Bangkok Guide: Fares, Tickets, Hours and Where to Stay

Five numbers cover a first Bangkok trip. The airport train costs THB 15 to 45. BTS fares run THB 17 to 65. The Grand Palace costs THB 500. Licensed venues may open until 04:00. Call 1669 for an ambulance in a medical emergency.

By Vincent Nguyen and team

The five numbers a first-time visitor needs

Bangkok rewards a plan built on rail lines, river piers and opening hours.

The Airport Rail Link costs THB 15 to 45. BTS adult fares run from THB 17 to THB 65.

The Grand Palace ticket is THB 500. Licensed entertainment venues may stay open until 04:00. The ambulance number is 1669.

Each number links to its full guide below: BTS and MRT fares, the Grand Palace, bar closing times and English-speaking hospitals.

Arriving at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang

Both airports have a rail option, and rail is the fixed-price choice. Compare them before you queue for a taxi.

From Don Mueang, the Red Line adult fare to Chatuchak is THB 29. The Grab pick-up point at Suvarnabhumi is at Passenger Terminal Level 1, Gate 4, and operates 24 hours. The full options are in Suvarnabhumi to Bangkok and Don Mueang to Bangkok.

Sort a phone and cash on the way out.

True sells a 10-day tourist SIM at THB 349, and AIS sells an 8-day SIM at THB 499.

AIS points sit on the 2nd floor at the Suvarnabhumi baggage claims and on the 3rd floor of Terminal 2 at Don Mueang. A Thai ATM charges a foreign card THB 250 for Visa and THB 350 for Mastercard at KBank, and THB 220 at Krung Thai. See the eSIM guide and the ATM fee guide.

BTS, MRT and river boats

The BTS adult Rabbit Card matrix in force took effect on 1 November 2025. From Siam the fare is THB 17 to a neighbouring station and steps up to THB 47 along the line. From Khu Khot it rises to THB 45 and then to THB 62 and THB 65 for the longest journeys.

On the MRT Blue Line, fares for 1 to 12 or more stations run from THB 17 to THB 44 under the regulation that applies from 3 July 2026. Contactless cards pay fares on the Blue and Purple Lines. Credit cards under VISA, Mastercard or UnionPay work as contactless cards there. The BTS and MRT fare guide has the full matrix.

The Chao Phraya express boats run on coloured flags. The orange line runs Nonthaburi to Rajsingkorn on weekdays at a flat THB 19, and the yellow line to Sathorn costs THB 24. The red line costs THB 33 against a normal price of THB 50. On the green-yellow line, Pak Kret to Nonthaburi costs THB 17 and Pak Kret to Sathorn THB 36.

The yellow midday boat runs every day. A single tourist boat journey costs THB 40, and the all-day River Pass costs THB 150. Details are in Chao Phraya boats.

Temple tickets and hours

Three temples sit within a short ferry hop of each other, and each has its own price and dress rule. The table shows what a foreign visitor pays and when each opens.

At the Grand Palace, sleeveless shirts, vests, short tops, see-through tops and short pants are not allowed. Torn pants, tight pants, bike pants, mini skirts and sleeping suits are also not allowed. At Wat Pho shorts are not allowed, but trousers are. Read Grand Palace tickets and dress code before you go.

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho is 46 meters long and 15 meters high. Since 5 April 2024 the orange-flag and gold-flag express boats no longer stop at Wat Arun pier and stop at Tha Tien instead. By MRT, leave Sanam Chai Station by Exit 1 and take the ferry from Tha Tien pier. See Wat Pho and Wat Arun.

Chatuchak’s general goods market is open Friday to Sunday and closed Monday to Wednesday. From BTS Mo Chit, leave by Exit 1 for a direct walkway into the market. The Chatuchak guide has the exits. Line the stops up with the 3-day Bangkok plan, which prices Jim Thompson House too.

Nightlife hours

Nobody may sell alcohol outside 11:00 to 24:00. That makes midnight the stop time for an ordinary bar. Entertainment venues are the exception: they may sell within the opening and closing times their own licence allows.

Dance halls, massage parlours and the other entertainment-venue types in clause 6/3 may stay open until 04:00 the next day. The regulation took effect on 15 December B.E. 2566 (2023) and covers Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Phuket and the Ko Samui district. The bar closing times guide explains the licence types.

Where to stay and where to live

Choose a base by rail line, not by neighbourhood name. The BTS Silom Line meets the Sukhumvit Line at Siam and ends at National Stadium. The Sukhumvit Line runs along Sukhumvit Road, then Ploenchit Road, Rama I Road and Phyathai Road, and passes Victory Monument. The Silom Line crosses the Chao Phraya River via Saphan Taksin to Sathorn Road, then runs along Silom Road past Lumpini Park.

The Old City has no BTS station. From the MRT, leave Sanam Chai Station by Exit 1 and take bus 3, 9, 44, 47, 53 or 82. The Bangkok areas guide compares six areas.

If you plan to live here, a lean month costs about THB 20,868. A comfortable month costs about THB 38,265.68 for one adult, before VAT and service charges.

Rent decides the gap: a one-bedroom ranges from THB 12,000 to THB 55,000 a month, and a Sukhumvit one-bedroom starts at THB 22,000, 15 minutes from the centre by BTS. Electricity costs THB 3.0000 a unit for the first 200 units. The Bangkok cost of living guide breaks the budget down.

Health and immigration

Call 1669 for an ambulance in a medical emergency.

JCI’s directory lists Bumrungrad, Bangkok Hospital Headquarters, Samitivej Sukhumvit and BNH as accredited under its Hospital Program. Many, not all, of the insurers Bumrungrad contracts with allow direct billing; otherwise the patient pays first, usually with a deposit. Most international patients at Samitivej are eligible for pay and claim reimbursement.

Bangkok Hospital works with hundreds of travel insurers for cashless emergency care, within the terms of the policy. The hospital guide links each insurance page.

For visa business, the Bangkok counter is in Building B, South Zone, of the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road, Lak Si. Short-term extensions go to Counter K at IT Square Laksi Plaza, 3rd floor, since 18 April 2022. Hours are Monday to Friday, 08.30 to 12.00 and 13.00 to 16.30, closed on public holidays. See the office guide.

Day trips

Ayutthaya is the easiest day trip by train. Trains leave Krung Thep Aphiwat from 05:15, with the next at 07:30. A foreign visitor pays THB 80 for the ordinary Ayutthaya Historical Park ticket. Bang Pa-In Palace is open every day from 08:00 to 16:00.

Damnoen Saduak is best around 7:00 a.m., when many vendors row boats to sell their products. Maeklong Railway Market is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and the train passes through it 8 times a day. All six trips are in Bangkok day trips.

Common mistakes

• Taking a taxi to the Old City at midday and sitting in traffic when the river boat or MRT goes there.
• Arriving at the Grand Palace after 3:30 PM, when ticket sales stop.
• Wearing shorts or sleeveless tops to a temple.
• Expecting a bar to serve past midnight: only licensed entertainment venues may.
• Booking a hotel by area name without checking the nearest BTS or MRT station.

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Prices, timetables and opening hours change; check with the operator before you travel. See how guides are checked.

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