How to Use the Skytrain in Bangkok

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The Skytrain: A Quick Way of Getting Around Bangkok

Bangkok is a famously congested city. Never-ending traffic jams that sometimes continue round the clock can be very frustrating and stressful. However, since the opening of the skytrain there is a quick and hassle-free way of travelling around the central areas of Bangkok.

Although negotiating the Bangkok skytrain is easy, it is useful to know what one is dealing with before the event, so in this lens I hope to give people an idea of what things to be aware of when using the skytrain.
 

If you want some idea of what to do when in Bangkok, try a few of the things on this lens 10 Memorable Things to See/Do in Bangkok.

Bangkok Skytrain Map 

One of the first things travellers need to know before using the skytrain is which parts of town it serves. Although the Bangkok skytrain coverage is not extensive, it does greatly assist travellers in getting around the city centre and a map can help plan with travel connections.

This map of Bangkok highlights the skytrain along route and stations along with elevated expressways.
Expressway & Skytrain Map of Bangkok

Expressway & Skytrain Map of Bangkok

by: Aaron Frankel

Amazon Price: (as of 11/28/2009) Buy Now

What Exactly Is The Skytrain? 

The skytrain in Bangkok is an elevated railway with all stations also elevated above major roads. Its official name in English is The Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) and its Thai name "rot fai fa" translates as "skytrain".

The skytrain opened on 5th December 1999 and an extension of 2 further stations was opened in May 2009, with a further extension in the process of being built.

You can learn a little more about the skytrain here: Bangkok Skytrain.

Photos of the Skytrain in Bangkok 

Here are a few random photographs of the skytrain in Bangkok.

More photos of the skytrain are available on the BTS official website: Skytrain Gallery.

These Things are Not Allowed 

A few things are not allowed on the skytrain or on the stations.

1. No Littering
2. No Unlicensed Selling
3. No Smoking
4. No Animals (Except Guidedogs)
5. No eating or Drinking
6. No Flammable Products

As one enters any skytrain station, one must pass through a security scanner which is attended by a security guard. Occasionally they will ask to look inside your bag before allowing entry to the station.

No photos used to be on the list but seems to have disappeared and certainly no one gave me a second look as I took the pictures for this lens.

Getting Change 

The unit of currency in Thailand is the Thai Baht and it is essential to have some to be able to buy your ticket. Whilst a few skytrain stations have exchange bureaux one cannot count on them all around the route, so come armed with some local currency.

However, there are change booths on every station so that travellers can exchange banknotes for coins in order to use the ticket machines. Also at these booths, multiple journey tickets can be purchased but there is little advantage in doing so and most people just buy single journey tickets.


So, go to the booth and obtain a sufficient number of coins to use the ticket machine: remember, it is a CHANGE booth not an EXCHANGE booth.

Some photos of Thai money -



If you do wish to check out exchange rates I find this to be a fairly reliable currency converter: Oanda.com

Buy Your Ticket 

There are basically three steps here;

1. Select your destination.
2. Find out what fare zone that destination is in.
3. Press the button for that fare zone on the ticket machine and pay.

1. Select Your Destination

This is done by taking a look at the skytrain map which is next to every ticket machine and look for your required destination. The station that want to go to will have a number between 1 and 6 on it.

                   

The number on your station is what you need to know for step 2.


2. Find out what fare zone that destination is in.

This is easily done by looking at the fare information chart which is above every skytrain map (the map you just got the number from). Look at the number that you obtained from the map and you will see that a fare ranging from 15 to 40 baht corresponds to that number.

                   

Get your coins ready for step three.


3. Press the button for that fare zone on the ticket machine and pay.

Press the button on the ticket machine that corresponds to the fare zone obtained in step 1. The fare will be displayed but you will already have the correct coinage because of step 2. Put the correct fare in the coin slot, using 10 or 5 baht coins.

                   

You will receive your ticket and any change will come as 5 baht coins.

Now You Have Your Ticket 

Skytrain tickets are about the size of a credit card and made of flexible plastic. On one side they have a picture; this one is concerning safety on the skytrain.

Don't be alarmed if your ticket does not look exactly like this one, the designs change from time to time; frequently they show tourist attractions around Thailand.

One Night in Bangkok 

Remember that silly song about Bangkok? It is from the musical "Chess". You can download it here.
One Night In Bangkok (Vinylshakerz Screen Cut)

One Night In Bangkok (Vinylshakerz Screen Cut)

Amazon Price: $0.89 (as of 11/28/2009) Buy Now

Negotiating the Ticket Barrier 

For anyone that has used a similar system this really should not be an issue, you just put the ticket in the slot at the front, it reappears from the slot at the top, the barrier opens and you walk through taking the ticket at the same time.

