Transfer
Suvarnabhumi Airport looks quite impressive from a distance. Close up it becomes apparent that the post-industrial retro look, or whatever you call it, that probably looked great on the architects drawings, look a bit naff and rather unfinnished on the real live thing. Grey steel girders, bare concrete, and a shortage of light bulbs make the place all seem a bit gloomy. Especially after nightfall.
The arrivals hall is on level 2. Going through customs and immigration can be a bit slow at certain times of the day. Make sure you have your arrival/departure card correctly filled out. They will give this to you on the plane.
As you come out you will find there are lots of taxi touts all offering you splendid ways to get into town. Ignore them.
If you went a luxury ride into town look for the AOT Limousine desk. There is one at either end and there is probably one just inside the restricted area where the touts are not allowed to tread. Fares into town will cost between B1,200-1,500 depending on where you are going. To Pattaya is B2,900. I haven’t used these but I would hope and expect that price to include the toll fees.
There are regular taxis just outside, aim to the left as you leave the building (though the exact location seems to change as often as the weather). The Metered Taxis (cunningly known as Taxi Meter) line up outside where you would expect them. Queue up at the little desk and tell the nice lady where you want to go. She will write it down for you and someone else will grab your bags and lead you to the taxi.
Expect to pay between B250-300 depending on where you are going and traffic. You must also pay a B50 airport surcharge and the toll fees one of about B40 and another of about B25. The toll fees vary depending on where you want to go.
There is an Airport Express bus service for B150 and covers the main areas.
AE1 - Silom Road
AE2 - Kao San Road
AE3 - Sukhumvit
AE4 - Victory Monument and Hua Lamphong Train Station
For those that have got all day and just love traffic there are numerous local buses for B35. I wont list them all, if you’re really up for using one I’m sure you wouldn’t me spoiling the adventure for you
Comments
Comment from Michel Bougeard
Time: May 18, 2008, 6:33 am
I go back to BKK in June.Last time I paid B450 from airport to Silom road(the price written by the nice lady you are mentioning).But on the way the taxi-driver wanted an extra charge of B150 for highway fees. Is this correct?
Comment from admin
Time: May 18, 2008, 5:58 pm
The price should not be written by the nice lady the price should be on the metre at the end of the journey!
There are two highway fees to pay one of B40 and one of B25.
I believe there is a another route that drivers sometimes take when traffic is particularly bad. This incurs a third toll but even then the total should not be more than B100.
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