An elaborate
network of canals (khlong) gave the city the nickname "Venice
of the East" at a time when all transportation was done by boat.
Today almost all have been filled in and converted into traffic-filled
streets. However, many do still exist with people living along them
and markets being conducted there as well. A notable one is the floating
market in Taling Chan district.
Several elevated highways, and a partially-finished ring road around
Greater Bangkok, have been built to overcome the jams.
In 1999 an elevated two-line 'Skytrain' (officially called BTS) metro
system was opened. The first line of the underground Bangkok Metro
opened to the public in July 2004. The remains of a failed elevated
railroad project (the Hopewell project) can still be seen all the
way from the main railroad station out towards the Don Muang airport.
Due to the Asian financial crisis the construction was halted and
the concrete pillars were left unused. Locals call them "Hopehenge,"
Hopeless, or Stonehenge.
In July 2004, a new MRT subway system was launched connecting the
northern train station of Bang Sue to the Hua Lamphong railway station
near the city center, while also going through the eastern part of
the city. It connects to the BTS system at BTS Stations Mo Chit, Asok,
and Sala Daeng.
For travel by train, most passengers begin their trips at Hua Lamphong
at the southern end of the Metro. Here, trains connect Bangkok to
Malaysia to the south, Chiang Mai and beyond to the north, and Khon
Kaen and beyond to the northeast.
Virtually all cities and provinces are easily reached by bus from
Bangkok. For destinations in the southwest and the west, buses leave
from the Southern Bus Terminal, west of the city. For destinations
in the southeast, such as Pattaya and Ko Samet, buses leave from the
Eastern Bus Terminal, at Ekkamai, the third-eastern-most stop on the
Skytrain. For all destinations north and northeast, the Northern Bus
Terminal at Mo Chit, which can be reached by both the Skytrain and
Metro, is the place to start.
Airports
Bangkok International Airport, commonly called "Don Muang",
the busiest in South-East Asia, is located north of the city, now
already enclosed by urban areas. Construction for the new Suvarnabhumi
Airport (pronounced Suwannaphum), in the Bang Phli district of Samut
Prakan Province to the south-east of the city started in 2002; it
is scheduled to be opened in 2006. Once the new airport is completed,
all international traffic and Thai's domestic traffic is expected
to go there and Don Muang will be used for low cost and charter flights
only. There is also a railway station at Don Muang for destinations
to the north and northeast.