is there some form of public transport going directly from the airport to Kanchanaburi or must I go into Bangkok? Alternatively, does anyone know roughly how much I can expect a taxi to cost?

I really don't want to have to battle through the city traffic only to struggle out again on a bus... avoiding it altogether would be good. I am on a pretty tight budget, but I can take a taxi if it is reasonable enough (there will be two of us to share the cost)

thanks

The official taxi fare (flat rate) is 1200 baht. Alternatively, you could take BMTA bus #551 (35 baht) to Victory Monument (from the airport bus terminal) and catch a van to Kanchanaburi. The 551 is pretty fast - expressway just about all the way. Or bus #556 to Southern Bus Terminal and a bus from there. You can't "avoid" Bangkok in any case, because the airport's on the eastern outskirts and K'buri is west of the city, and Bangkok is in between and it's immense.

ha, yeah I checked the map and realised I was going to have to go through BKK anyhow! The taxi looks quite appealing right now... public transport with lots of luggage, jetlagged after a long haul flight, does not sound too fun.

thanks for the help!

ha, yeah I checked the map and realised I was going to have to go through BKK anyhow! The taxi looks quite appealing right now... public transport with lots of luggage, jetlagged after a long haul flight, does not sound too fun.

thanks for the help!

Actually, you may not need to go through Bangkok anymore.

I have not done it myself, but was told you could now take the bridge from Samutprakarn (around there):

http://angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/Bridge...wongweinmap.jpg

But the traffic is so bad after Bangna, that it might be faster to do the big round !

You could just take the taxi to Southern Bus Terminal - cost about 400 baht, then the bus to K'buri. That wouldn't be much schlepping. (Make sure the taxi driver uses the meter - don't accept a flat rate.)

If you decide to go taxi all the way, the 1200 baht is only an "official" posted price. The driver will probably ask for more. You can likely negotiate for less eg 900.

thanks for all the replies folks, I hadn't even considered getting a taxi just to the bus terminal, that sounds like a good option as well!