Has anyone tried the Airport Express? Baht150 (operating 5am to midlnight)
Arrivals Hall, Level 2, Inner Curb (just as you exit arrivals)....

Route AE1 goes to the Silom Road Zone
Route AE2 goes to the KhaoSan Road Zone
Route AE3 goes to the Wireless Road Zone
Route AE4 goes to the HuaLamPhong Railway Station Zone

further details on stops here:
http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/55

There have been some pretty negative reviews in the Suvarnabhumi sub-forum on Thaivisa dot com. Infrequent service (1 hour+ wait) and lengthy trips (taking 1 hours plus). Given that three of the four bus routes involve expressways (the Silom route uses the Bangna-Trat road/expressway/tollway) it seems like they should be quicker? I guess, depending on my destination, I'd take either a taxi or the 35 baht bus? With lots of bags it'd be a taxi of course.

More bus details:

Bus
The airport operates 4 airport express bus routes to downtown Bangkok. The buses are air-conditioned with ample luggage space. The fare is 150 baht for the entire route. Passengers can get on the bus on the first floor of the terminal. The four routes are as follows:

AE1 Suvarnabhumi-Silom Rd. (by expressway)
AE2 Suvarnabhumi-Khao San Rd.(by expressway)
AE3 Suvarnabhumi-Central World via Sukhumvit Rd.
AE4 Suvarnabhumi-Hua Lamphong (central Bangkok Railway Station) via Victory Monument(by expressway)


Additionally, 12 city bus routes operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) serve the airport's dedicated bus terminal. City buses offer a cheaper alternative of Bt35 flat fare, compared with the airport express bus, but passengers must take a shuttle bus to the public transportation center's bus terminal before they can board the bus. The 12 routes are as follows:

549 Suvarnabhumi-Minburi-Bangkapi via Seri Thai Rd.
550 Suvarnabhumi-Happy Land
551 Suvarnabhumi-Victory Monument (by expressway)
552 Suvarnabhumi-Khlong Toei (Customs Dept.) via Onnut BTS station
552A Suvarnabhumi-Samut Prakarn (Praeksa Garage)
553 Suvarnabhumi-Samut Prakarn (Crocodile Farm Garage)
554 Suvarnabhumi-Rangsit via Don Mueang and Ram Indra Rd. (by expressway)
555 Suvarnabhumi-Rangsit via Don Mueang and Central Plaza LadPhrao (by expressway)
556 Suvarnabhumi-Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal via Democracy Monument and Khaosan Rd.(by expressway)
557 Suvarnabhumi-Wong Wian Yai (The Great Circle)
558 Suvarnabhumi-Central Plaza Rama II
559 Suvarnabhumi-Future Park Rangsit via Dream World (by expressway)

There are also direct long-distance services to Pattaya and Nong Khai operated by the Transport Company.

All of the city buses and inter-city buses are air-conditioned

549 Suvarnabhumi-Minburi-Bangkapi via Seri Thai Rd.
550 Suvarnabhumi-Happy Land
551 Suvarnabhumi-Victory Monument (by expressway)
552 Suvarnabhumi-Khlong Toei (Customs Dept.) via Onnut BTS station
552A Suvarnabhumi-Samut Prakarn (Praeksa Garage)
553 Suvarnabhumi-Samut Prakarn (Crocodile Farm Garage)
554 Suvarnabhumi-Rangsit via Don Mueang and Ram Indra Rd. (by expressway)
555 Suvarnabhumi-Rangsit via Don Mueang and Central Plaza LadPhrao (by expressway)
556 Suvarnabhumi-Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal via Democracy Monument and Khaosan Rd.(by expressway)
557 Suvarnabhumi-Wong Wian Yai (The Great Circle)
558 Suvarnabhumi-Central Plaza Rama II
559 Suvarnabhumi-Future Park Rangsit via Dream World (by expressway)


Which of the above would be best for Sukhimvit-bound travelers?

TIA,
Michael

Which of the above would be best for Sukhimvit-bound travelers?

TIA,
Michael

I think the only option is the 552 bus? You can ask at the transportation center at the airport. Remember these are regular city buses so not really handy if you have baggage.

What seems to be another new airport ripoff is the 50% increase in airport bus fares (from 100 bt to 150 bt).

You know, the only way to get the Bangkok authorities to see sense is to boycott the place (as I'm doing).

What seems to be another new airport ripoff is the 50% increase in airport bus fares (from 100 bt to 150 bt).

You know, the only way to get the Bangkok authorities to see sense is to boycott the place (as I'm doing).

