Public transport in Bangkok is decently developed, as the city is served by several Bangkok metro systems. Passengers can use 4 elevated train (Skytrain) systems, the underground MRT, the Bangkok Airport train called Airport Rail Link, and the commuter SRT Red Line train. Discover a detailed guide to all Bangkok metro lines, a route map with all stations, metro fare rates, and different ticket options for using the metro in Thailand.
Bangkok Metro Lines
Currently, 7 metro systems with 10 metro lines are used for transportation in Bangkok:
Bangkok BTS Green Line - an elevated train system consisting of the Light Green Line (Sukhumvit Line) and the Dark Green Line (Silom Line).
The original MRT system consists of the underground MRT Blue Line and the elevated MRT Purple Line.
Airport Rail Link - an elevated train line connecting Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) with the city.
SRT Red Line - a commuter train system consisting of the Dark Red Line (Northern Line) and the Light Red Line (Western Line).
MRT Yellow Line - an elevated monorail train line in eastern Bangkok.
MRT Pink Line - an elevated monorail train line in northern Bangkok.
Gold Line - an elevated monorail train line to the ICONSIAM shopping mall.
More metro lines will be added to Bangkok's public transport system, as a few more are currently under construction, while some of the already opened lines will be extended further.
City train systems are a convenient way to travel around Bangkok, as these lines are well connected between themselves, making them very useful if you want to escape busy traffic and save some money on traveling around the Thai capital.
Bangkok mass transit systems are reliable and easy to use. As Bangkok metro lines do not have a unified ticketing system, getting a Rabbit Card can simplify things a bit, as you can use this public transport ticket card for the BTS Green Line, the MRT Yellow Line, the MRT Pink Line, the BTS Gold Line, and the Chao Phraya Express Boat. Book a Rabbit Card online and conveniently pick it up at the airport on arrival.
Bangkok BTS Green Line SkyTrain
The Bangkok BTS Green Line is one of the most convenient ways to travel around Bangkok, as it helps to escape the chaotic and often jammed traffic in Thailand’s capital. The elevated train system links the central part of the city with other important areas of the city, making this kind of Bangkok public transport very useful for exploring the city.
There are currently two BTS SkyTrain lines (Sukhumvit Line and Silom Line) with 60 stations at the moment, but the Bangkok BTS network is rapidly expanding.
For a detailed guide on using the Skytrain in Thailand's capital, check BTS Green Line.
Bangkok MRT Blue & Purple Lines
The Bangkok MRT Blue Line is the underground train and a very important part of Bangkok's public transport system. Conveniently connected with other mass transit systems, MRT provides a convenient way for traveling around Bangkok, as this metro system helps to escape busy traffic in Thailand’s capital. The Bangkok metro links the city center with other important areas of the metropolis, making it very useful for exploring Bangkok.
This MRT system actually consists of 2 lines, the MRT Blue Line and the MRT Purple Line, with 54 stations around Bangkok at the moment.
Airport Rail Link
The Airport Rail Link is the Bangkok mass transit system, connecting the main airport of the city (Suvarnabhumi Airport) with the city. Taking the Airport Rail Link is the cheapest and easiest way to get to the city center from Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The Airport Rail Link line covers a distance of 28 km and consists of 8 stations. The journey from the airport to the last station on the route takes less than 30 minutes.
For a detailed guide on using the airport train, check Bangkok Airport Rail Link.
Bangkok SRT Red Line
The Bangkok SRT Red Line is a commuter train system connecting the northern and western suburban areas of the metropolis with the main railway station of Bangkok. With the opening of the SRT Red Line, it is now also possible to take a city train from Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to Bangkok city.
The Bangkok SRT Red Line consists of 2 lines (the Northern, or Dark Red Line, and the Western, or Light Red Line), with 13 stations, but further extension of the line is underway, so more stations will be added in the near future to this means of Bangkok public transport.
For a detailed guide on using the commuter train system, check Bangkok SRT Red Line.
Bangkok MRT Yellow Line
The Bangkok MRT Yellow Line is an elevated monorail train system connecting Lat Phrao and Samrong. The newly opened Yellow Line expanded the network of Bangkok public transportation by connecting the eastern part of the city and making it much more reachable from different areas of Thailand's capital city. The MRT Yellow Line consists of 23 stations.
