route he has decided on in his head or he has accepted from passengers already on board. Criss-crossing passenger pickups usually have standard rates for any destination within town, for example 10 Baht (as in Chiang Mai).

Where there are no ordinary taxis, in tourist places like Pattaya but also in ordinary provincial towns, passenger pickups double as taxis. Fares are then much higher.

Drivers of empty passenger pickups have the tendency to purposely misunderstand tourists who just want to board on a criss-cross pickup and to interpret a trip as special trip to which much higher taxi fares apply. To avoid later disagreement on the fare, one may announce to the driver how much one is going to pay.

In Pattaya, where pickups commonly run on a circle route down Beach Road and up Pattaya 2 Road, drivers will interpret it as a request for a special trip if a destination is specified. Those who just want to go to a place along Beach Road or Pattaya 2 Road should just board without saying anything and when getting off just pay the usual 10 Baht.

Taxi

Taxis in Thailand use meters.

However, while minimum charges are about the same as in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei, the distances Hotel taxis have fixed tariffs, usually higher than those of regular taxis have.

For travel by taxi (or Tuk-Tuk, see below) it is sometimes convenient for one to ask a Thai to write the name and address of one’s destination and place of return in Thai script. Most business establishments will already have cards with their address in both English and Thai.

Tuk-Tuk

Tuk-Tuks (also called samlor, meaning Three Wheels in English) are common in Bangkok and larger provincial towns where they operate much in the same manner as taxis. Fares are about one third cheaper than for taxis but Tuk-Tuks are open and leave the passenger exposed to the street pollution, especially annoying in Bangkok. Fares in Bangkok are 30 to 100 Baht. In some provincial towns, Tuk-Tuks operates in the same mode as passenger pickups.

Chauffeur Driven Motorcycles

Motorcycle taxis are a unique Thai innovation and a direct product of the constant traffic jams of Bangkok. If one wants to take the risk of entrusting one’s life to a speeding Thai youngster, riding on the back of motorcycles is the one way to get around in Bangkok quickly. Fares are about one third of what an equal distance would cost on a taxi.

The drivers wait with their cycles at street corners. Usually, they can easily be recognised by their vests which most of the time show a large number.

Motorcycle taxis often are the only means of public transportation in side streets. Usually, there are standard fares for side street trips.

Private Cars

To start with, cars are expensive in Thailand - in spite of the fact that the Thai government has considerably lowered import taxes for most categories of cars in mid-1991. Japanese models dominate the market.

Most cars (and motorcycles) available in Thailand are made in Thailand - or rather assembled, as most parts are still imported. Typically, the Thai assembled cars turn out to be more expensive than those made in the home countries of the mother companies of the Thai assembly firms. This didn’t (and to a certain extent still doesn’t) matter because of high protective import duties for ready assembled cars.

In Bangkok, cars are registered at the Police Registration Division, Phahonyothin Road (Tel 513-0051 to 5) Mon-Fri 8:00-16:30. The clerks there don’t speak English and the registration is quite some work. Car dealers usually offer registration as a service, for which most of the time a separate fee is charged. Registration costs depend on engine size.

Third party liability insurance is not obligatory in Thailand. Traffic laws are pretty much the same as in the West though damages awarded to injured parties are ridiculously low by Western standards. Escaping the scene of an accident is construed as admitting that one was at fault.

Gasoline prices are fairly low in Thailand. Gasoline stations along main roads in Bangkok as well as cross-country highways operate 24 hours a day. Day-time stations usually open very early (around 5:00) but do not stay open long in the evenings (until about 20:00). Gasoline stations only seldom have full repair shops but are equipped to vulcanise tyres or change oil. Most car assemblers also operate their own large servicing workshops.

Driver’s License

Unlike what is the case in most countries of the West as well as several neighbouring countries (for example the Philippines), foreign drivers’ licenses are not recognised in Thailand.

Foreigners staying in the country as tourists or non-immigrants can drive with valid international drivers’ license. Foreign residents have to apply for a Thai drivers’ license at the Police Registration Division, either at Phahonyothin Road (Tel 513-0051 to 5) Mon-Fri 8:00-16:30 or a suburban or provincial branch office.

For foreigners, to get Thai drivers’ licence is more than just a formality, even if they are in possession of a valid license from their home country. Among the papers required is a medical certificate as well as a letter from one’s employer. Though the requirements seem somehow unclear, the Thai authorities may require that a foreigner pass either a full test or at least a written test.

Cars for Rent

A wide selection of cars is available for rent in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and Hat Yai. In Pattaya, for example, it’s not only specialised companies that offer cars for rent but also many private owners who just park their vehicles along Beach Road, place a sign For Rent on the roof - and sit nearby, waiting for a customer. Rates for cars rented from private owners are typically considerably lower than for cars from specialised companies. Car rental firms with an international network are considerably more expensive than local companies.

Cars are rented out as self-drives as well as chauffeur driven. Luxury limousines are often only available chauffeurs driven, and they can be hired by the hour.

River Transportation

Until the early 20th century Bangkok used to have some of the charm of Venice, due to its many canals. Today, floods occasionally provide a flash of this charm after heavy rains when much of the city streets are knee-deep under water. Bangkokians take this flooding much lighter than for example the Manilenos in the Philippines, in spite of the economic loss and the inconvenience it brings. It’s probably because anyway, canals where here before roads - and actually, many of the roads are just filled canals (Klongs in Thai).

Many of the canals that have remained in Bangkok from the last century, sadly have deteriorated into sewers (they always also served that function but quantities were not as great, last century, and more waste was of an organic type). The city administration certainly would like the canals as clean as some mountain river; every now and then brigades of soldiers and prisoners are dispatched to clean up some Klongs, preferably in honour of the royal family.

As Thais have become remarkably environment conscious, it’s just a question of time until Bangkok’s Klongs will indeed be reasonably clean. But at the beginning of the 90’s this goal has not yet been achieved for the inner city Klongs.

The Klong network of central Thailand of course extends beyond the city boundaries of Bangkok, and out of the metropolis the Klongs are indeed charming. For the foreign visitor, these out of Bangkok Klongs are rather of importance as a sightseeing attraction than an alternative to roads for getting from one place to another.

In Bangkok itself, a number of waterways do play their role in the transportation network. Express boats ply the Chao Phaya River up to Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok. At many sites along the Chao Phaya, small ferries cross every few minutes between the Bangkok and the Thonburi bank. Klong taxis connect points that are accessible on waterways faster than road taxis can. River taxis can be hired at most piers along the Chao Phaya River.

However, many of the boat operators nowadays see themselves rather as providing a tourist attraction than a means of transportation. Prices must be negotiated, and tourists are likely to pay tourist prices.

Most Bangkok maps show the route of the Chao Phaya Express boats running between Bangkok’s Krung Thep Bridge and Nonthaburi. The Thai word for pier is Tha. At most piers one buys a ticket at a small box office.