HAs anyone made the ride from the new airport to Sukhumit area? How long does it really take and the best form of transportation? I used to have the cab system wired at the old airport.

Time of day? Day of week? Even exact date (could be a holiday)? All critical factors.

I'd say limo is the best, followed by metered taxi.

Generally speaking maybe add 25% to previous figures (Don Muang) for both elapsed time and cost. Without traffic (late at night, early morning) it's taken me ~ 30 min. to/from Sukhumvit/Asoke (Soi 21/Ratchadapisek) via the Bang Na-Trat Road, and the meter has been ~ 280 baht, + 40 for tolls.

From Don Muang, the travel time in late afternoon (4-ish) to Sukhumvit/Ploenchit hotels (Hyatt, Sheraton, IC) has taken me anywhere from 45-75 mins in limo or taxi, with at least half the time in traffic once off the toll road.

I don't know the exits at all from the toll roads -- would a weekday 4pm trip from Suvarnabhumi to, say, the Westin/Sheraton likely take more than an hour?

last Tuesday late afternoon (about 5pm) normal metered taxi from new airport to Ploenchit Road (think Intercontinental, Grand Hyatt Erawan, Holiday Inn, Central Chidlom Department Store (took about 45 minutes)....

toll was about Baht 200 plus Baht 50 airport surcharge plus 2 highway tollways of Baht 40? each =aggregate Baht 330

Thai Airways in-flight magazine (Sawasdee) states that the new Suvarnaphum airport is 31 kilometers to Ploenchit (just 5 kilometers farther than the old Don Muang airport)

What about the wait for the metered taxi? I have heard that the lines are usually long? we arrive at midnight, along with most other international flights, so i hope we wont be standing in line for ever. last year when we went used a driver to and from the airport and the floating market, but their rates have gane way up and i think we want to just use the metered taxi this time if line isnt forever long.
Is the taxi line easy to spot as you leave the airport?

From Don Muang unless I arrived very late I would just get the A3 b*s to Suhkumvit.

Is there a similar service from the new airport?

Happy wandering

Fred

There are bus services to/from the new airport (http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/56).

There are so many variables for travel time it is next to impossible to give guidance other than to say ~ 30 minutes, - 0 min/+ 60 min.

And one might take a different route from the airport to say, the Westin (Sukhumvit/Asoke/Rathcadapiskek), than from the Westin to the airport.

For many Sukhumvit locations the route via the Bang Na - Trat road is advantageous, though potentially a longer distance.

Tuesday evening I stepped off the plane at 23:00, purchased duty-free, cleared Immigration and Customs and was in a taxi by 23:10 ( so 10 minutes ^ ). The biggest challenge is getting through the phalanx outside Customs, after that I just walked out the door (level 2), across 3 lanes of traffic to the outside curb where a taxi was waiting. :D So I just jumped in, and did not check out the more fomalized queues, nor did I go up to level 4 to try and grab a taxi dropping someone off. The Purser on my flight into BKK did say that he had heard that the police were not allowing departing passengers to grab taxis on level 4, but who knows? My fare was 277 THB to Wireless Road, the trip took ~ 25 min., plus 40 baht in tolls, gave a big tip but no 50 baht fee was assessed, as far as I am aware. Tolls going to the airport via this same route were 60 baht, 40 at one tollbooth and 20 at a 2nd one.

Does anyone know how much they charge for airport limo from new airport to wireless rd?

Does anyone know how much they charge for airport limo from new airport to wireless rd?

AAC Limo (http://www.airporttaxithai.com/) charges 1015B, inclusive of tolls.

Does anyone know how much they charge for airport limo from new airport to wireless rd?

I took a "limo-style" taxi Monday 3rd October. Flat fee for just about anywhere in the city was 800 baht, plus 65 (25 + 40) in cash for expressway tolls.

Metered taxi would have been less than a third of the price, but I had flown from Paris via HKG overnight and wasn't sure of the new arrangements ~ Had also heard about longer queues downstairs...

Took a metered taxi back to the airport mid-Tuesday afternoon and it was 260 baht plus 65 tolls and took about 40 mins from Silom area.

It was around 330 baht for me to get to Sukhumvit soi 11. This is by a normal cab, including all the toll ways and this was around 4p.m.

Any advice?

