The Bangkok skytrain – soaring above the Bangkok jams

The Bangkok skytrain
soaring above the Bangkok jams

Skytrain passing Lumphini Park

The Bangkok skytrain links the skytrain stations to Bangkok hotels near the skytrain, shopping malls, historical attractions and tourist services to facilitate your Bangkok tour.

For lovers of Thai silk, Jim Thompson outlets near the skytrain stations have been included. So have Bangkok legacies near the stations.

Tourist Information Offices at Siam, Nana and Taksin Bridge stations provide free Bangkok skytrain maps, sell Chao Phraya River tourist boat tickets, skytrain travel guidebooks and provide an internet service.

Various types of skytrain tickets are on sale; single trip tickets, one-day passes for unlimited trips for the day at 100 baht and three-day tourist passes at 280 baht with a free skytrain travel guide.

Frequent visitors can buy a stored value cards at 200 baht each with a minimum renewal of 100 baht and validity of 2 years.

Free daily shuttle bus services are provided at selected stations. Only those along the tourist belt are mentioned here. Bus coupons are available on request when you buy a single trip or stored value tickets.

Chao Phraya River boat services are at the Sathon Pier below the Taksin Bridge station (terminal station Silom line).

The skytrain started on 05 December 1999 and consists of two lines, the Sukhumvit line and the Silom line covering a distance of 22 km.

Operating hours are daily from 0600 - midnight.

Bangkok skytrain extension - Silom line

On 13 December 2005, the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority commenced construction of the 2.2 km skytrain extension from the Saphan Taksin station across to Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Phraya. The extension is scheduled to be completed by end 2006.

Bangkok skytrain extension - Sukhumvit line

On 20 July 2006, the contract for the Bangkok skytrain extension was signed between the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Italian-Thai Development Plc.

The 5.25km elevated extension of the Sukhumvit line, including the train stations and tracks, will stretch from On Nut station along Sukhumvit Road to Soi 107 right at the Bangkok city limits before we enter Samut Prakarn province.

The project costs 4.05 billion baht, of which 3.87 billion baht will be spent on the extension construction.

Work on the extension, which started in August 2006, is expected to be completed in 2008.

Latest news on Bangkok skytrain extension

When the original plans were made to extent the Sukhumvit line from On Nut, it was intended to extent the line right into Samut Prakan, the neighboring province. Four stations were planned for by the city authorities along the extension within Bangkok.

For your information the names of the first four stations are:

Bang Chak - between Sukhumvit 95/1 and Sukhumvit 99
Punnavithee - between Sukhumvit 101 and Sukhumvit 64
Udomsuk - between Sukhumvit 101/3 and Sukhumvit 103
Bang Na - between Bang Na canal and the Navy stadium

Studies have shown that a fifth station near the city limits is necessary to provide the volume for the line to be economically viable. The fifth station in Samut Prakan was to be developed by the government as the area is out of Bangkok's jurisdiction.

This invariably meant more bureaucracy and delays. The extension project has seen two governments since it started in 2006.

On 26 April 2007, the Bangkok Metropolitan Authorities decided to build the fifth station within the Bangkok city limits between Sukhumvit Soi 105 and Soi 107. The station has yet to be named. This will take the Sukhumvit line just within Bangkok city limits adjacent to Samut Prakan.

During a visit last Sunday to this stretch of Sukhumvit, I saw that the vertical supports for the skytrain track are almost complete. When the entire project is done, traffic along Sukhumvit Road may be reduced.

But even if it isn't, residents and visitors in this area will in future be able to travel smoothly on the Bangkok skytrain over this stretch of Sukhumvit.

Bangkok skytrain – raises fares

From 1 December 2006, the Bangkok skytrain or BTS will increase its fares from the current 10 – 40 baht to 15 – 40 baht.

Passengers will start a trip at 15 baht and pay 5 baht for every two stations. The upper limit remains at 40 baht.

Please note the increase in price for the one-day tickets with unlimited trips. This has increased from 100 – 120 baht.

Bangkok skytrain - Sukhumvit line 17 stations over 15.5 km.

