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By Bus |
 The
Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), under the jurisdiction
of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, operates
bus services in Bangkok. The authority currently offers 136
routes serving every part of the city and the nearby provinces.
Currently, more than four thousand buses ply the city’s streets,
of which around 2,800 are regular buses and around 1,200 air-conditioned
buses.
An additional
1,862 privately owned regular and air-conditioned buses, and
1,580 mini-buses are operated under the BMTA. For the budget
traveler, bus is the cheapest way of getting around, but it’s
not always the most convenient. Traffic congestion in Bangkok
can be very frustrating, especially if it’s your first visit
here. In addition, there are no specific schedules for the
services, so nobody can predict when the next bus will arrive.
It really depends on the traffic situation at the time.
Buses in Bangkok
come in a bewildering number of sizes, colors and varieties.
Fares vary with each different type of bus.
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Non-air
conditioned regular bus (red-cream color) is the cheapest
bus service with a 3.50 baht fare for any journey. With
the air pollution and heat in Bangkok, traveling on
these buses can be a trying experience, especially during
daytime and rush hours. Services usually start at 5.00
am and go through to 11.00 pm. On certain well-traveled
routes, services run all night but the fare is 5 baht
and again it’s impossible to predict what time the buses
will come. Some red and cream buses travel on the Expressway,
in which case the fare is 5.50 baht. These buses usually
have a yellow sign in the front.
Other
types of regular service buses in white-blue color and
privately owned mini-buses in green run on some routes.
The fare is 5 baht for any distance. The green mini-buses
are notorious for the nerve-wracking maneuvers of their
drivers. |
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Air-conditioned
buses (cream-blue color) are slightly more convenient
than the regular buses. The bus fare depends on the distance
traveled, but ranges from 6 baht up to 16 baht. Services
usually operate from 5.00 am to 11.00 pm. |
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Air-conditioned
buses (white-pink color) are only available on some routes.
The fare is 10 baht and services usually start at 4.30
am to 10.00 pm. |
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Euro II bus
(yellow-orange color) are also air-conditioned and relatively
new. Services starts run from 5.00 am to 11.00 pm. The
fare ranges from 8 baht to 18 baht depending on the distance. |
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Micro-bus
(purple or red color) is an alternative privately owned
bus service. The 20-seat passenger buses come in air-conditioned
comfort. The fare is a flat 20 baht regardless of the
distance. Micro-buses stop taking passengers once every
seat is filled, so everyone is guaranteed a seat. |
Watch out
for pickpockets and bag-slashers on Bangkok buses. Keep your
wallet in your front pocket and your bags in front of you
at all times.
For more information about
the routes contact 184
For micro-bus information, call +66 2 379 5145 to 8
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