Airport Rail Link Bangkok: fast and cheap!
The last day before my departure from Bangkok I had the opportunity to try out the Airport Rail Link. In this posting my experiences with this fast connection from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the center of Bangkok.
The Airport Rail Link consists of two lines on which express trains run:
- Expressline (red): From Suvarnabhumi Airport to Makkasan Station (non-stop). The journey time is 15 minutes.
- Cityline (blue): From Suvarnabhumi Airport to Phaya Thai Station (stops at each station, six in total). The total distance is 28 kilometers to the final station, journey time: 30 minutes.
Both lines depart from Suvarnabhumi Airport every 15 minutes. The trains run seven days a week from 6:00 to 24:00.
Airport Rail Link station at Suvarnabhumi Airport
The Airport Rail Link train station is located on the B floor at Suvarnabhumi Airport. There are five floors at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
- Fourth floor: vertrek
- Third floor: restaurants/shops
- Second floor: arrival
- First floor: taxi and bus
- B floor: Airport Rail Link station
If you arrive after arrival Thailand want to travel to Bangkok with the Airport Rail Link? Then it is best to take the elevator to the B floor at the airport.
The choice of line depends on your destination, but also whether you want to transfer to the Metro (MRT) or the Skytrain (BTS). The possibilities:
- Expressline to Makkasan Station and there you can change to the MRT Subway towards Mo Chit or towards Hua Lamphong (train station).
- Cityline to Phaya Thai Station and there you can transfer to the BTS Skytrain towards Mo Chit or On Nut.
With the City Line to Bangkok
From my hotels (Convenient Grand Hotel) I could see the airport. In just 20 minutes we were transported from the hotel to Suvarnabhumi Airport by free shuttle bus. From the airport we could easily take the Airport Rail Link to the center of Bangkok. We wanted to go to the cinema in Siam Paragon. That meant changing to the Skytrain at Phaya Thai Station, so we opted for the blue City Line.
Buying a ticket is very easy. You choose the end station on a touchscreen and you pay. The rest works just like the Metro and Skytrain. You use your ticket to open the gates. Walks to the platform and gets on. We paid 45 baht (€ 1) per person (one way).
The ride with the air-conditioned express train is comfortable. The train is cheap, safe, clean, fast and quiet. The view is beautiful, you now see a different part of Bangkok.
After 30 minutes we arrived at the Phaya Thai Station, from there you can walk straight into the station of the BTS Skytrain. Buy a ticket for the Skytrain again and you will be at Siam Station, the heart of Bangkok, in 5 minutes.
Back to our hotel we also went with the City Line and took a taxi from the airport. The Airport Rail Link is definitely an asset to Bangkok, I will be using it more often. Everything is explained in the video below.
- More information: airportraillink.railway.co.th
- Map of Airport Rail Link, Skytrain and Metro: Bangkok itinerary map
Hi Khan Peter,
Another addition to your experiences with the Airport Link.
Last week I also tried the Railwaylink and it is an excellent, fast and cheap connection to the airport and the center of Bangkok.
Incidentally , on Monday , June 6 , I drove nonstop from Phaya Thai Station to the Airport in 15 minutes .
It was noted that virtually no tourists and / or farang used the Railwaylink on the four journeys I made.
Hans Goudrian
@ Hans, correct. For 99% Thai in the trains, was also my experience. On the way back we saw a Frenchman with his children, including suitcases.
What I did not mention in the article is that you can even check in at Makkasan Station for the flights of Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways.
Your comment about non-stop is correct and quite new:
From June 1, 2011 onwards, Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link's Express train is expecting to open its new route to facilitate the journey of all passengers, and will offer a special discount from a regular fare of 150 Baht to 90 Baht for a single trip while fare for round trip is only 150 Baht.
SRT Deputy Governor and Acting CEO of SRT Electrified Train Co., Ltd Pakorn Tangiatsakow said Airport Rail Link will offer a special promotion under the slogan “LOVE THE EARTH TRAVEL WITH US”. With Express Line's new route from and to Phaya Thai – Suvarnabhumi Airport, it takes 18 minutes to travel. The frequency of the train will be every half an hour.
However, direct Express Line, on route from and to Makkasan – Suvarnabhumi station, is still in service for normal operation, which takes 15 minutes to reach the airport. The train headway will be every 20 minutes. Passenger can also use the service at Bangkok City Air Terminal (BCAT), Makkasan station where many facilities are provided such as check-in counter service and baggage loading service. Airport Rail Link is open for service everyday from 06.00:24.00 to XNUMX:XNUMX.
New promotional fares for both routes are as follows;
Round trip ticket = 150 Baht (valid within 2 weeks at the date the first journey is taken)
Single trip ticket = 90 Baht (valid within 1 day)
The promotional fares will begin on June 1 and will last until the end of this year. Apart from this promotion, Airport Rail Link is inviting and encouraging more passengers to ride on Express Line by providing more convenience and comfort to their journey with ticket office channel at Phaya Thai and Makkasan station.
attn editors
compliments for your observational skills and verbal talent for conveying so much very useful information about Thailand
interesting, captivating and practical, keep it up!
@ dear Sjoerd, thanks for the compliment. Of course not only applies to the editors, but also to bloggers such as Joseph, Gringo, John, Cor, Dick, etc, etc. We just take the nagging of some expats / pensioners for granted ... ;-)
Indeed an excellent connection, the reason that few farang use it is perhaps that if you arrive with suitcases you do not feel like transferring to the BTS and you may also have to walk a bit to your hotel, it would be very handy if you can take a taxi from the Phaya Thai station where I arrive for the last bit. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to descend the stairs with suitcases and get a taxi because a taxi can hardly or not stop there.
To squeeze through the busy traffic with suitcases to get a taxi is not really a pleasant prospect, especially when it is hot or raining hard.
Furthermore, all the benefits described above are absolutely true.
Q: Is there an escalator down when transferring FROM PayaThai train station TO BTS Paya Thai. In 2010 I did not see an escalator going down, but an escalator up… to the trains to the airport…
@ Ed Train Station Phaya Thai is on the ground floor; BTS station Phaya Thai in height. Unless you are an Escher fan, going down an escalator from the train station to the BTS station is impossible. Perhaps by 'train station' you mean the station of the Airport Rail Link. I don't know how the connection between that station and the BTS station is.
This new connection is ideal. Last time I took it from the airport and vice versa. Fortunately I had little luggage with me (read: a trolley on four wheels) so I was reasonably mobile. If you have less practical suitcases with you, a taxi is still recommended.
Now I have never used it myself, but given the original price of 150 thb I can imagine that if you arrive with suitcases that you would like to be transported to your door by a taxi for 100 thb more without walking and transferring with your suitcases.
Chang Noi
If you are with several people or a lot of luggage, a taxi might be better. Also depends a bit on where you need to be. Taking a taxi to the center of Bangkok during rush hour is no fun. Allow only two hours or more for this.
And how about: from your hotel on Sukumvit by taxi during rush hour to Survana?
You wouldn't be the first to miss your (domestic) flight.
That apart from the fact that you have to negotiate quite a bit to get a taxi to the airport for Thb 350. Do you also run the risk that he will regret the agreed price and will become ill during the ride or refuse to take the toll road.
MRT a blessing!!
And have you ever tried to get a taximeter from Suan Lum to your hotel in the evening?
No, take the metro to Silom and with the BTS you can go in all directions.