Best Transportation Guide in Thailand (bus, train, ferry)

Travel Guide for Transportation in Thailand from Bangkok to Koh Tao and Patong

I am lucky enough to be able to visit Thailand twice this year.
Plus I am glad it gave me my next writing materials for this blog again.

So… let me start with the most valuable topic first (imo) that most travelers look for,
the transportation”.

I visited Bangkok, Koh Tao, and Patong, and these are the transportation route I look:


BANGKOK


Don Muang airport – Mo Chit – Khaosan road/Rambuttri road/Thanon Thani road

March 2016

– I took Airport Bus A1 from outside Terminal 1 arrival (next to exit gate 6). Just wait near the counter. You pay the fare inside (30bath). The bus is really good.

– I got off at the second stop, that would be Mo Chit bus stop near Sky Train station Mo Chit BTS or exit 3 Catuchak Park MRT Station.

– It was 15-20min ride from airport to Mo Chit.

– Then I took regular bus number 3. Again pay inside (6.5-7 bath). Not bad if you are not in a hurry.

– I got off at Wat Chanasongkram School bus stop, just between Thanon Thani Road (where Nappark Hostel located) and Rambuttri street (where many restaurants and Lomprayah office located).

Khaosan road is the next alley after Rambuttri street.

– It was about 45min ride from Mo Chit to Khaosan

Don Muang airport – Mo Chit – Hua Lamphong train station

July 2016

– Again I took Airport Bus A1 from Terminal 1, next to exit gate 6. The fare is still the same, 30 bath, but the bus is way older than the one I took in March.

– I got off at Mo Chi bus stop. It was 20 min ride to Mo Chit.

– I used MRT this time. The bus stopped just few step from MRT entrance (exit 3) Catuchak Park MRT Station.

– After entering exit gate 3, I just follow the sign in to the ticket place. I bought the token at the ticket machine. Make sure you have coins with you. The fare is 42 bath to Hua Lamphong. It’s a bit tricky to buy the token for first time use. Thanks God they have English version. Even so, I did learn how to buy it from this youtube video: “MRT Bangkok – a guide to travel around Bangkok using the MRT Subway” (link: https://youtu.be/lHW8TyuoLuE). It’s very useful!

– It took about 30 min from Mo Chit to Hua Lamphong MRT station.

– There is an exit gate where you can go out from MRT station just next to the train station, so you can avoid crossing that traffic runabout. But I had to get out from exit gate 1, where 12Go Asia office in DOB building lies just in front of this gate. I had to take my ticket for 5pm train. It was 4.35pm when I reached their office due to the crazy queue in Don Muang. Luckily the staff just handed me the ticket to Chumphon and Koh Tao and I just ran crossing the traffic runabout without paying attention to my safety (not recommended for you to do this). I literally had no time to top-up my sim card. Lucky I still managed to buy water and got in the train by 4.50pm. That was a crazy day.

– Fyi, it took me 2.5 hours to pass the immigration. It was high season and somehow the queue there was chaos. People in front just shifted line as much as they wanted. So crazy. I almost miss my train.

Khaosan road/Rambuttri road/Thanon Thani road – Mo Chit – Don Muang airport

July 2016

– I crossed the street and walked about 5min to opposite direction of where I got off from regular bus number 3, which is a one way street. From Khaosan, just walk passed Rambuttri street, then Thanon Thani Road until passing a river, crossing red lights. Then you’ll find the road becomes 2 way street. Try to look for a bus stop sign which written bus number 3 and 524. It is Wat Sam Phraya bus stop, if I am not mistaken. I got 524 bus, AC, And I paid 14 bath until Mo Chit bus stop.

– It was about 40min ride to Mo Chit.

– Once you got off from the bus, try to look a sign written “Airport Bus A1 A2 to Dong Muaeng airport”. I took Airport Bus A2 this time and paid 30 bath inside.

– The bus dropped me off in the departure hall Terminal 1 for international flight. For domestic flight, you can get off here as the two terminals are connected.

– It was 15-20min ride from Mo Chit to Airport

– Fyi, I took almost 2 hours for check-in and immigration process due to long queue. The queue and the people were crazy, not to mention the Chinese tourists group. It was high season. So just make sure you calculate your time properly when you want to fly from this airport.

Around Bangkok

March 2016

I went to Siam area and back to Khaosan using Grabbike service. Paid 100bath. It was crazy ride, just like tuktuk. Unfortunately, Grab doesn’t offer this service anymore in my next visit in July.





