The transport system is developed in Thailand at a high level. To move around the country, you can use road, rail, air transport; in cities, the most popular means of short-distance transportation for tourists are open tricycle taxis or tuk-tuks.
Buses
According to BARBLEJEWELRY, Thailand has an extensive network of bus routes, which allows you to get to any corner of the kingdom. Buses of the State Transport Company run on schedule, tickets are inexpensive and are divided into 3 classes. First-class buses are orange (“rot daeng”), standard (the windows are not glazed for better ventilation), stop on demand and therefore move slowly. Air-conditioned blue second class (“ac”) buses only stop in major cities. VIP-class buses are distinguished by fewer seats and greater comfort (windows and air conditioning are required).
Bus fares range from 6 to 16 baht, air-conditioned bus fares are higher. Tickets are purchased from the driver or ticket clerk in the cabin. In addition to the usual, there are also express routes. From 23.00 to 5.00 night buses run on some lines (without air conditioning).
Taxis
There are two types of taxis – with a meter and without a meter. It is customary to bargain in taxis without a meter. Payment by the meter ranges from 35 to 300 baht, depending on the distance. A significant difficulty when traveling by taxi is to communicate with the driver, who often does not speak English, so you need to know the place you are going to well.
The most popular form of public transport is the three-wheeled tuk-tuk rickshaw. They work on the principle of a taxi and are usually used for trips over short distances. They are not allowed to drive on motorways. The price is usually negotiated in advance, but in general they are very reasonable. In small provincial towns, for just a few baht, you can ride a classic rickshaw “samlo”. In addition, due to the abundance of water arteries, water taxis and high-speed boats are widespread.
Rail transport
The rail network connects Bangkok with all major cities in the north and northeast of the country. Railways leading south also allow travel to Malaysia and Singapore. Trains are divided into three classes and several types (express, fast, special, etc.). All trains are comfortable, tickets can be ordered via a single computer network. Ticket prices for second and third class carriages are low, tickets for first class carriages are comparable in cost to a plane ticket. First-class carriages are equipped with air-conditioned single and double compartments, passengers are provided with drinking water. The most common carriages are second class. They are similar to our reserved seat cars, only the shelves are located not across, but along the car, and when folded, the lower one is two wide easy chairs. Cars of this class can be air-conditioned and ventilated. It is better not to take a ticket to the top shelf: in air-conditioned cars it can be cold there, in ventilated cars it can be hot. The sleeping quarters are covered with curtains. The third class is a common car with only seats, tickets for these cars are the cheapest.
Air transport
You can also travel around the country by plane. Transportation is carried out by two companies “Thai Airways” and “Bangkok Airways”. The dense airline network of the company covers the whole country, most major cities and provincial centers have airports. Service is good enough, prices are affordable. Thai Airways operates ten flights daily from Bangkok to each of the country’s major cities. Smaller towns get three to five flights a day, and some get only one. Bangkok Airways is a privately owned company that mainly specializes in flights to resort towns and other destinations where Thai Airways does not fly. Bangkok Airways offers discounts if you pay for more than 3 flights. In this case one flight to another country in the region will cost 80 dollars, and within the country – 50 dollars. Thai Airways provides “ASEAN Round Fare” (repeated ticket from Bangkok to several countries in Southeast Asia) and ASEAN Airpass (regional travel pass). “ASEAN Round Fare” is valid for Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. There are also child discounts on all domestic flights.
Car rental
Car rental is quite simple – all you need to rent a car is a driver’s license, a credit card (in some cases, the deposit is taken in cash) and international insurance. You can rent a bike, moped, motorcycle (150-500 baht per day), car or jeep (500 to 1500 baht per day), but the technical condition of the cars is usually quite poor.
In Thailand, left-hand traffic, the situation on the roads is quite tense – accidents are frequent, traffic rules are practically not observed by local drivers, and the condition of the roads leaves much to be desired (the exception is resort areas). Extreme caution must be exercised on city streets.