However, on the first day the skytrain opened, most Thais had never seen such a system and the whole thing ground to a halt only an hour or so after the opening due to people not being able to deal with the ticket barrier.

As is apparent in this photo, one enters through the barrier with the green arrows displayed. The exit barriers display a red cross.

On the Skytrain Platform 

On skytrain stations one must go up another level from the ticket machine and ticket barrier onto the platform. There are stairs and elevators on every station and their are lifts for the disabled but one must speak to a security guard first about this.

Once on the platform, for reasons of obvious safety, one is required to stand behind the yellow line marked about 30 centimetres from the edge of the platform.

One will also notice some other markings on the platform. These indicate where one should stand when the train stops at the platform. Basically, one is required to stand just to the side of where the doors will be when the train stops (the train always stops at exactly the right place), and to let people off of the train before getting on.

One more thing to remember is that when the skytrain is busy, people politely queue to get onto the train, as can be seen here:

Very civilized.

Getting Off the Skytrain 

Once one is travelling in the correct direction to the intended destination, listen to the announcements telling passengers which station is being approached. The announcements are in Thai and English. There are also many maps of the skytrain network in all train compartments so that passengers can follow their progress.

The journey time between stations is just a few minutes.

For further confirmation that you are at the correct station, just look out of the window to see the signs on the platform.

Once off of the train head down the stairs, through the ticket barrier and make ones way back down to the street. If you have bought a single journey ticket, after inserting your ticket into the ticket barrier, the barrier will open but your ticket will not be returned. If you want a souvenir ticket, you will have to buy another one.

Some skytrain stations have bridges which cross straight into shopping malls, Prom Phong, Siam, National Stadium and Sala Daeng all spring to mind.

Which Station for Which Place? 

Unfortunately, the Bangkok skytrain does not really go near many of the main tourist attractions but it does service the main shopping areas quite well. Here I will outline some of the stations that allow passengers to alight near certain places of interest.

Sukhumvit Line
Mo Chit - Mo Chit Bus Terminal, MRT Station & Chatuchak Market.
Victory Monument - Victory Monument and Markets.
Ratchathewi - Short Taxi ride to Pratunam Market & Baiyoke Tower.
Siam - Siam Square & Siam Paragon Mall.
Chit Lom - Central World.
Nana - Lower Sukhumvit Restaurants, shopping and Nightlife.
Asok - Soi Cowboy & MRT Station.
Phrom Phong - Emporium Mall.
Ekkamai - Ekkamai Bus Terminal.

Silom Line
National Stadium - National Stadium & MBK Mall.
Sala Daeng - Silom Shopping, Lumphini Park & Patpong Road.
Saphan Taksin - Central Pier for River Bus.

Bangkok Skytrain Operating Hours 

Skytrain Schedule.

The Bangkok Skytrain operates services between 6am and midnight every day of the week.

Trains are frequent and at the busiest time of the day, there are trains every 5 minutes to deal with the large numbers of passengers that now use the skytrain in Bangkok.
skytrain

More Bangkok Maps to Help You Get Around 

Although I have not used it myself, many people tell me that the Nancy Chandler map shown here is a really useful one.
Nancy Chandler's Map of Bangkok, 24th ed.
Nancy Chandler's Map of B...
Groovy Map 'n' Guide Bangkok (2009)
Groovy Map 'n' Guide Bang...
Periplus Travel Maps Bangkok (Thailand Regional Maps)
Periplus Travel Maps Bang...
Bangkok City Map (Travel Reference Map)
Bangkok City Map (Travel...
Insight Flexi Map Bangkok
Insight Flexi Map Bangkok

Skytrain Art Print 

Person with Shopping Bags Entering a Carriage of the Skytrain, Bangkok, Thailand

Buy at AllPosters.com

BTS Website 

Here is the official BTS website with full details of ticketing, stations etc.

The Weather in Bangkok 

Current weather conditions in Bangkok, Thailand

Local Pollen Reports

25°C (Feels like 26°C)

Last update: 11/29/09 7:00 AM Local Time

Humidity: 72%
Visibility: 10.0 km
Dew Point: 19°C
UV Index: 0 (Lawn and Garden Weather)
Barometer: 1012.9mm N/A
Moon: Rush Hour Traffic
Wind: calm From: Airport Conditions
powered by weather.com

Have You Used The Skytrain in Bangkok? 

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About The Lens Author 

Lensmaster nickupton has been a member since June 23 2007, has rated 146 lenses, favorited 71, and has created 63 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "The Sneetches by Dr Seuss". See all my lenses

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