KOH TAO


Bangkok – Koh Tao (lomprayah bus-fast boat)

March 2016

– I took Lomprayah service, joint ticket bus and fast boat, for 1,100 bath. Bought the ticket at their office in Rambuttri, as soon as I reached Khaosan. The schedule to Koh Tao is from 9pm but people have started queuing for check-in since 7pm.

– The bus came after 9pm. We were asked to wait in the park near Rambuttri intersection. The bus is convenient for sleeping and stopped one time after midnight at a place where you can find foods and drinks.

– The bus reached Lomprayah pier around 6am.

– At 7am the fast boat departed, first they stopped at Koh Nangyuang and 15min later they reached Koh Tao at 8.45am.

Bangkok – Chumphon – Koh Tao (train + lomprayah bus-fast boat)

July 2016

– I tried to take train this time. I craved for more adventure and I had fun. I booked the tickets online at 12Go.Asia for the train to Chumphon (963 bath for Class II Sleeper AC, lower berth) and Lomprayah service from Chumphon train station to Koh Tao (904 bath). I was afraid of not getting the ticket due to high season. It is way cheaper if you buy it directly from the train station, which I read providing a special office for tourist in the station where we can also buy connecting ticket.

– The train departed Hua Lamphon station at 5.10pm and reached Chumphon station around 2am, almost an hour delay.

– At 5.30am, the Lomprayah office in the station open. Don’t forget to check in here and wait nearby as the bus will come around 6am in front of the station. So you need to be ‘awake’ and ‘aware’ which bus are you taking.

– The bus arrived at the pier around 6.50am. Then we just went straight to check in counter, and got in another line to get into the boat.

– The fast boat departed around 7am. First they stopped at Koh Nangyuang and 15min later they reached Koh Tao at 8.45am.

Koh Tao – Phuket (lomprayah fast boat-bus)

March 2016

– The fast boat left about 6am. It is convenience. I bought the ticket at travel office in Big Blue Diving for 1,100 bath.

– 3 hours later we arrived in Donsak pier. There are buses waiting soon as you got off the boat.

– We stopped at a place where we could get some food/drink.

– Then we arrived in Phuket around 3pm, in a place inside a gas station.

Koh Tao – Bangkok (lomprayah fast boat-bus)

July 2016

– The fast boat left on time, at 2.45pm, check in starts from 1.30pm. I bought the ticket at Island Travel Koh Tao for 1,100 bath.

– The ferry reached Chumphon pier around 3.15pm. Then I waited for like 30min for the bus to Bangkok.

– As usual, it will stop at a place where we can grab some food/drink then we reached Bangkok around 1.30am, an hour delay.

Around Koh Tao

March/July 2016

– Mae Haad pier – Sairee: I got free transfer from my dive center, Big Blue Diving. It was like 10min ride.

– Sairee – Mae Haad pier: paid 200 bath for taxi transfer since I had to catch 6am boat. They picked me up at 5.30am. It was like 10min ride to the pier.

– The most convenient way to go around is by motorbike. I browsed about it but I found some worrying storing about rental bike in Koh Tao, how they used passport to scam tourist that I decided not to rent one, not when I’m travelling alone. Even so, this rental shop looks trustable: Koh Tao Scooters (https://www.facebook.com/kohtaoscooters/)

– My convenient way to get around here is by walking. I just enjoyed myself around Sairee. It is safe, even when I walked alone along the beach at night. Then I also had a friend to take me around in his motorbike ^^v .

 


PHUKET


Phuket – Patong (lomprayah minivan)

March 2016

– There was a minivan waiting in the gas station where the bus stop. I paid 200 bath.

– The ride took about 30min to Patong, if I am not mistaken.

Patong – Phuket airport

March 2016

I booked airport transfer from Patong Hemingway’s Hotel since I had to catch 8am flight. The fare for private car was 800 bath + early surcharge of 200 bath. It was expensive but I had no choice. Hopefully in the future, there will be plenty of Grabtaxi or Uber service there with reasonable price.

 


That’s it. Hope these are useful for you!

For more up-to-date travel journal/tips/etc, Follow Me on Instagram #TravellingAngelStory and Facebook @TravellingAngelStory

 



travellingangel

Traveller. Foodie. Content Creator. Beach and underwater are my kind of place to 'meditate'. Now I am looking a way to strive in digital marketing business.

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