All the information you need about bus stations in Bangkok: location, flights, infrastructure and contacts.
Buses are one of the most common and convenient modes of transportation in Thailand. From Bangkok, you can take a bus to any of the popular resorts. The reason for this is that the capital has three official bus stations, private bus stops and its own bus terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Official bus terminals
It is possible to find out about flight schedules and fares without stopping by the bus stations themselves. You can book a ticket for a route on special websites, at ticket offices around the city or at travel agencies.
East Bus Station (Ekkamai)
Ekkamai or Bangkok's eastern bus station is a small building of about 250 square meters. It sells tickets for routes in the eastern part of Thailand, not including the Isan region.
For those travelers who are hungry, locals offer food at mobile kiosks - makashnikas. You can snack on noodles, rice, fruit and pastries. There are also traditional fast food outlets selling nuts, chips, and fries.
From this bus station you can get to such resorts as:
Pattaya;
Rayong;
Trat;
Sattahip;
Chonburi;
Shree Racha;
Chanthaburi.
The cheapest way to get to Chonburi (from 68 THB) and the most expensive way to Chanthaburi (from 190 THB). You can check the schedule and buy a ticket at the bus station ticket office or on the website.
Besides that, buses take you to the Leb Ngob and Ban Pe piers, where ferries to Chang and Samet islands depart. Together with the cost of ferry tickets, getting to the islands from Ekkamai will cost THB 250 and THB 275 respectively.
Address: Sukhumvit Rd., Soi 40 Domestic phone number: 02-391-2504 International phone number: +662-391-2504 How to get there: BTS Overground train, stop: Ekkamai Station.
North Bus Station (Mo Chit)
Mo Chit or the northern bus station is a two-story building consisting solely of ticket booths. For those tourists who are hungry, there are several restaurants within walking distance.
Mochita sells tickets from more than a dozen local transportation companies. Their flights help you reach the northern provinces of Thailand, as well as the Isan region. From there, you can get to the cities:
Ayutthaya;
Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai;
Sukhotai;
Pattaya;
Lopburi;
Ubon;
Burirama;
Nakhon Pathom and other cities.
The price of the journey depends directly on the distance: for example, a ticket to Ayutthaya will cost from 65 THB, a ticket to Chiang Rai from 680 THB.
Address: Kanpaengphetch 2 Rd, near Chatuchak Park Domestic phone number: 02-936-3509 International phone number: +662-936-3509 How to get there: BTS overground subway to Mochit stop or MRT underground subway (Chatuchak Park stop). The underground metro station is a 15-minute walk from the bus station.
South Bus Station (Sai Tai Mai)
South Station or Sai Tai Mai is Bangkok's largest bus station. The 4-story building houses more than just the ticket offices. It houses the following infrastructure:
A lot of restaurants, cafes, stores with souvenirs;
two arcades;
about five bank branches;
a small parking lot;
none of the rest areas.
Sai Tai Mai is designed to reachthe southern and western resort towns such as:
Phuket.
Pangan.
Chumpon and others.
Besides this, a bus departing from Sai Tai Mai can take youto the piers for a ferry trip to Samui or Krabi islands.
The most budget-friendly bus trip from South Station is to Chumphon (for 400 THB), while the most expensive is to Samui (along with ferry tickets from 850 THB). Direct flights (e.g. to Phuket) depart from the bus station after 17:00. In the afternoon, there are "complex" routes, which cover several cities at once. You can buy tickets at the bus station ticket office or on the website.
Address: Borommaratchonnani Road Domestic phone number: 02-894-6122 International phone number: +662-894-6122 How to get there: By car, cab, city bus or tuk-tuk. There is no subway near the station.
An unofficial train station on Kaosan Road
There is no station building on Kaosan Road. Buses stop right on the highway.
From Kaosan Road, you can getto all the major resorts in Thailand:
Phuket.
Samui.
Pangana.
Crabi.
Pattaya.
There are more than 30 different flights in total. A ticket to Ayutthaya costs from 250 THB, and it is the most budget destination. The most expensive is to Pangan, at over 1100 THB.
Buses also depart to neighboring countries: Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia.
There's an alley off Kaosan Road where minibuses stop to Suvarnabhumi Airport (from 130 TNV).
The unofficial train station on Kaosan has the following advantages:
It allows you to get to any resort cities in Thailand (both southern and northern, as well as eastern or western), as well as to tourist centers in neighboring states;
more loyal pricing policies;
Tickets for flights can be bought not only locally, but also at numerous travel agencies and special ticket offices around the city (as well as on the routes of official bus stations).
Disadvantages of the bus station at Kaosan:
It is quite difficult to get to the highway where the buses stop;
local transportation tends to be quite old and less comfortable;
Flight from Kaosan Road usually takes longer as it is a forced transfer.
Public Transport Center (bus terminal near Suvarnabhumi)
For the convenience of tourists, there is its own bus terminal near the capital's largest airport. From here, Bor Khor Sor operates regular flights to Pattaya, Phuket, Rayong, and other popular resorts.
In addition, Bus BMTA minibuses and Public Van minivans depart regularly on routes within Bangkok itself, including to the southern, northern, and eastern bus terminals. These flights are usually favored by the Thais themselves. Tourists most often use two of them - to Victory Monument and Don Muang Airport.
How to get there. To get to the Public Transport Center, you need to find an exit to the free shuttle buses on the 1st, 2nd, or 4th floor of the airport.
