Public Busses - Baw Khaw Saw and other Thailand Transportation Tips

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: Thailand has a very developed and extensive public bus system, called Baw Khaw Saw. Busses run around the entire country regularly, not to mention that they are very cheap too. There are three main classes of public bus. First class is a smaller bus with more space and that changes as the cost goes down or up. Costs run from 600 Bhat to get across the entire country to 10 Baht going between some closer cities on regular public busses. Long distance busses commonly run both over daylight hours and overnight. Overnight busses are extremely common between Bangkok and Phuket/Krabi and Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Busses also run internationally to Malaysia (VIA Songkhla,Yala and Narathiwat border crossings), Singapore and to the borders of Laos and Cambodia.

Here are the inter-city bus terminal names in Bangkok: NORTHERN BUS TERMINAL
Kampaengphet 2 Rd, Bangkok (936-3660, 936-366)
NORTHEASTERN BUS TERMINAL
Kampaengphet 2 Rd, Bangkok (936-0667)
CENTRAL BUS TERMINAL
Kampaengphet 2 Rd, Bangkok (936-1897, 936-1886)
EASTERN BUS TERMINAL
Sukhumvit Rd, Bangkok (391-2504)
SOUTHERN BUS TERMINAL
Boromratchchonnani Rd, Bangkok (435-1200, 434-7192)

(For Bangkok transportation go here: www.bts.co.th)

And some more bus info:
Almost every main city in Thailand is connected by direct public bus with Bangkok and other cities. There are several types of buses. Rot tamadaa are ordinary buses that stop in every town, have no air conditioning, and are typically orange. Rot ae are air conditioned, colored blue, and don't usually stop so often.
Tickets may be purchased at one of the three public bus stations in Bangkok: for northern destinations, go to moh chit station; for destinations east, go to sataanii ek-amai; to go south, buy your ticket at the station at the intersection of Nakhon Chaisi Road and Phra Pinklao Road in Thonburi. In cities outside of Bangkok, tickets are often sold at store-front locations as well as in the bus station. Private bus companies offer service to some tourist destinations.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: Take the VIP bus if you can aford it, especially if you are travelinig overnight. VIP busses can be booked from the New Joe travel canter on KSR, their website is: http://www.newjoe.de/tourframe.htm

VIP busses, otherwise known as tourist busses, are highly airconditioned, and the seats are much more comfortable than the ones in government busses. They cost quite a bit more, however, you get what you pay for here. They are available from every travel agency on Khao San Road in bangkok, as well as all over Chiang mai city, around the night bazaar area.

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Website: www.newjoe.de/tourframe.htm

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: Thailand also has an extensive rail system (but not as extensive as the bus system). Comfortable night trains to both the north and south are a common form of comfortable transportation. Actually, night trains are my favorite form of transportation because not only do you go from one place to another; you have that night of accommodation covered. Night trains are both a form of transportation and accommodation.
Trains run from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (and all the cities in-between; like Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Lamphun, Lampahn, etc...), Bangkok to Nong Khai (Vientiane, Laos; with intermediate stops in Isahn, Thailand), Bangkok to Singapore (VIA Malaysia and the east coast of Thailand, popularly Nakhon Si Thamarat), as well as to the Cambodian border.
Prices vary based on class, distance, and type of train. For overnight trips, I would highly recommend getting a second-class sleeper ticket, very comfortable and clean.

To get a good idea of prices and stops go here: http://www.newjoe.de/tourframe.htm

FOR MORE TRAIN INFO GO HERE (some prices are outdated):
http://travel-online.to/srt/ and here http://travel-online.to/srt/fares.htm

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: Crossing the border to go and see the amazing Angkor Wat in Cambodia is a fantastic add-on to a trip to Thailand. It is simple and cheap to do it overland. You can book it all through any travel agency on Khao San Road in Bangkok. The overland trip involves either taking the train, bus, or VIP van to the border and then a truck into Siem Reap. The travel on the Thai side is very easy and smooth, note that it is the opposite on the Cambodian side (bumpy dirt roads, not for the people who get motion sick easily). The whole trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap will take around 9 hours. Note that if you don't have a Cambodian visa beforehand you can get one at the border for US$20.00 cash (you also need passport photos). The border itself is interesting, a lot of traders exchanging goods back and forth. Three to four days should give you enough time to see all the temples and area around Angkor (then you can go back to Thailand or over to Phnom Penh).

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: If you want a real interesting and unique beach experience you can head over to Cambodia. There are some amazing and remote lush beaches there as well. Koh Kong and the sough coast are interesting places to be explored. Getting there overland from Thailand is easy too. You can take a bus or VIP van (from a travel agency on Khao San Road) to Trat. From Trat you can also visit the Thai National Park of Koh Chang, another amazing and undisturbed island (in Thailand). Well... back to Trat to Cambodia... from Trat you can take a bus/car across the border/bridge into Koh Kong, Cambodia, or take the ferry to Koh Kong (a bit cheaper). Cambodian visas are available at the border for US$20.00 cash and you will also need some extra passport photos.

From Koh Kong you can go around the south coast of Cambodia, or up to Phnom Penh.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: Crossing the border into Laos is a great idea. To cross into Vientiane, the capital of Laos, from Thailand is quite simple. Trains from Bangkok go to the Thai border city of NONG KHAI. NONG KHAI is also connected with various other major Thai cities and the Isahn region of Thailand. From Nong Khai you can take the Bus for something like 10 Baht across the friendship bridge right into Vientiane. You can also hire a car if you don't feel like waiting for the bus. Note that if you don't already have a Laotian visa you CAN get them at the border from 1500 Baht (a bit steep - for 14 days too), also remember to have some extra passport photos for the visa application at the border. Crossing is simple once you have the visa; you pass Thai immigration and get your passport stamped out then cross the bridge and pass Lao immigration and get your passport stamped in... simple, n'est pas?

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'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: The Thai national airline is Thai Airways Int'l. Thai Airways links Bangkok to North America, Europe, Australia, and all over Asia.

Thai airways also links various parts of the country. Flights from Bangkok and Chiang Mai are basically on the hour, and flights to Phuket and Koh Samui are very popular also. Visit their website to get all the info...

www.thaiairways.com

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Website: www.thaiairways.com

'Mode': TO,AROUND
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Thai Airways is good, but there are cheaper, especially from domestic flights.

Bangkok Airways is becoming more and more popular. They are cheaper than Thai Airways and fly around Thailand and South East Asia. Their website is: www.bangkokair.com

Air Andaman is also becoming more popular. They fly only domestic flights, but they are the cheapest. They also fly to cities that neither Thai nor Bangkok Airways serves within Thailand. Their website is: www.airandaman.com

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bicycle
Getting TO/AROUND: The best way to explore rural Thailand is by bicycle. You can rent bikes from many different places, especially in just regular towns, where riding bikes is a regular means of transportation. Renting bikes in Chiang Mai is an excellent idea, that way you can stroll around exploring all of the wats and such. To me there is nothing better than just going for a bike ride on a rural dirt road in-between rice patties and green mountains.

Renting a bicycle is cheap too. You normally rent them by the day or by the hour. Renting for the whole day is like 40 baht, so it's very cheap.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: Pedicabs (a bike with a carage pulled behind it) are a popular sight in the cities, Chiang Mai especially. Thai people never ride them, but tourists do. They are not a fast way of transportation, or the cheapest, just different. To be honest I've only done it twice, it's not that much fun, but just a different way to explore the city. You can do it for just a relaxing view of the city center. Costs vary by time, pedicabs normally run city center tours in Chiang Mai and that will cost you around 120 Baht.

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