This project took some planning. How to travel around Bangkok, in a full circle, whilst using all available transport options?
Well almost. Unfortunately, I left out the boat ride on the Klong Saen Saeb canal, and the Motorcycle Taxi.
The day began with me standing at a bus stop near my house waiting for the bus to arrive. I took the following is the route & type of transport I took on the day.
- Bus (Ordinary, non-aircon): Prachachuen – Bangsue Station
- Diesel Train: Bangsue Station – Hua Lumphong Station
- MRT Subway: Hua Lumphong Station – Sam Yot Station
- Walk: Sam Yot Station – Wat Kalayanamit
- Tuk Tuk: Wat Kalayanmit – Wat Arun
- Ferry: Wat Arun – Tha Tien
- Walk: Tha Tien – Pak Klong Talad
- Chao Phraya Express Boat: Pak Klong Talad – Saphan Taksin
- BTS Sky Train: Saphan Taksin – Siam Square – Ha Yaek Lat Phrao
- Walk: Ha Yaek Lat Phrao – PTT Head Office
- Bus (Air-conditioned): PTT Head Office – Wat Samian Nari
- Bus (Ordinary, non-aircon): Wat Samian Nari – Prachachuen
The journey took a whole day, and I didn’t even stop for lunch, the reason being is time is lost waiting for buses which do not follow a schedule, unlike other countries. But it was fun, and I would repeat it, though probably do it differently…… better planned.
Trust the video gives you an inside look at Bangkok’s public transport system, I would say the city is pretty well connected, and traveling is a breeze as long as you avoid peak hours. My preference is for the sky train, subway, and riverboats, not in any particular order, simply because I find they take me where I want to go quickly and I can actually time my appointments accordingly – simply because they don’t get stuck in the traffic and you know exactly when the ride is coming.
The buses are poorly managed, and I feel the route map should be overhauled to complement other transport options that are available. Currently, some bus routes require a u-turn, no easy task for a long vehicle, nor logical when you consider traffic congestion. Buses should have a North-South, East-West route, instead of zig-zagging across town and getting stuck like they do nowadays.
Anyway, that’s my two cents.