Transfers vs. Other Ways to Get from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is the busiest air hub of Thailand. This is an arrival point for both businessmen, heading to Bangkok, and tourists, travelling to beach resorts: Pattaya, Krabi, Phuket.
How to Get from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok City Center
Since the airport is located 30 km away from the city, there is a lot of transport connecting the air hub with Thailand capital: subway, express train, bus and taxi:
- airport subway line, independent from other city metro lines; overground airport line station is located on the first floor of the airport building (according to Thai numbering, it is a zero floor, or ground floor, there are no exits except to metro station platforms);
- express train, going on the same route, but without making stops on its way. For this reason, it is considerably more expensive than subway;
- buses from Suvarnabhumi Airport. It is not a very popular option, as a tourist has to make changes on his/her way;
- transfers and taxi from Bangkok Airport to city: taxi can be taken on the spot or ordered via the app; transfers can be ordered online in advance.
Besides, 5 km away from the airport there is a train station Hua Ta Khe, but to get there, one has to make 2 changes and take a long walk.
Transfer vs. Taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport, ordered via the app
Advantages of a private transfer
No searching for a parking lot and a driver. In order to find the taxi, ordered via the app, you will have to follow the signs in the five-floor airport building and go to the parking place, the exit to which is only on the first floor (taking into account ground floor). After that, you will have to look for a driver on the huge parking lot. Transfer driver will be waiting for you at the exit, behind the baggage claim carousel, will walk you to the car, and help with your luggage.
Pay online. Taxi services like Thai Uber accept payments only in baht. The payment will be charged from your bank card, linked to the app, and converted at the exchange rate. You never know the final sum for the trip in euro or dollars, before you pay it. When booking a transfer from Bangkok Airport to your hotel in advance, you can pay for it on the website at a fixed fare.
Disadvantage of a private transfer
Approximately twice as expensive. Whereas a transfer from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok costs $30, a trip with Uber will make 400–700 baht, depending on traffic, which at the current exchange rate is equal to 15–17 $.
Transfer from Bangkok Airport vs. Taxi taken on the spot
Advantages of a private transfer
No need to learn Thai to talk to the driver. As tourists write on travel forums, the majority of Thai drivers don’t speak English, let alone other foreign languages. In order to explain a taxi driver where you need to get to, you will have to draw schemes, use gestures, and look up a route in your phone yourself. Most Kiwitaxi drivers in Asia speak English, so do all the operators of the support team.
You will not be scammed. Many travel forums users warn tourists about scam schemes in Suvarnabhumi involving foreigners (Thai: farang). Taxi drivers drive the cars with malfunctioning meters and demand a bigger sum for a trip than shown on the meter. Bangkok Airport taxi drivers are known to be very scandalous. So, if you try to argue with them, they will keep hold of your baggage, loudly shouting. On the contrary, transfer drivers get fixed commission for a trip and there is no sense for them to go circles and demand a bigger sum, as you have a paid Kiwitaxi voucher in hand.
Disadvantage of a private transfer
The same price difference with the taxi booked via the app. However, it is more difficult for a Uber driver to cheat, than for a taxi driver with a meter. That’s why the cases are common, when the sum reached 700 baht, and tourists left 1,5-2 times more, having failed to deal with the driver.
Transfer from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport vs. Subway
Advantage of a private transfer
No need to study a subway map. If you are planning to get from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to your hotel in the city or to one of the railway stations on the subway, you will have to plan a difficult route in advance. You will have to change from airport subway line to city subway line (Makkasan or Phaya Thai stations). After changing, you can get to your destination, but most probably covering the part of the distance on foot. The transfer driver already has your destination address in hand and plans the route himself/herself.
Disadvantage of a private transfer
For solo tourists, metro is the most optimal option. A trip on the subway will cost only 15–45 baht. Transfer or taxi costs ten times more.
Transfer vs. Buses from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
Advantages of a private transfer
Make no changes on the way to your hotel. In order to take a public bus, going to Bangkok, you first need to take a free shuttle bus to get to a bus terminal at the airport. Then you need to take buses (routes numbers from 549 to 559) to one of the city districts, from which you can get to your hotel by public transport. Our driver will take you directly from the airport to your hotel or to the railway station.
Twice as fast. Taking into account waiting time at a bus stop, changes and bus speed, you will get to the city in 1,5 hour. The transfer from Bangkok Airport to the city will take 45 minutes.
Disadvantage of a private transfer
A bus ticket costs 35 baht, which is much cheaper than a transfer trip.
