Suvarnabhumi to Asoke by public transport

[HauptmannUK]

I live near Jomtien but need to visit Exchange Tower, Asoke, on a fairly regular basis.

Up to now I've used the car but with tolls, traffic, parking hassle etc I am now thinking of taking the Jomtien-Suvarnabhumi bus (which is frequent and cheap) and then public transport from Suvarnabhumi to Asoke (or nearby).

What public transport options do I have to get to/from Asoke from the airport? (don't really want to use taxis because that will work out around ฿800 for a return journey and then I might as well take my car for the whole trip).

[emptypockets]

Airport link train (basement of Swampy airport) to Phaya Thai interchange - 45 baht. From there BTS to Asoke - another 35 baht or so. Allow for about 50 minutes travelling time. Really easy journey.

Edited September 20, 2019 by emptypockets

[samsensam]

4 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Airport link train (basement of Swampy airport) to Phaya Thai interchange - 45 baht. From there BTS to Asoke - another 35 baht or so. Allow for about 50 minutes travelling time. Really easy journey.

 

yup, couldn't be easier.

[HauptmannUK]

Great. That's just what I wanted to hear. Thanks guys..

[Airalee]

Can’t you get a bus to the Ekkamai station and avoid the long BTS trip?  Might save you at least a half hour,

[thaibry]

Airport link to Makkasan then connect with the underground one stop to Asok.

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[Number 6]

From the Pattaya bus station you can get to Ekamai bus sta. I've not done this in 10 years but buses used to run every 20 mins. From there you can easily walk to the BTS. No idea where your destination is but that seems easier to me.

 

The ARL runs infrequently and abt every 30 mins. It's often crushed with people.

 

Per the bus...If you can come up Sunday morning this is best. Baring that I'd plan to leave Pattaya around 900am. Certainly arrive in city before 200pm best. Not Fridays!

Edited September 20, 2019 by Number 6

[Number 6]

I just thought of another way I used to do this. Take the same bus. It will let passengers off at Lat Krabang sta ARL. This you bypass the airport confusion. Continue on as above poster has stated. This is actually not always faster due to wait times but it gets you out of the bus and will put you closer to Sukhumvhit / Asoke stas. Again, can be a crush of people.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Number 6

[orchis]

42 minutes ago, thaibry said:

Airport link to Makkasan then connect with the underground one stop to Asok.

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this is the quickest option

[Sandy Freckle]

6 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Airport link train (basement of Swampy airport) to Phaya Thai interchange - 45 baht. From there BTS to Asoke - another 35 baht or so. Allow for about 50 minutes travelling time. Really easy journey.

Yes, empty pockets has 'nailed it' but if you took that option, try and travel when it's not 'sardine o'clock' !!

[Sandy Freckle]

3 hours ago, orchis said:

Airport link to Makkasan then connect with the underground one stop to Asok.

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orchis has also 'nailed it'..., shorter trip with less of the sardine factor !

..., and when I mention sardines, It's less about the smell and more about compaction !

Edited September 21, 2019 by Sandy Freckle

[josephbloggs]

14 hours ago, Number 6 said:

 

The ARL runs infrequently and abt every 30 mins. It's often crushed with people.

Absolutely incorrect information.  The ARL runs every 8-10 minutes.  It gets busy but if you are getting on at the airport it is perfectly fine.

 

To the OP: take the Airport Link to Makkasan, then it is one stop from there on the MRT to Asok (the station is actually called Sukhumvit).  Easy peasy.   Depending on where on Asoke you need to be you may not need to even go on the MRT.  From Makkasan you can walk to places on the "top end" of Asoke.  For things closer to Sukhumvit take the MRT.

[Number 6]

10 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Absolutely incorrect information.  The ARL runs every 8-10 minutes.  It gets busy but if you are getting on at the airport it is perfectly fine.

 

To the OP: take the Airport Link to Makkasan, then it is one stop from there on the MRT to Asok (the station is actually called Sukhumvit).  Easy peasy.   Depending on where on Asoke you need to be you may not need to even go on the MRT.  From Makkasan you can walk to places on the "top end" of Asoke.  For things closer to Sukhumvit take the MRT.

So strident.

 

I have on numerous occasions waited over 20 minutes for the airport link. This was when I needed to go from makassan to phaya thai about 2 years ago and about four years ago from makassan to hua mak. This isn't heresay. It's an absolute FACT. Now, maybe they have added trains and fixed the mess, but I absolutely stand by my statement. In BOTH situations I made the trips over the course of one year.

 

You really shouldn't go about correcting people when you simply don't know.

 

It (was?) such a mess I vowed never to live on the ARL and to this day, next Friday in fact will allow an additional 20 minutes of standing around time doing nothing for this broken enterprise. Issues with ARL are legion and old. Maybe you're a noob with better experiences. Maybe they fixed that disaster. Maybe your new here and don't recall all the problems.

 

I rarely take it to the airport as it really doesn't save time or money for two in a taxi - for me, about 120b. But we still need to walk ten minutes with bags to MRT and need to wait for *10" minutes at the ARL.

 

Edited September 21, 2019 by Number 6

[Number 6]

6 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

From Makkasan you can walk to places on the "top end" of Asoke. 

This would be Petchaburi stop on MRT in all likelihood.

[tropo]

Messing around at the airport seems totally unnecessary.

 

The simple way is

 to take a bus to Ekamai Bus Station (119 baht). If you have no luggage, get off the bus 2 stations early at Onut. (ask driver). Exit the bus and take the escalator which you'll see right in front of you once you exit the bus, up to the BTS station and take the sky train straight to Asoke (33 baht). If you have a motorcycle, you can park it at the North Pattaya bus station for 30 baht per day (24 hours).

