There is an extensive bus network running throughout Bangkok and its surrounding suburbs. Buses are the cheapest way to get around the city, but they can also be the most confusing. They run from 04:00 am until 23:00 pm every day and there is a limited night service starting at 23:00 and finishing at 05:00. Tickets are bought as you board and the right fare should be used whenever possible, although you can receive change. If you don’t have the right money, the smallest note you have should be used. Bus maps are available from hotels and many bookstores in town, but most bus stops are in Thai and most bus drivers do not speak English. To exit the bus, you will need to press the bell in advance, therefore you will need to know where you are going.
While extensive and inexpensive, bordering on dirt cheap, are good things, you have to ask yourself: Do you really want to take the bus? Even though they are very cheap, only a few baht, the buses are crowded, slow and many are not air-conditioned which means that in addition to being sweltering most of the time, they have access to Bangkok’s polluted air. There are very few expats who take the bus in Bangkok.
If you are determined and do manage to negotiate your way around the bus system, you will find that it saves a lot of money and as long as you travel out of peak hours, journeys will take no longer than they would in a car. For more information call +66 2 246 0973 or visit http://www.bmta.co.th.
