Comments on: 7 Things to Know about Taking the Bangkok Bus

By: Croatia Guy

Croatia Guy — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 13:48:10 +0000

This page definitely has all of the information and facts I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.

By: Monika

Monika — Sun, 07 May 2017 15:56:37 +0000

Thanks for your tips! Suppose I’ll get lost anyway but at least I know what to expect 😀

By: Henry Tan

Henry Tan — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 11:47:30 +0000

“Does this mean it’s a free ride? No.”
Well, actually yes for many of the red buses such as the one on your third picture. Yes, free of charge.

By: Frida

Frida — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 15:46:03 +0000

Great article Christine!
I found it while searching for info about the Bangkok busses with a number and a sign similar to “s” or “5”. I was waiting for one of them today but it never came (109s). I can’t find any info about it anywhere. I believe maybe it’s a minibus or one of them big busses without numbers on them. If anybody knows, it would be interesting to hear.

I have been exploring Bangkok by public transport now for almost two weeks and this “s” bus is the first one that’s gone wrong. My best tip is to get a Thai sim-card with data on it (they are cheap) and then use Google maps with GPS to help you chose and find transport. It is also great to have Google maps with car route tapped in if you take a taxi, so you know the taxi is not going in a crazy direction. This does take some battery life of your phone, but I find it worth it and very comforting to carry a battery pack for longer outings.

Sadly Google maps does not show the bus colours, so I’ve used Wikipedia for that. Also Google maps sometimes draws diagonal lines instead of following the road so it can be hard to know exactly where the buss goes. To see the exact route I’ve used an app called Bangkok bus map. (this one shows the routes, but not colour, and searches poorly). A combination of these three would be great.

One problem I have had is that the conductor needs to know where you are going, and often do not know English or bad Thai pronounciation, and can not read maps.

Something I’ve also searched for but not found is route maps for songthaew (the little pickup truck busses.) That would be a great help when getting around on a smaller scale.

By: Ernest

Ernest — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 03:28:15 +0000

The buses are much cheaper than taxis & tuk-tuks, and affords the tourist a close-up view of everyday life in Bangkok. The disadvantage, though, is that buses are irregular and it is not uncommon to see three buses of the same number arrive at the bus stop within a minute of each other.

The bus stops are denoted with a single signpost. A large number of the stops (especially along Ratchadamnoen Klang road) do not have seats, and usually those that do would also display the bus numbers of the buses that stop there. Nevertheless, the bus attendant that collects fees on the bus are often very friendly and would usually inform you where to get off. The bus drivers and attendants speak very little English, though, and it is unsurprising that sometimes they would not know the name of the bus stop.

I recently visited Bangkok in late June 2016, and I can provide a list of Bangkok buses (Ratanakosin, Banglamphu, to and from Don Muang airport etc.) if you would require to post on this page. Kindly drop me an email if you require! > tzh.avellaneda@gmail.com 🙂

By: Christine Kaaloa

Christine Kaaloa — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 03:16:43 +0000

In reply to PassportDave. @Dave: Good luck! It's actually not too crazy but organized, the more you use it. I'm sure you'll love it. Just avoid taking the bus during peak traffic! ;-)

By: PassportDave

PassportDave — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 06:23:39 +0000

On my way to Thailand very shortly and will very much be taking the local buses (im a stickler for savings). This article is very helpful and I am looking forward to trying out my luck on the insane bus system that is Bangkok public. Besides, getting lost is half the fun.

By: Juliet Jones

Juliet Jones — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 08:17:22 +0000

Hilarious article! It reminds me of my own struggle back in June… I had managed all other means of transport when I decided to get on a bus to go back to my hostel…… And it took TIME to do so! I didn’t know which one to get on so I kept asking local people ^_^ Some people were REALLY helpful, especially this old lady who kept asking around about a bus to bring me back home. Her English was broken but she was doing her very best to help me! After a LONG WHILE I jumped in a bus and the money collector was also helpful… But this was so much stress that I cried during the ride. I managed to take a ferry after this bus and eventually arrived home, but what an adventure!!!!
The buses of Bangkok remain a mystery to me ^_^

By: CareerBreakSite

CareerBreakSite — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:56:43 +0000

My tip – ask a middle-aged lady for help! RT @grrrltraveler: 7 Tips on using the #Bangkok city bus http://t.co/tcGvgNve #thailand

By: SoloFriendly

SoloFriendly — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:29:29 +0000

Very useful info for Bangkok visitors: 7 Tips on using the Bangkok city bus http://t.co/ZJpqfobC via @grrrltrveler