N8 Mor Chit Terminal station. Bangkok skytrain and subway interchange at Chatuchak subway station

Attractions: Chatuchak weekend marketBus Terminal: Mor Chit northern bus terminal for buses to the north and north-east regions

N7 Saphan Kwai

Hotels: Elizabeth Hotel Sena Place

N5 Ari N4 Sanam Pao

N3 Victory Monument

Hotels: Century Park Hotel Siam City Hotel

Shopping mall: Robinson

Jim Thompson outlet: King Power Downtown the duty free shop in Soi Rangnam

Bangkok legacy: Victory Monument

N2 Phaya Thai

Bangkok legacy: Suan Pakkad Palace Museum displaying the pre-historic Ban Chiang Collection

N1 Ratchathewi

Hotels: Asia Hotel Samran Place

Siam Bangkok skytrain interchange between Sukhumvit and Silom lines.

Leaving Siam over Pathumwan junction

Find what other travelers have to say about the skytrain

Shopping malls: Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery Center, Siam Center, Siam Square

Jim Thompson outlet: Siam Paragon mezzanine floor

E1 Chit Lom

Hotels: Arnoma Hotel Grand Hyatt Erawan Holiday Inn

Intercontinental Hotel

Shopping Malls: Amarin Plaza, Central World Plaza, Chitlom Central, Erawan Bangkok, Gaysorn Plaza, Maneeya Place

Jim Thompson outlets: Isetan Central World Plaza, Chitlom Central

Bangkok legacies: Erawan Shrine Trimurti Shrine (Lovers' Shrine) Ganesha Shrine(Elephant God)

E2 Ploenchit

Hotels: Centre Point Wireless Road Conrad Hotel Holiday Mansion

Plaza Athenee

Shopping mall: Ploenchit Plaza

Jim Thompson outlet: Plaza Athenee Hotel

A free shuttle bus service is available from Ploenchit station – Wireless Road – Soi Ruam Rudi and back to Ploenchit from 0730 – 2200 hours daily, passing the major hotels in the area.

E3 Nana

Hotels: Amari Boulevard Ambassador Hotel Bel-Aire Princess

Grand President JW Marriott Nana Hotel Swiss Park

Shopping mall: Landmark Plaza

E4 Asoke Bangkok skytrain and subway interchange at Sukhumvit subway station

Hotels: City Lodge Sukhumvit 19

Manhattan Hotel Westin Grande Sukhumvit

Shopping malls: Robinson Asoke, Times Square

Jim Thompson outlets: Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Westin Grande Sukhumvit

Bangkok legacy: Khamtieng House, Siam Society

E5 Phrom Phong

Hotels: Imperial Queen's Park Imperial Tara Novotel Lotus Regency Park

Shopping mall: Emporium

Jim Thompson outlet: Emporium

E6 Thong Lor

A free shuttle bus service runs from Phrom Phong – Thong Lor – Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Soi Thong Lor) – New Petchaburi Road and back to Phrom Phong from 0600 – 2230 hours daily.

Soi Thong Lor is a fashionable street with several up-market restaurants, bars and shops.

E7 Ekamai

Bus Terminal: Ekamai eastern bus terminal for buses to Pataya and the east

E8 Phra Kanong

E9 On Nut Terminal station

Shopping mall: Tesco Lotus

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Bangkok skytrain - Silom line 7 stations over 6.6 km.

W1 National Stadium Terminal station

Hotels: Pathumwan Princess

Shopping Malls: Mah Boon Khrong Centre, Tokyu Department Store

Jim Thompson outlet: Jim Thompson House

Bangkok legacy: Jim Thompson House

Siam Bangkok skytrain interchange between Silom and Sukhumvit lines

Hotels: Novotel on Siam Square

Shopping malls: Siam Discovery Centre, Siam Centre and Siam Paragon

What others have to say about the Siam Centre and Siam Discovery Centre

S1 Ratchadamri

Hotels: Four Seasons

Shopping mall: Peninsula Plaza

Jim Thompson outlet: Four Seasons Hotel

S2 Sala Daeng Bangkok skytrain and Bangkok subway interchange at Silom subway station

S2 Saladaeng Station