Being Suvarnabhumi is a bit further from central Bangkok than Don Muang, and given that prices of just about everything go up over time, I don't know that I'd call it a ripoff myself. A poor value though it is, considering that on my last trip I took a taxi from the airport to Sukhumvit, near Emporium for 200 baht total, including tollway and got there much faster than I would have by using the express bus. That was with me and my wife, so if we'd taken the bus it would have cost 300 baht, plus then we'd have to walk or take a taxi from the bus stop to our condo. BTW, we got the taxi on Level 4, so no waiting in line and no 50 baht fee, and the driver was very pleased to be getting a fare back into town.

What seems to be another new airport ripoff is the 50% increase in airport bus fares (from 100 bt to 150 bt).



150bt is ~$US4.21
100bt is ~$US2.80

While it may seem to be a ripoff compared to the previous rate, is it really a ripoff? Could you see yourself travelling the same distance in your country (I assume United States based on your profile) on a bus for the same cost?

I don't care about the few $ I get ripped off in certain countries. To be honest, cabbies in BKK have ripped me off more than $1.50 on a trip.

If you're that worried about it, just catch a cab. They really aren't that expensive and from the airport are relatively honest (heading back may be a totally different story! :) )

150bt is ~$US4.21
100bt is ~$US2.80

While it may seem to be a ripoff compared to the previous rate, is it really a ripoff? Could you see yourself travelling the same distance in your country (I assume United States based on your profile) on a bus for the same cost?

I don't care about the few $ I get ripped off in certain countries. To be honest, cabbies in BKK have ripped me off more than $1.50 on a trip.

If you're that worried about it, just catch a cab. They really aren't that expensive and from the airport are relatively honest (heading back may be a totally different story! :) )

Well, Stryker says he's boycotting BKK, so I suppose he'll be using SIN, HKG, or another airport instead and end up pay double or more for a trip into town and hotel room. Suvarnabhumi did have some initial problems, some of which are still in the process of being fixed, and a few lingering issues which haven't been addressed as of now, but overall I really like the airport. For me, it's one of the most efficient large airports in the world with respect to getting me in and out quickly, which is my number one priority. I'll gladly trade-off a few minor problems in exchange for quick efficient immigration processing. And the trips between the airport and downtown have all been, to borrow TG's slogan, as smooth as silk. The roads leading to the airport, at least during the off hours, are very fast. On my last trip, it took 30 minutes from stepping off the plane to stepping in my front door near Emporium, whereas the same trip via Don Muang was often a 2-hour ordeal. FANTASTIC!

[QUOTE=Soju;6827274]Being Suvarnabhumi is a bit further from central Bangkok than Don Muang, and given that prices of just about everything go up over time, I don't know that I'd call it a ripoff myself.

YES its very poor value, as f.e. the Airport-Pattaya direct bus (122 kms they say) is just 106 bt of a FAR better bus with service onboard too.
Of the citybuses: 557 does NOT exist nor has ever been. From 15/12 several changes wil be made, the 552A and 553 are to merge.
nr 552 runs all along Sukhumvit from bangNa/crossing (HEAVY delays can be expected, alkso due to construction of skytrain extension and folows Sukhumvit all the way till ASOKE, then turns left on it and ends at the garage in Klong Toey.
The citybuses are mainly aiminng at airportworkers (most of whom still live in the DonMuang area) which explains why so many/frequent rouites go to there. ALL fares to/fro the airport itself are 35 baht. (you can pre-buy coupons giving 10% discount).

What seems to be another new airport ripoff is the 50% increase in airport bus fares (from 100 bt to 150 bt).

.

Following the Thai news/papers it transpires that this newly set-up comp is one of the main sponsors of Ms. Potjamarn= Taksin's wife, who did most of the dealings. So most of this increase seems to go to her expensive shopping habits.

I took the 552 bus today from the Airport Transportation Center, after having taken the shuttle bus from level 1/West Bus Lobby (near door 15), to On Nut BTS station (so Sukhumvit Soi 77). I think that this bus terminates in Khlong Toei near the Tesco Lotus on Rama IV. Cost was 35 baht, travel time from the ATC to On Nut was ~ 45 minutes. We went via the Bang Na-Trat Road (lower level, access/frontage), until we intersected Sukhumvit Road and then took a right onto it close to the BITEC convention center.

FWIW, the 551 bus is now labeled "Siam Paragon" instead of "Victory Monument", so I have no idea what route that bus follows now. I sort of assume it still goes to Victory Monument then heads south on Phaya Thai road then left onto Rama I to the Siam Paragon Shopping Mall.

There was an AE2 bus waiting but I wanted to try the ATC and the city bus. There were no travelers on the 552 bus, just people leaving work at the airport, but there were some travelers on the shuttle bus from the terminal to the ATC.

