transpac

The train fare varies by station, so 35 THB for SBIA/BKK - Makkasan, and 45 THB for SBIA/BKK - Phaya Thai (one-way prices).

The first train is at ~ 06:00 and the last train at ~ 00:00. Travel time is ~ 30 minutes.

Not sure exactly what it is you want to do, but you could stay at the Novotel and take the train into the city for the evening then back again before 12 midnight. Or stay at a hotel in the city, using the train into the city, but you'd have to take a taxi back to the airport to make that flight the next day as the first train might be cutting it close.

EmailKid

IIRC 150 was the express fare, alas that has not been around for some time.

If it were me, I'd make my way to town. In fact, I've done it when I only ended up being in town for three hours between the time I got off and back on ARL

applebye

I don't think the Novotel is worth what they are usually asking for. Won't save you that much time staying right next to airport. There's not a lot of traffic heading in the direction of the city to BKK at 5-6am so you can be there in 30-40 minutes in a cab from Sukhumvit. Where you stay depends on budget and interest.

SK AAR

This advice is spot on!

Skip the overpriced Novotel at the airport and find a nice/reasonable hotel downtown/Sukhumvit Rd.

As stated by previous poster, early in morning a taxi to BKK will take you 45 min max and should be around THB 250-300 + toll way fees (by taxi meter) from Sukhumvit (or get a flat rate from the driver of THB 400 a/i when you get in the cab).

EmailKid

Or often mentioned hotels with shuttle around BKK.

Inexpensive on Agoda and other sites.

I've always stayed in town, but a friend has done the shuttle to airport several time and swears by it.

Might make for a long day if one is to ARL it back to airport and then shuttle to hotel.

greg0ire

Thank you all for the advice. To give more context, we are arriving in BKK late on July 10th, heading to CNX on July 13th, then to USM until July 22nd. We arrive at BKK after 6pm and don't head back to LAX (via NRT) until 8:10am. At the moment I have a room reserved at Best Western.

I was wondering if it made sense to head into town for one last evening which would be easier from Novotel or just relax close to the airport until the next day. I'm not sure if it's worth getting a room in town for such a stay the last night. Thanks again.

EmailKid

Ya, that's a tough call. If you've already spent some time in Bangkok earlier it would probably make more sense to just chill around BKK so you can go to bed early to get up early for the flight.

dtsm

Lots of early AM flights so airport is fairly crowded and if you don't fly J/F, will need at least one full hour for formalities, etc.

greg0ire

When do you recommend arrival to the airport if we are flying J/F for an 8:10am flight?

EmailKid

You would possibly/probably be fine with 7 a.m., but if it were me, I'd shoot for 6:30 (and have done so with over half hour spent in lounge before going to gate).

greg0ire

Thank you

Dr. HFH

You're on JL 708? I take that flight 2-3 times annually, and have for about a decade. Never arrive at BKK later than 6 a.m. regardless of whether I'm in J or Y. As dtsm said, BKK has lots of early morning departures, and JL 708 is usually (IME) full.

greg0ire

Good to know, thanks! I am hoping to change last minute to a CX flight so I can enjoy HKG-LAX in F.

transpac

Airport Rail Link installs more elevators at six stations

BANGKOK, 28 April 2016 (NNT) - The Airport Rail Link is providing improved facilities for passengers and has installed a dozen more elevators at several stations.

The added facilities will make travel more convenient for the increased number of passengers. The elevators, two at each of the six stations, are designed to have sufficient capacity to accommodate passengers with large baggage, as well as catering to the needs of the disabled, children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Information in Braille is being provided for passengers with impaired eyesight.

The public can follow the Airport Rail Link’s activities, routes and promotions via the Airport Rail Link’s application that can be downloaded and used with both IOS and Android systems.

For more information, please call 1690 or visit www.facebook.com/PR.ARL, Twitter: Airport Rail Link and www.srtet.co.th, and Instagram: Airport Rail Link

http://thainews.prd.go.th/CenterWeb/...C5904280010063


Note: elevators are also being installed in some/many BTS/skytrain stations although that work appears to be stalled for the past few months.

seanthepilot

I flew out of BKK last week, taking the Airport link from Phaya Thai.

With 5 minutes to departure the platform was so full, the top of the escalator had no space for more people.

Then the train came in. As a further flood of people offloaded, it was a spectacle. Hilarious, really.

It's good that it's a success. And for 45 THB a great deal.

But, I can't believe how horribly conceived the design was. Did they plan to never run at capacity?