Bangkok MRT Pink Line
The Bangkok MRT Pink Line, or Northern Bangkok Monorail, is a newly opened cross-city link connecting northern areas of Bangkok. This city train line is designed to accommodate travel demand in northern Bangkok between the Min Buri district and Nonthaburi. The MRT Pink Line doesn’t pass the city center, but you might find it useful during your visit if you will be going to the northern part of the city to watch Muay Thai fights at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium or to extend your visa at Bangkok Immigration.
Bangkok BTS Gold Line
The Bangkok BTS Gold Line is an elevated monorail train system offering convenient connection between the BTS SkyTrain Silom Line and the ICONSIAM shopping mall. The newly opened Gold Line train system and wide network of BTS SkyTrain make reaching this modern landmark in Bangkok easy. The Bangkok Gold Line is only 1.8 km long and consists of 3 stations.
Bangkok Metro Connections
Airport Rail Link is connected with other Bangkok metro systems in the following stations:
- ARL Makkasan Station - MRT Phetchaburi Station
- ARL Phaya Thai Station - BTS Phaya Thai Station
- ARL Hua Mak Station - MRT Yellow Line Hua Mak Station
The BTS Green Line is connected with the MRT Blue Line in several places:
- BTS Asok Station - MRT Sukhumvit Station
- BTS Sala Daeng Station - MRT Silom Station
- BTS Mo Chit Station - MRT Chatuchak Park Station
- BTS Ha Yaek Lat Phrao Station - MRT Phahon Yothin Station
- BTS Bang Wa Station - MRT Bang Wa Station
The BTS Sukhumvit Line also connects with the MRT Yellow Line at BTS Samrong station and with the MRT Pink Line at BTS Wat Phra Sri Mahathat station, while the BTS Silom Line connects with the BTS Gold Line at BTS Krung Thon Buri station.
In addition, the MRT Blue Line connects with the MRT Yellow Line at MRT Lat Phrao station and with the SRT Red Line at MRT Bang Sue station, while the MRT Purple Line connects with the MRT Pink Line at MRT Nonthaburi Civic Center station and with the SRT Red Line at MRT Bang Son station.
Bangkok Metro Map
Explore the detailed map of all metro lines and stations in the city here: Bangkok MRT & BTS Map.
Bangkok Metro Operating Hours
All Bangkok metro systems operate daily from 06:00 until midnight. Airport Rail Link and SRT Red Line recently started to open their service earlier, and Airport Rail Link now starts operating from 05:10, while SRT Red Line has scheduled their departures even from as early as 05:00.
Information about departure times of the first and the last train from the specific station is provided in each station of the Bangkok metro.
Bangkok Metro Fare
In most cases, the Bangkok metro fare for a single journey depends on the distance or the number of stations traveled. However, the fare calculation varies between different Bangkok MRT, BTS, and SRT lines.
Discover detailed information about the fare on all metro lines here: Bangkok Metro Fare.
Bangkok Metro Tickets
Bangkok metro tickets can be purchased at the metro station of the chosen line, and in most cases you need to pay for the ticket in cash.
Bangkok mass transit systems are reliable and easy to use. The only downside is the lack of a single ticketing system. While you can use the same ticket on different lines of the same system (like the Blue and Purple lines of the MRT), when transferring between the 7 metro systems, you usually need to get a new ticket.
To simplify things, you can purchase a Rabbit Card, which is a Bangkok metro card that can be topped up and used for the BTS Green Line, MRT Yellow Line, MRT Pink Line, BTS Gold Line, and the Chao Phraya Express Boat. You can conveniently book a Rabbit Card online and pick it up at the airport on arrival.
If you are mainly planning to use the BTS Green Line and do it intensively, get the BTS SkyTrain One-Day Pass that will allow you to use both main BTS lines (Sukhumvit Line and Silom Line) all day long for a fixed price. To get the best deal for this ticket, book it online here: Discounted Bangkok BTS One-Day Pass.