A poor value though it is, considering that on my last trip I took a taxi from the airport to Sukhumvit, near Emporium for 200 baht total, including tollway and got there much faster than I would have by using the express bus. That was with me and my wife, so if we'd taken the bus it would have cost 300 baht, plus then we'd have to walk or take a taxi from the bus stop to our condo.
Soju makes a good point about "poor value".
For those on a tiny budget, the airport bus makes sense only for single travelers.
For two together, bus fare will be 300 baht.
For 300 baht, or close enough, you can get a taxi, direct to your hotel, in most any of the tourist areas of Bangkok.

Even for single travelers, the airport bus makes little sense.
It stops on the main roads, at designated bus stops.
From there you still must walk, carrying all your baggage, to your hotel location.
In the heat and humidity of Bangkok.
Weaving in and out of crowds of people and street vendors.
Along pavements that are broken, cracked, dirty.
With street signs that are mostly in Thai language.
And maybe at night.
To save 100-200 baht?
Poor value indeed.

So who does ride that airport bus?
One route of the airport bus passes thru my neighborhood.
Since I wonder about things like this, when I see the bus, I glance to see if it has many passengers.
Never more than a few.
And always appear to be young, backpacker, types, who, I assume, don't have any better information, so they ride that bus.
Often, when I see the bus, it is totally empty.
Nice buses, though: the new ones are very modern and attractive in their cream-yellow color scheme.

You are not likely to see me riding the airport bus.

-- Peter

I think the only option is the 552 bus? You can ask at the transportation center at the airport. Remember these are regular city buses so not really handy if you have baggage.
Very good point from transpac.
The 552 bus stops only at regular bus stops.
Where is your hotel in relation to the bus stop?
And how much baggage are you carrying?

The 552-Sukhumvit route does pass many hotels.
But Sukhumvit Road is one of the most expensive areas in Bangkok.
There are exceptions, of course, but they are few.
If you are riding the city bus, must be to save pennies.
Fair enough, but, then why are you staying in the most expensive part of town.
Doesn't add up.

The good news is 552 is the air-con bus on Sukhumvit Road.
Air-con buses in Bangkok are quite pleasant.

-- Peter

Even for single travelers, the airport bus makes little sense.
It stops on the main roads, at designated bus stops.
From there you still must walk, carrying all your baggage, to your hotel location.
In the heat and humidity of Bangkok.
Weaving in and out of crowds of people and street vendors.
Along pavements that are broken, cracked, dirty.
With street signs that are mostly in Thai language.
And maybe at night.
To save 100-200 baht?
Poor value indeed.
-- Peter

the AE buses leave from just outside the terminal and are therefore not regular buses (which leave from the transportation centre, which is reached initially by shuttle bus).

nonetheless, after my experience of a traffic jam on the way to on nut skytrain station (the nearest one on sukhumvit road), i shan't be using the AE buses again.

if u're going to ramkhamhaeng or on nut, then a taxi (from level 4 departures of the airport, so u don't queue and don't pay the 50 baht airport fee) is only 140 baht or so, in other words cheaper than the airport bus!

ian. :)

... we got the taxi on Level 4, so no waiting in line and no 50 baht fee, and the driver was very pleased to be getting a fare back into town.

Thanks, Soju..
Good to know that access to taxis at arrivals is still available at the new airport.

And, with that in mind, here is an important travel tip for anyone arriving in Bangkok and using buses or taxis to anywhere besides the biggest and most famous hotels:

Come prepared with your hotel destination written in Thai language.

Living in Bangkok, I realize everyday how very different Thai language is from English, Swedish, German, Dutch, 'Strine, or any other Western language.
The voice sounds we make are not at all similar to the sounds of Thai language.
If you say, "I'd like to go to the Hilton hotel, please," you may well have a problem with any city bus driver or taxi driver.
Having come to know the intricacies of Thai thinking -- as I have from living here -- you are likely to get a reply along the lines of, "Hotel Please, no have in Bangkok."

And the Thais' pronunciation for Hilton is "heel-dtone".
Okay, I've exaggerated a bit with the Hilton example.
Taxi drivers will know that one.
But if you are staying at a second- or third-tier hotel, or a tiny guest house, then what?


On the crucial topic of finding your way around Bangkok, I have just started a new thread:

. . . You can't get there from here ... finding your way in the Bangkok maze.

. . . http://flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=624

That thread has valuable suggestions for how to get "there" in Bangkok.

-- Peter

Very good point from transpac.
The 552 bus stops only at regular bus stops.
Where is your hotel in relation to the bus stop?
And how much baggage are you carrying?

The 552-Sukhumvit route does pass many hotels.
But Sukhumvit Road is one of the most expensive areas in Bangkok.
There are exceptions, of course, but they are few.
If you are riding the city bus, must be to save pennies.
Fair enough, but, then why are you staying in the most expensive part of town.
Doesn't add up.

The good news is 552 is the air-con bus on Sukhumvit Road.
Air-con buses in Bangkok are quite pleasant.

