It was my first time in Thailand and after arriving in Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) International Airport I was all set to go to Silom in Bangkok City Center. There are a number of ways to get to Bangkok City Center but because Cebu Pacific Airlines lands in Bangkok around midnight, my options slimmed down dramatically (the plane arrived at 11:35PM but it was around midnight when I finished going through Thai immigrations and customs). I was left to choose between riding a taxi or taking my chances on whatever public buses were still available.

I decided to take the cheaper route and took the bus. There are free shuttles, that take passengers to the Public Transportation Center where the public buses can be found. I went out of Gate 8, 2nd floor arrivals area and boarded the next airport shuttle that passed by.

Barely 15 minutes later, I was already at the transportation center and saw several buses lined up. There are no public buses that goes directly to Silom or even Khao San Road. An alternative is to drop off at Victory Monument and take another bus or taxi from there. I was looking for Bus #551 which goes to Victory Monument but it wasn’t available yet. There was a small 7/11 type convenient store in the terminal, which was perfect since I was already craving for a quick snack. The bus arrived moments later (the fare was 35 baht). During the bus ride, there was another passenger who was also going to Silom. He agreed to take the ride with me so we could split the fare. Perfect!

I dropped off at Silom Rd near Sofitel (total taxi fare was 65 baht). I actually spent a few hours in Bangkok since I planned on traveling overland to Cambodia after my arrival. While waiting for Kawajan and Bubbles, my travel buddies for the week, I chanced upon this “side street” noodle shop, located in front of Sri Maha Mariamman (Hindu) Temple, 2 blocks away from Sofitel. A bowl of noodles was 40 baht, which is how much a usual Thai “side street” meal costs. After Kawajan and Bubbles picked me up, we went to Lumphini Park nearby to start our overland travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia! I was so excited since, growing up, I’ve always wanted to visit the grand ancient temples in Angkor like Angkor Wat.

How to get from Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) International Airport to Bangkok City Center

  • Taxi – the most convenient way of going out of the airport. You can catch a taxi at exits 4 and 7 of the 1st floor passenger terminal building. The taxi fare is around 250-400 baht to points in Bangkok City Center like Silom or Khao San Rd. Travel time is around 45 minutes depending on traffic, which can get notorious in Bangkok during rush hour. If you’re in a hurry, tell the driver to use the skyway. I actually took the taxi going to the airport from Silom Roadd (for my return flight). Taxi fare was 245baht and I had to pay for two skyway tolls costing 45 baht and 75 baht (total – 365 baht)
  • Airport Express Shuttle Bus – also a convenient transport option going to/from Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) International Airport and cheaper alternative if traveling alone. It operates from 5:00AM to 12:00MN, costs 150 bahtand has four routes:
    • AE1 Suvarnabhumi-Silom
    • AE2 Suvarnabhumi-Khao San Road
    • AE3 Suvarnabhumi-Sukhumvit
    • AE4 Suvarnabhumi-Hua Lamphong
  • Public Bus – taking the public buses is the cheapest option and is only advisable if you’re not carrying a lot of baggage/luggage. The airport has a free shuttle service to the public transportation center, where several public buses are stationed. Bus fare to Bangkok City Center is just 35 baht. If you’re going to Khao San Road you can take Bus#551 and then take a taxi to KSR at the Victory Monument. Here are some of the bus routes:
    • Bus Number 549 – Suvarnabhumi Airport – Minburi
    • Bus Number 550 – Suvarnabhumi Airport – Happy Land
    • Bus Number 551 – Suvarnabhumi Airport – Victory Monument
    • Bus Number 552 – Suvarnabhumi Airport – On Nut BTS station
    • Bus Number 553 – Suvarnabhumi Airport – Samut Prakan
    • Bus Number 554 – Suvarnabhumi Airport – Don Muang Airport
    • Bus Number 555 – Suvarnabhumi – Rangsit
    • Bus Number 556 – Suvarnbhumi – Southern Bus Terminal
    • Bus Number 557 – Suvarnabhumi – Wongwien Yai
    • Bus Number 558 – Suvarnabhumi – Central Rama 2
    • Bus Number 559 – Suvarnabhumi – Future Park Rangsit
    • Bus Number 389 – Suvarnabhumi Airport – Pattaya
    • Bus Number 390 – Suvarnabhumi Airport – Talad Rong Kluea
    • Bus Number 825 – Suvarnabhumi Airport – NongKhai
  • Public Bus + Bangkok Sky Train (BTS) – as of my time of travel, the direct link between the BTS directly and Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) International Airport was not open to the public yet. The nearest BTS station from the airport is the On Nut BTS station, which can be accessed by taking Bus# 552 from the Public Transportation Center.