I have a 6:40pm flight out of BKK (on a Thursday), going to HK then ORD. I'm trying to pack in as many business meetings as I can in the city that day.

Can anyone recommend when my last meeting should end, so that I can get to the airport in time? (I'm not sure where the meeting will be, let's just assume it is in the financial center).

Thanks!

Any advice?

I have a 6:40pm flight out of BKK (on a Thursday), going to HK then ORD. I'm trying to pack in as many business meetings as I can in the city that day.

Can anyone recommend when my last meeting should end, so that I can get to the airport in time? (I'm not sure where the meeting will be, let's just assume it is in the financial center).

Thanks!

"financial center"? Where is that? What airline are you flying? Do you have bags to check? Do you have elite status? What class of service? Can you afford to miss the flight?

Way too many unknowns to even hazard a guess, but if forced I'd say to leave for the airport at or before 3 PM.

Does anyone know how much they charge for airport limo from new airport to wireless rd?


Is someone staying at the Conrad, by chance?! ;) ;)

"financial center"? Where is that? What airline are you flying? Do you have bags to check? Do you have elite status? What class of service? Can you afford to miss the flight?

Way too many unknowns to even hazard a guess, but if forced I'd say to leave for the airport at or before 3 PM.
Bangkok's financial center is Silom, so I'd say 4 PM. That gives him an hour to get to the airport, which should be fine esp. before rush hour, and he'll still have 1:40 to catch the flight. Only exception would be if the flight is to the US and on a US carrier, but if going via HKG this seems improbable.

"financial center"? Where is that? Beats me, it's my first trip! What airline are you flying? CX/AA codeshare Do you have bags to check? Yes, but I guess I could ship them ahead if it would save time. Do you have elite status? Yes, on American What class of service? Business. Can you afford to miss the flight? Yes it wouldn't kill me, but my wife wouldn't be happy. I've already planned on the last flight of the day to HKG, to catch a connecting flight back home.

Is someone staying at the Conrad, by chance?! ;) ;)

LOL... Yes, 5 nights ar the Conrad and another couple of nights at Plaza Athenee.

For Donmuang I generally don't bother with toll roads from 11PM to 5:30AM since my experience has been that surface roads are just as fast. Especially since the drivers I tend to get think they are driving Formula 1 (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1569027649393677735) .

What's the strategy for 11PM-5:30AM for Suvarnabhumi? I don't know the tool road configuration out to the east. Interesting that Google Earth has hi res imagery except for the new airport.

For Donmuang I generally don't bother with toll roads from 11PM to 5:30AM since my experience has been that surface roads are just as fast. Especially since the drivers I tend to get think they are driving Formula 1 (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1569027649393677735) .

What's the strategy for 11PM-5:30AM for Suvarnabhumi? I don't know the tool road configuration out to the east. Interesting that Google Earth has hi res imagery except for the new airport.

I agree on using the surface roads from the old airport off-hours, not to save money, but to get to locations more easily accessed by the surface road, like Petchburi Road. From the new airport, the only surface road would be Sukhumvit Soi 77, but I cannot imagine that being quicker at any time, unless going specifically to On Nut?

HAs anyone made the ride from the new airport to Sukhumit area? How long does it really take and the best form of transportation? I used to have the cab system wired at the old airport.

i came in wednesday....no checked bags...cheap charlie...so i took the free shuttle bus to the bus station...10 minutes..and bus no. 552 to sucumvit or however you spell it.....it was 5 pm rush....i suggest getting off at on nut station and take the train to soi 21(asok)....whole trip took about 1.4 hours..in heavy traffic....35 baht total....but then i am a back packer at heart. the trip back catching the 552 bus at soi 23....55 minutes...at noon time on sunday. its airconditioned...and new bus. all the airport buses now have a 500 series numbering system..i think there are six of them from and too various parts of the city...including the old airport.
immigration was a breeze.....the airport is all glass and checking in was a night mare going domestic out of bkk....only one big terminal..using super large luggage carts....makes it a crowed mess.....and there is construction still going on in many places.....also hot and stuffy.....very high ceilings....and no real air movement.

just my experience....all in all.....after you check in....rather easy to the gates....but very spartan....steel chairs...unless you can hit a vip lounge.

enjoy.....

