Bangkok, in plain English
Clear, sourced references to getting around Bangkok and getting things done in the city — compiled from official data and resident experience, and kept up to date.
Getting around
Getting around Bangkok by train: BTS, MRT and the airport line
Every rail line, single fares, which fare card works where, and how to get in from both airports — the whole network in plain English.
Transport guide · EnglishThe nearest BTS or MRT station to Bangkok's top attractions
The closest station to the Grand Palace, Chatuchak, IconSiam, Khao San and both airports — and the honest answer for the spots with no train at the door.
Transport guide · EnglishBangkok fare cards explained: Rabbit, MRT and tapping a bank card
Which card you actually need, what each one covers and costs, and the 2026 switch to contactless tap-to-pay — without the maze.
Transport guide · EnglishRiding Bangkok's city buses: BMTA routes, fares and how to pay
Who runs the buses, what a ride costs, how to pay the conductor, which apps find your bus, and the unwritten rules of flagging one down.
Transport guide · EnglishGetting around the old town without a BTS station
No Skytrain reaches the Grand Palace, Wat Pho or Khao San — here is the honest choice between the MRT Blue Line, the river boat and a Grab, with 2026 fares.
Transport guide · EnglishFrom the airport into Bangkok: train, Grab or taxi
Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang into the city — the honest choice between the Airport Rail Link, Grab and a metered taxi, and what to do when you land after the trains stop.
Transport guide · EnglishGrab or a metered taxi in Bangkok: which is cheaper, and when
An honest meter usually wins off-peak; Grab’s fixed price wins in the rain, the rush hour and when a driver won’t run the meter — the 2026 comparison.
Transport guide · EnglishBangkok’s river boats explained: which flag to take
What the orange, yellow, green and blue flags mean, the real 2026 fares, where to board from the BTS, and when the boat beats the train.
Transport guide · EnglishBangkok rush hour: when to travel, and which interchanges to avoid
The exact peak windows, why the train beats the road and Grab when it’s busy, and the interchanges that crush at 6pm.
Staying connected · EnglisheSIM, local SIM or pocket wifi in Bangkok: which to pick
When a travel eSIM is the easy answer, when you need a physical Thai SIM for a local number, and why pocket wifi is mostly obsolete.
Transport guide · EnglishWhere to stay in Bangkok, judged by how you’ll get around
Sukhumvit, Silom, the Old Town, Ari and the Riverside compared by rail access and airport links — not another hotel list.
Transport guide · EnglishGetting around Bangkok in the rainy season
When a storm floods the street the boat stops before the metro does. Which modes keep running, and what to check before you leave.
Transport guide · EnglishChanging airports: Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang, and how much time to leave
The free connecting-passenger shuttle, the cheap train chain, taxi and Grab costs, and the safe buffer between BKK and DMK.
Transport guide · EnglishBangkok motorbike taxis: when the orange vests beat walking or a car
How the win system works, what a ride costs, the three times a motorbike genuinely wins, GrabBike compared, and a straight word on safety.
Living in Bangkok
The 90-day report and visa extensions at Bangkok immigration
What the 90-day report is, how and where to file it, and the basics of extending your stay at Chaeng Wattana — with official sources.
City-living guide · EnglishGetting your rental deposit back in Thailand
What the law entitles you to when a landlord won't return your deposit — the 2025 lease rules, the wear-and-tear line, and the steps to recover your money.
City-living guide · EnglishBefore you sign a Bangkok condo lease
Thailand’s strengthened 2025 lease rules bind landlords who rent three or more units — which is probably not yours. What to check and negotiate instead.
City-living guide · EnglishYour condo electricity bill, and the rate your landlord invented
The official Bangkok tariff is near 4 baht a unit. Many buildings bill 6 to 9. How to read the bill, and when the markup is actually unlawful.
Money in Bangkok · EnglishCash, card or PromptPay: how to pay for things in Bangkok
Where cash is still essential, where cards work, the ATM fee to watch, the DCC trap, and why most visitors can’t use PromptPay.
More plain-English Bangkok references are on the way. Spotted something out of date? Tell us on our corrections page.