-- Peter

Mrs. Soju hates to use a taxi if she's not with me because she says they're too expensive. So on my most recent trip I told her I'd like to try to go from the airport to our home via her method, not to save money but just to experience it to see what she does everytime she comes to meet me at the airport. It was the 552 bus. It is slow going and definitely not something I plan on doing again. It cost us a grand total of 68 Baht for the two of us, and took us well over an hour to do what normally takes 20 minutes in a taxi and 200 Baht. So we saved 130 Baht (US $3) at the expense of one hour. Definitely not worth it for me, but for sure the way to go for backpacker types or anyone who want to do it as cheaply as possible. I had minimal handcarry luggage and wasn't a problem setting it next to my seat.

The AE buses are simply poor value and I don't see the need to use them by anyone. Either you'll use a taxi or private car, or use the city bus. The only people I'd see using the AE buses are people who don't know the other options, or perhaps someone traveling alone with a lot of luggage.

I'll be heading to the Khao San area next week from BKK. I am arriving at 11:40, so should I assume I wont make any public transit?

I guess I will just take a taxi. Is about 300B a fair price?

I'll be heading to the Khao San area next week from BKK. I am arriving at 11:40, so should I assume I wont make any public transit?

I guess I will just take a taxi. Is about 300B a fair price?

I'm guessing you are arriving at 23:40? The city buses run 7x24 so you could take the 551 bus (34 baht) to Victory Monument, then take a taxi the last 2 Km to Khao San road. There are also mini-vans that ply the Suvarnabhumi-Victory Monument route (45 baht). Some pick up at the main passenger terminal building. A taxi would be the easiest, and fastest, option. No more than 400 baht all in (meter, airport fee and tolls).

150bt is ~$US4.21
100bt is ~$US2.80

While it may seem to be a ripoff compared to the previous rate, is it really a ripoff? Could you see yourself travelling the same distance in your country (I assume United States based on your profile) on a bus for the same cost?

I don't care about the few $ I get ripped off in certain countries. To be honest, cabbies in BKK have ripped me off more than $1.50 on a trip.


Actually, in the US you can often travel the same (or greater) distance for the same or less. For example, the CTA service into Chicago costs $1.75 to go anywhere in the city on the extensive train service. Terminal is right in the airport. ^

I thought the airport bus in BKK was overpriced at 100 Baht. I took it once and have given it a pass ever since.

I care a lot about being ripped off in foreign countries. While sometimes it is unavoidable--and then you must usually just write it off and forget it--anyone who tries to experience the country should make an effort to see as do the locals, using the same services and, of course, prices.

Thailand has a nasty approach of trying to charge foreigners more. I don't like and try not to go along.

I care a lot about being ripped off in foreign countries. While sometimes it is unavoidable--and then you must usually just write it off and forget it--anyone who tries to experience the country should make an effort to see as do the locals, using the same services and, of course, prices.

Thailand has a nasty approach of trying to charge foreigners more. I don't like and try not to go along.
Who's forcing you? It's not a matter of "ripping off": you get what you pay for. Right now you've got at least 4 choices from the airport to the city, and magically enough, the more you pay the faster things are:

- "Limousine" ride from the taxi desks. No waiting time, no brains required. 20 min, Cost up to 1000B.
- Public taxi. You'll have to go down one level and perhaps queue for a while. 20 min plus queue, ~300B.
- Airport bus. Direct, non-stop service from the terminal to major points in Bangkok. Up to an hour plus waiting time for bus to leave, 150B.
- Public bus. Requires transfer to the bus terminal building and then figuring out which line is best for you. Can be over an hour plus transfer time plus waiting time, 35B.

And in a year or two, the airport express & commuter train services will also be up and running, offer yet more options.

You are missing my point. Thailand is full folks who want to charge more to non-Thais. That is a rip-off.

I'm guessing you are arriving at 23:40? The city buses run 7x24 so you could take the 551 bus (34 baht) to Victory Monument, then take a taxi the last 2 Km to Khao San road. There are also mini-vans that ply the Suvarnabhumi-Victory Monument route (45 baht). Some pick up at the main passenger terminal building. A taxi would be the easiest, and fastest, option. No more than 400 baht all in (meter, airport fee and tolls).

Wow. The 551 it is, methinks. Will that take much longer than the taxi? I don't care much as I don't mind an extra 30 minutes (or hour).

You mention that the minivans depart from the main passenger terminal. Where does the bus depart?

You are missing my point. Thailand is full folks who want to charge more to non-Thais. That is a rip-off.
Sorry, I still don't see your point. All four transportation methods cost precisely the same for any customer, Thai or non-Thai, and I've never had a cabbie try to rip me off at BKK. I'll admit the limo touts are irritating, but you're free to ignore them, and even they seem better behaved than they were at DMK.