For Donmuang I generally don't bother with toll roads from 11PM to 5:30AM since my experience has been that surface roads are just as fast. Especially since the drivers I tend to get think they are driving Formula 1 (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1569027649393677735) .

What's the strategy for 11PM-5:30AM for Suvarnabhumi? I don't know the tool road configuration out to the east. Interesting that Google Earth has hi res imagery except for the new airport.

In an earlier response I incorrectly said that there were not alternatives to the tollway. As it turns out there are, and for some destinations at off-peak travel times (Sat/Sun; Mon-Fri: 11 PM - 5 AM), the surface road (Rama 9) underneath the elevated tollway might be preferrable. This morning I had to pick up a colleague near Ekkamai (Sukhumvit Soi 63) on the way to the airport. We proceeded up Soi 63, took a right onto Petchaburi (turns into Phat Thanakarn) Road, then jogged up Ramkamhaeng to join Rama 9, which runs underneath the tollway. There are no traffic lights, 2/3 lanes and no traffic at 05:30. You then join the highway, which is no longer a tollway, at the Rama 9/Srinikarin intersection.

In-bound last week the taxi driver asked if I wanted to take the tollway as we approached this intersection/tollbooth, and I said "yes", as I did not know about this alternative. Given the one-way layout of many streets, including those used to access my neighborhood, this alternative makes for a much shorter trip.

Leaving the Vertigo at the Banyan Tree last Sunday night, bound for Suvarnabhumi, Mr. Megatop and I wound up taking an alternative route to the airport. Since we couldn't turn right on Sathorn Road to reach Rama IX, the most direct way to access the highway/tollway/access road, and we couldn't make any of the u-turn's on Sathorn, we proceeded down Sathorn toward Taksin Bridge. At that horrible intersection of Sathorn with the highway access ramps and the cross-street coming down from Silom, where you can grow old waiting for the light to change (and construction has made things even worse recently), we had a choice. We could have turned right to get up on the tollway as if we were going to Don Muang, then proceeded to the east at the big loop near Baiyoke Tower. Or we could turn left and get on the highway (no tolls at this point) going South toward the Rama IX and Rama III bridges. We did the latter, as the signs to Suvarnabhumi indicated we should. Bottom line: if you're around this intersection, which is near some of the lower Sathorn and lower Riverside hotels, you can go either north or south on the expressway.

Having turned left toward the south, the highway looped south then back northeastward. At some point, it should have connected back to the Rama IX expressway. But the signs for Suvarnabhumi did not point us in that direction. Instead, we stayed on a seemingly parallel route and came upon the airport property at a different place than the standard access road. Instead of turning directly off the expressway and into the elevated roadways accessing the parking decks and the terminal, we basically hit the airport alongside the western runway. The road then ran south parallel to the runway for its entire length. Tons of cars were somewhat dangerously stopped, some full of families (at 11:00 pm!), along the road watching the planes land on the runway. From this spot, actually, Suvarnabhumi was more beautiful than one could imagine, like a futuristic mirage rising from the cobra swamp. Anyway, the road went all the way along the runway, then looped around on the southern end of the airport, through many AoT and maintenance office buildings, then went northward on the other side of the aircraft parking apron (not sure if we were inside or outside the other runway at this point). These roadways were lined with improperly parked taxis who apparently had no use for the remote taxi collection area. Finally, we came back in on the standard access road and into the parking decks. For those who want to take the "scenic route" and tour the airport, this is a great way to do it. But, having driven around three lengths of the airport's perimeter rather than directly into the heart of it, I'm certain the linear distance travelled was much more than if we had used the other route.

So, there is a legitmate alternative route to the south. It is probably a significantly longer distance once you reach the airport property (not sure how it compares downtown-to-perimeter), though it comes with a great view of the airport itself and lots of planes.

Disclaimer: all of this navigation was done by the nose, as Mr. Megatop did not have a Bangkok map in his car. I'm insisting that he get one. So I'll confirm the routing in a couple of weeks when I do it again with a map!

So, there is a legitmate alternative route to the south. It is probably a significantly longer distance once you reach the airport property (not sure how it compares downtown-to-perimeter), though it comes with a great view of the airport itself and lots of planes.

