TRANSPORTATION FROM AIRPORT TO HOTEL

Transport from the airport should take approximately 30-45 minutes to the Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok. Metered taxi is approximately US $10.00 which includes tolls. Cabs are metered and can be obtained as you exit the arrival area. There is a booth on the street-it is organized. Hotel car transfer is significantly more. For transportation services we recommend, you can visit these websites.

http://www.julietaxi.com
http://www.montri.co.th/php/

TRANSPORTATION

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.



There are four types of public buses in Bangkok with a different ranges of fare, depending on the types of the bus.

1) The ordinary buses:
- The red-stripe bus, 7 baht (whole route)
- The blue-stripe bus, 8 baht (whole route)

2) The air-con buses -- the normal blue buses and the Euro buses:
- The air-con blue buses, 11-19 baht (depending on the distance)
- Three types of Euro buses -- the light blue colour, the orange colour, and the white colours, 12-24 baht (depending on the distance)

3) The microbuses
The microbus, charging a flat rate of 25 baht, is the most favoured as it ceases taking up passengers once every seat is filled. During rush hours, however, it is rather difficult to get on a microbus unless you take it at or near its terminals.

4) The green minibuses


The fare of the green minibuses is 6.50 baht for the whole route.
Although travelling by bus is the cheapest, you should be careful with your belongings while riding, especially on a crowded ordinary bus.

If you plan to tour Bangkok by bus, you are recommended to consult Thaiways Maps of Bangkok, a free copy of which can be obtained from the TAT counter at the airport or from your hotel.


BTS Skytrain operates from 06.00 - 24.00 hours everyday with two main lines -- Sukhumwit and Silom lines.

Mo Chit (Northern Bus Terminal) - Onnut Line or Sukhumwit Line
This line is 17 kilometres in length with 17 stations, passing Chatuchak Market, Victory Monument, Siam Square, Ploenchit, Sukhumwit and Ekkamai (Eastern Bus Terminal).

National Stadium - Taksin Bridge Line or Silom Line
With a length of 6.5 km and 7 stations, this line passes Siam Square, Ratchadamri and Silom Road.

Passengers can change their routes at the Interchange Station at Siam Square. Apart from being the fastest means of transportation, the skytrain has two more advantages -- it offers a panoramic view of Bangkok and it stops at several prime shopping centres lying along Silom, Ratchadamri, and Sukhumwit roads.

Bangkok Metro (MRT)


The route runs from Hua Lamphong (Bangkok Railway Station) to Bang Sue with 16 stations along the way. It connects with the Skytrain at Silom, Sukhumwit and Chatuchak stations. A train leaves the terminal every 3-5 minutes from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the fares range from 14 baht to 36 baht.
See Skytrain & Metro Map


Taxis in Bangkok are fixed with a meter and have a sign "TAXI-METER" on the roof. The minimum fare is 35 baht for a distance of no more than 2 km. Then the rates are 4.50 baht per km for the next 10 km, 5 baht per km for 13 to 20 km and 5.50 baht per km for any distance over 20 km There is a surcharge of 1.25 baht per minute for traffic congestion when the taxi moves no faster than 6 km/hr. The rates only apply to trips within the limits of Bangkok, which include Don Muang Airport. A toll of 40 - 60 baht for expressway or tollway must be paid by the passenger.


Samlo (Tuk-Tuk)
This is a three-wheeled taxi without a meter or air-conditioning. Fares must be negotiated beforehand. They are normally a little cheaper than ordinary taxis and are suitable for short trips only.


Long-tail Boat
In Bangkok, long-tail boat services are available at many piers along the Chao Phraya river, offering different routes, such as those from Khlong Bangkoknoi to Bangyai, and from Khlong Bangphrom to Khlong Bangramat. The fares depend on the distance of the route, roughly from 10-20 baht. Most boats are in service from 6 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.

There are also cruise services along numerous canals which form an extensive network of waterways around Bangkok. Some popular places that you can go for a cruise by boat are the Damnoen Saduak floating market, the Temple of Dawn, the Royal Barges Museum and various Buddhist temples. As tourists, you are advised to ask for the fares from more than one pier before making a decision to assure that you will be charge at an appropriate rate.

AIRPORT
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.