Your Travel Guide to Thailand
All information & tips to prepare your trip in Thailand
Taking a taxi in Bangkok
Metered taxis in Bangkok
Taxis in Bangkok are very numerous and easy to spot with their bright colors. Air-conditioned and comfortable, they are cheaper than tuk-tuks but slower, as they can't weave through Bangkok's traffic as easily. When a taxi is free, a small red sign reading “wang” (“available” in Thai) is lit, and you can flag it down. In theory, you just get in, tell the driver your destination and pay the amount shown on the meter at the end. But it's not always that simple. You often have to insist that the driver switches on the meter, which is mandatory. And if you refuse the fixed price he suggests instead (which is usually higher), it's not unusual for the driver to simply refuse to take you. The authorities are trying to fight this, without much success. 
You can also hire a taxi for very long journeys; there is a rate chart for this too, which every taxi should have – it is usually displayed on the back of the passenger seat.
Apps to book a taxi or a ride in Bangkok
Grab Taxi
GRAB has become the number 1 app to book a taxi or a private ride with your smartphone in Bangkok. The app finds you an available taxi, and you can be sure it won't refuse you. There is a 20 baht fee for an immediate booking and a 45 baht fee for an advance booking. But I must say that whenever I tried to use it in Bangkok, the estimated waiting time stayed high or never went down, so I almost always ended up flagging down a taxi or tuk-tuk in the street. Bolt is another popular ride-hailing app in Bangkok.Website: www.grab.co
GRAB is currently available in the following cities in Thailand: Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Buriram, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hua Hin, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattaya, Phuket, Songkhla & Hat Yai, Surat Thani & Koh Samui, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani. Bolt currently operates only in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya.Bolt
Bolt is an alternative to Grab. As it arrived on the market later, it is not yet available in as many cities, but you can use it in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya.Other public transport in Bangkok
Bangkok Skytrain
Bangkok's Skytrain is called the BTS. Its air-conditioned trains glide above the capital's heavy traffic. It doesn't go everywhere, but combined with the Chao Phraya Express boats, it takes you to Bangkok's major temples.
Chao Phraya Express
The Chao Phraya Express boats run regularly along the river that flows through Bangkok and stop near all the monuments and sights on its banks, including Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, the three must-see temples in Bangkok. Fares are cheap.
Bangkok bus lines
The bus is clearly neither the easiest nor the fastest way for a foreign tourist to get around Bangkok, but it is the cheapest. The network is huge and you can go almost anywhere – you just need to be patient.
Transport in Bangkok
So far the only Thai city with a metro (a project is planned in Phuket), Bangkok offers the widest choice of public and private transport in Thailand (metro, buses, boats, tuk-tuks...). No, there's more than tuk-tuks and pink taxis to get around Bangkok!
