Getting There

Bangkok has a massive new airport, three bus terminals, and a centrally located train station. Affordable taxis and tuk-tuks (three-wheeled, motorized trishaws/pedicabs) cruise the broad avenues. The BTS skytrain, the city's elevated rail line, and the new Bangkok subway mean direct connection between the domestic train station and the northern bus terminal.

By Plane -- Bangkok is a major hub for air travel in Southeast Asia, with around 100 airlines providing service. In September 2006, Don Muang International Airport was replaced by the ultramodern Suvarnabhumi International Airport (say Su-va-na-poom). Claiming the second-largest terminal building in the world behind Hong Kong, Suvarnabhumi is a city unto itself, located about 30km (19 miles) east of Bangkok.

Passengers will find the following services available upon arrival: luggage storage for 100B (US$2.50/£1.40) per day; currency-exchange banks with the same rates as those in town; ATMs; phone-rental booths; Airport Information (tel. 02132-9328) and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) booths; Association of Thai Travel Agents desks; Thai Hotel Association desks; Thai and international restaurants; massage services; convenience stores; and the Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel (tel. 02131-1111).

Note: Be warned that the new airport's arrivals area is very small, poorly marked, and usually packed with touts offering rides to your hotel. Read the following information carefully to determine the best way to get to your destination. You can also go to www.bangkokairportonline.com for reliable, up-to-date airport information.

To get from the airport to the town center, it is anywhere from a 45- to 90-minute ride. Most of the larger hotels offer pickup service for a fee, or you can easily arrange for an air-conditioned minibus, taxi, or limousine to your hotel.

Taxi stands are on the ground level of the terminal building, as well as at the transport center, easily accessible by free airport shuttle buses that stop outside of the arrivals hall (second floor). Charges will be according to the meter, plus a 50B (US$1.25/£0.70) surcharge for airport service.

Private limousine services have air-conditioned sedans for hire from booths in the arrivals hall. Trips to town start at 900B (US$23/£13). Advance booking is not necessary.

The Airport Express is a convenient and inexpensive alternative, with regular departures from 5am to midnight. The four routes currently offered are from Suvarnabhumi to Silom Road; to Khao San Road; to Sukhumvit Road; and to Hualamphong Railway Station (via Siam Center). Stops include many major hotels. Tickets cost just 150B (US$3.75/£2.10).

The transport center, a short shuttle ride from the airport terminal, handles all city bus service to and from Bangkok, buses to outlying provinces (including Nong Khai on the border with Laos), and all car-rental companies. Take a free airport shuttle from outside of the arrivals hall (second floor).

City buses leave regularly and have clearly marked routes (the no. 552 bus is the most convenient, stopping at the On Nut BTS station). Interprovincial buses with service to Pattaya (130B/US$3.25/£1.80), Trat/Ko Chang (311B/US$7.75/£4.35), and Nong Khai/Vientiane, Laos (454B/US$11/£6.35) leave less frequently throughout the day.

Car-rental companies at Suvarnabhumi include Avis (tel. 084/700-8157), National (tel. 089/133-6126), Budget (tel. 089/841-3004), and Hertz (tel. 086/779-5456). Daily rentals start at 1,200B (US$30/£17) for a Toyota pickup or 2,000B (US$50/£28) for a Honda Civic sedan. Pickup and drop-off is at the transport center.

By Train -- The Thai rail network is extremely well organized, connecting Bangkok with major cities throughout the country. (You can also travel by train to Bangkok from Singapore, via Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth, Malaysia.)

All trains to and from the capital stop at Hua Lampong Railway Station (tel. 1690 or 02223-7010), east of Chinatown at the intersection of Rama IV and Krung Kasem roads. The station has many services, including baggage check and a small food court. The information counter is helpful. From the station, connect to your destination by subway, metered taxi, or tuk-tuk.

BY BUS -- Bangkok has three major bus stations, each serving a different part of the country. Buses to the west and the southern peninsula arrive and depart from the Southern Bus Terminal (tel. 02434-7192), on Nakhon Chaisi, west of the river over the Phra Pinklao Bridge from the Democracy Monument. Service to the east coast arrives and departs from the Eastern Bus Terminal, also known as Ekamai (tel. 02391-8097), on Sukhumvit Road opposite Soi 63 (Ekamai BTS skytrain station). Buses to the north arrive and leave from the Northern Bus Terminal, aka Mo Chit (tel. 02936-2841), Kampaengphet 2 Road, Mo Chit, near the Chatuchak Weekend Market (easily reached by the BTS skytrain or the MRT subway). VIP buses leave from locations in town.