Disclaimer: all of this navigation was done by the nose, as Mr. Megatop did not have a Bangkok map in his car. I'm insisting that he get one. So I'll confirm the routing in a couple of weeks when I do it again with a map!

Based on your description I am pretty sure you ended up on the Bangna - Trad Road (Rt. 34). This brings you eastward toward the airport, but south of the airport. From that road you can get to the new BKK from either of two access roads, which head north on either side of the airport. I've used this route a few times as I was worried about traffic getting to the tollway. For me it is a bit farther but does provide easier access to my location in Bangkok.

Map (http://bidding.airportthai.co.th/airportnew/bidding/map/Map_suvarnabhumi_Front.html)

Question, we are 4 people flying into BKK next sunday nite. Can anyone recommed an inexpensive van that can take us to the Silom rd area. My friend in Bkk can only find me 1500 +tolls.
Please provide Tel#

Thanks

Question, we are 4 people flying into BKK next sunday nite. Can anyone recommed an inexpensive van that can take us to the Silom rd area. My friend in Bkk can only find me 1500 +tolls.
Please provide Tel#

Thanks

There are some standard metered taxis in a van configuration at BKK, which I believe have a meter that runs at the same rate. You might get lucky and find one at level 4 (departures), but it would be a bit rare to see one there. But if you go down to level 1 and the official taxi stand, it should be no problem getting one of these taxis there. You might have to wait a bit longer, but there always seems to be plenty there. I believe it should be under 300 Baht plus tolls if you use one of these.

What's the strategy for 11PM-5:30AM for Suvarnabhumi? I don't know the tool road configuration out to the east. Interesting that Google Earth has hi res imagery except for the new airport.

~20 minutes to Hualamphong station from the new airport at 4am this Thursday for 200bt. :cool:

Hi

I'm flying into BKK on Saturday at around 18.30 and will be staying at the Novotel on Sukh Soi 33. Rough estimate on how long it will take to get there.

I'm flying out the next day, my flight is at 13.20. Again rough ideas re timing heading back to the airport?

Thanks!!

Hi

I'm flying into BKK on Saturday at around 18.30 and will be staying at the Novotel on Sukh Soi 33. Rough estimate on how long it will take to get there.

I'm flying out the next day, my flight is at 13.20. Again rough ideas re timing heading back to the airport?

Thanks!!

Assuming no traffic jams, less than one hour, especially if taxi knows back way (i.e. not via sukhumvit entrance) to Soi 33. For next day departure, leave at 11 am, should get there by 12 noon. I am one of those who does not like spending time in airport lounges....

Assuming no traffic jams, less than one hour, especially if taxi knows back way (i.e. not via sukhumvit entrance) to Soi 33. For next day departure, leave at 11 am, should get there by 12 noon. I am one of those who does not like spending time in airport lounges....


Hi

Just want to confirm was pretty quick both from the airport and back again.

Took at taxi at about 19.00 on Saturday and took c.40 mins to get to Soi 33. On Sunday left at 11.00 and took c.35 mins.

Hi

I'm back in Bangkok, this time my flight from the airport leaves again at 13.20, however this time on Tuesday. Should I be leaving for the airport at the same tim (i.e. 11am) or earlier. BTW this time I have bags to check.

Thanks!!

Hi

Just want to confirm was pretty quick both from the airport and back again.

Took at taxi at about 19.00 on Saturday and took c.40 mins to get to Soi 33. On Sunday left at 11.00 and took c.35 mins.

This sunday morning (chinese new year) a taxi driver broke my personel record. He took me from the Grand Hyatt to the airport in 19 minutes! Streets were almost empty at 10 am an he was going almost 140 km/h. I was feeling not very well after arival. Worst time ever (in this case to Don Muang) was 4 hous and 45 minutes. This thanks to GWB and the road closures during the APEC meeting.

I am arriving at BKK at 23:55 on a Thursday. Will I be able to catch the public bus or the shuttle busses? Methinks no, and I will be taking a taxi.

How much for a taxi that time of night, by the way?

Well, I will report my findings next week.

NWA - depends where you are going, but I reckon to Sukhemvit (sp?) it will be around 400 baht (remember you pay 50 baht airport fee and about 65 baht in road tolls).

Re my query: we left yesterday from Soi 11 at 10am, took us 30 minutes. I.e. arrived way too early for the flight!!