 

 

Edited September 21, 2019 by tropo

[adammike]

On 9/20/2019 at 9:46 PM, thaibry said:

Airport link to Makkasan then connect with the underground one stop to Asok.

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 Do exactly what you have planned Jomtien to airport train to Phaya Thai sky train to Asoke,don't forget to book the return trip on the bus back to Jomtien.

[adammike]

39 minutes ago, tropo said:

Messing around at the airport seems totally unnecessary.

 

The simple way is

 to take a bus to Ekamai Bus Station (119 baht). If you have no luggage, get off the bus 2 stations early at Onut. (ask driver). Exit the bus and take the escalator which you'll see right in front of you once you exit the bus, up to the BTS station and take the sky train straight to Asoke (33 baht). If you have a motorcycle, you can park it at the North Pattaya bus station for 30 baht per day (24 hours).

 

 

He lives near the bus station in Jomtien and that bus doesn't have to deal with any Bangkok traffic,going to the airport is painless and using the SkyTrain is only a hassle if you have luggage.

[JimmyJ]

On 9/20/2019 at 12:46 PM, thaibry said:

Airport link to Makkasan then connect with the underground one stop to Asok.

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As others have said, easy journey.

 

My 1st time in Asia was landing at Swampy.

My hotel was at Asok/Suk so - based on what I'd read - to save time and money took the airlink, xfer to BTS, 1 stop to hotel.

There is a lot of walking including up/down many stairs, so if loaded with suitcases it's a bad idea.

With a small backpack and one rolling carryon only, it was no problem.

 

Very easy, people helpful - only thing that stumped me was how to use the train token - had to rub it on screen at turnstile I found out by an annoyed young female attendant. (Also about the only time in 3 months anyone was rude, although it wasn't a big deal and she was probably having a bad day).

Edited September 21, 2019 by JimmyJ

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, Number 6 said:

So strident.

 

I have on numerous occasions waited over 20 minutes for the airport link. This was when I needed to go from makassan to phaya thai about 2 years ago and about four years ago from makassan to hua mak. This isn't heresay. It's an absolute FACT. Now, maybe they have added trains and fixed the mess, but I absolutely stand by my statement. In BOTH situations I made the trips over the course of one year.

 

You really shouldn't go about correcting people when you simply don't know.

 

 

I have lived here 24 years and I use the ARL every single day, but whatever - you go on spouting about something that happened to you four years ago if it makes you feel better.

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, Number 6 said:

This would be Petchaburi stop on MRT in all likelihood.

Yes indeed, which is the same place as Makkasan station on the ARL.

[Number 6]

2 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

I have lived here 24 years and I use the ARL every single day, but whatever - you go on spouting about something that happened to you four years ago if it makes you feel better.

You're the one that simply couldn't leave the statement alone. I couldn't be correct. And if I was the OP would simply need to plan a bit more time into his trip.

 

No, twice over the course of two years. Once for a year long period four years ago. Times were ok in the morning and only a bit off in late afternoon. Two years ago early Saturday the clock was literally had nothing to do with the train arrivals. But I'd wait often near 30 minutes if I'd just missed the train.

 

You take the same trip at the same time each day and it more or less works. Surely you're not contending the ARL is 24 years old. You don't recall all the negative stories in the press and comments about the times, crush and congestion on TV? Yes, just like the BTS and everything else in Thailand it operates perfectly. It's hands down the worst mass transit system in Bangkok.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Number 6

[josephbloggs]

17 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

You're the one that simply couldn't leave the statement alone. I couldn't be correct. And if I was the OP would simply need to plan a bit more time into his trip.

 

No, twice over the course of two years. Once for a year long period four years ago. Times were ok in the morning and only a bit off in late afternoon. Two years ago early Saturday the clock was literally had nothing to do with the train arrivals. But I'd wait often near 30 minutes if I'd just missed the train.

 

You take the same trip at the same time each day and it more or less works. Surely you're not contending the ARL is 24 years old. You don't recall all the negative stories in the press and comments about the times, crush and congestion on TV? Yes, just like the BTS and everything else in Thailand it operates perfectly. It's hands down the worst mass transit system in Bangkok.

I agree that it is badly run.  I agree that it is overcrowded.

When it was launched and had a City Line and an Express service the City line ran every 20 minutes.  But several years ago (5?) they discontinued the Express and gave those trains to the City Line.  For years they have been running at 12 minute intervals and for about a year now at 8-10 minute intervals.

You still gave the OP very misleading information which is what I was correcting you on. He does NOT have to factor extra time to his journey.  Boarding from the airport he will have to wait no more than about 10 minutes and that is if he has literally just missed a train.  And he will have no trouble boarding, at all.

And come on, most of the grumbling on TV about anything mass transit is usually false, wildly exaggerated (like your case) or claimed by people who don't live in Bangkok and don't use it.

[blackcab]

As stated, Airport Rail Link to Makkasan. Get off, and follow pretty much everyone else across the elevated walkway to the MRT.

 

Get on the MRT for one stop and exit at MRT Sukhumvit. At this point go up the escalator onto the BTS skywalk, as if you were going to get the BTS at Asoke station. You will find the BTS skywalk at this level connects to Exchange Tower.

 

The entire journey from Suvarnabhumi to Exchange Tower is under cover, so no need for an umbrella if it rains.

 

Do consider buying an MRT stored value card. Queues at MRT Sukhumvit can be massive during the rush hour. Personally I would also buy an ARL stored value pass if you are going to do the journey frequently.

 

Bonus tip: Chu coffee shop just to the left as you enter Exchange Tower from the BTS skywalk is rather pleasant.