My experience with Bangkok aka Swampy airport

[Sparktrader]

40 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

How do you get to the Airport link ?.... You still need a taxi, right ? or can walk?

So most people still need a taxi which makes the above comment somewhat moot.

 

From Thonglor, its quicker to get to the airport than to the Makkassan Station... 

 

Unless someone lives within 5mins walk of Makkassan station and has no baggage the Airport Rail link offers no convenience or time saving. 

Catch bts to Phayathai. Airport train starts at Phayathai or you can go to Makmassan. 100 hotels nearby.

 

 

[Sparktrader]

18 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

OP's a tourist on a shoestring budget. I did that many years ago too. You put up with all sorts of inconveniences to save a few (hundred) baht.

 

When I was doing it full on, BKK was still at Don Mueang not Swampy. The bus into town that dropped you off near Democracy Monument was what, 3 baht 50 satang? IIRC taxi was in excess of 100 baht (dunno, too cheap to ever take one).

 

The money I saved got me a cheap room on the KSR. I think I might have even been able to squeeze a small bottle of Singha out of it too.

 

Thankfully those days are behind me and now I won't settle for anything less than the AOT 7-Series ????

Taxi is 240 baht or 300 fixed. Takes 1 hour. Airlink 30 mins plus 5 to 10 minutes walk. 45 baht. Phayathai is handy to everywhere with BTS.

 

35 baht coffees there. Saxphone Pub nearby. Rangnam rd good food. Close to Pratunam and MBK.

 

KSR is not a good location unless you want Grand Palace or museum.

 

 

[Sparktrader]

1 hour ago, BangkokReady said:

But if you call it "Swampy", then you sound like an old hand who's "in the know". ????

Swampy cause real name is hard to spell. 

[proton]

33 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Yes and they shoulda called New York City's JFK Queens International airport.

Queens is part of NY, Samut Prakan is not part of Bangkok, it's another province

[Sparktrader]

Suvarnabhumi - silent "i" annoys me too and I have to google it to see spelling.

 

Why is the "i" silent?

[KhaoNiaw]

6 minutes ago, proton said:

Queens is part of NY, Samut Prakan is not part of Bangkok, it's another province

Samut Prakan is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Sparktrader said:

Catch bts to Phayathai. Airport train starts at Phayathai or you can go to Makmassan. 100 hotels nearby.

So now its the BTS to Phayathai... then change to the Airport link.

& also get a Hotel near the Phayathai or Makkassan so you can catch the airport link ????

 

Hmm... ????

 

Want to take luggage on the BTS ??...

 

Utlatimely, the Airport link is no good if you have luggage, no good if you have any distance more than 5mins to travel to Makkassan...  

Do you really want to be changing trains from BTS to Airport link? sure that negates an time saving ?

 

The ONLY reason I see the Rail Link being any better is if someone is only concerned about costs. 

A taxi from the same area is about 400 baht including tolls...  Rail link is how much ? 45 Baht ?

 

So I do see cost saving if thats all you are thinking about. 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Sparktrader said:

Taxi is 240 baht or 300 fixed. Takes 1 hour. Airlink 30 mins plus 5 to 10 minutes walk. 45 baht. Phayathai is handy to everywhere with BTS.

 

35 baht coffees there. Saxphone Pub nearby. Rangnam rd good food. Close to Pratunam and MBK.

 

KSR is not a good location unless you want Grand Palace or museum.

 

 

Makkassan to Airport is currently 29 mins (google Maps) - your 1 hour is somewhat exaggerated unless you are travelling at peak-rush hour periods (i.e. 5-6pm on a Friday).

 

The rail link ‘would’ offer a time saving IF someone is within walking distance from Makkassan Station and the road traffic is horrendous. 

 

I’m travelling to and from the airport regularly - the journey from Ekammai / Thonglor area very rarely takes longer than 45mins... Mostly about 30mins.

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Lemsta69 said:

OP's a tourist on a shoestring budget. I did that many years ago too. You put up with all sorts of inconveniences to save a few (hundred) baht.

 

When I was doing it full on, BKK was still at Don Mueang not Swampy. The bus into town that dropped you off near Democracy Monument was what, 3 baht 50 satang? IIRC taxi was in excess of 100 baht (dunno, too cheap to ever take one).

 

The money I saved got me a cheap room on the KSR. I think I might have even been able to squeeze a small bottle of Singha out of it too.

 

Thankfully those days are behind me and now I won't settle for anything less than the AOT 7-Series ????

Yeah... I get it for those on a shoe-string budget...  

BTS to Makkassan is how much ?? 20-30 baht... 

Rail Link is 45 baht...  so were looking at 65-70 baht to get to the airport - thats exceptionally cheap - I get that..... 

 

 

[Sparktrader]

16 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Makkassan to Airport is currently 29 mins (google Maps) - your 1 hour is somewhat exaggerated unless you are travelling at peak-rush hour periods (i.e. 5-6pm on a Friday).

 

The rail link ‘would’ offer a time saving IF someone is within walking distance from Makkassan Station and the road traffic is horrendous. 

 

I’m travelling to and from the airport regularly - the journey from Ekammai / Thonglor area very rarely takes longer than 45mins... Mostly about 30mins.

 

 

 

 

 

Not from KSR or Victory. 

[Sparktrader]

21 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

So now its the BTS to Phayathai... then change to the Airport link.

& also get a Hotel near the Phayathai or Makkassan so you can catch the airport link ????

 

Hmm... ????

 

Want to take luggage on the BTS ??...

 

Utlatimely, the Airport link is no good if you have luggage, no good if you have any distance more than 5mins to travel to Makkassan...  

Do you really want to be changing trains from BTS to Airport link? sure that negates an time saving ?

 

The ONLY reason I see the Rail Link being any better is if someone is only concerned about costs. 

A taxi from the same area is about 400 baht including tolls...  Rail link is how much ? 45 Baht ?

 

So I do see cost saving if thats all you are thinking about. 

 

 

 

 

 

Airlink is 200m from Phayathai BTS. I take a 65cm duffle bag. 10kgs carry on.

 

From Phaya Thai area be 1 hr in taxi and 300 baht fixed. Most taxis dont want to use meter to airport.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

50 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

Not from KSR or Victory. 

How to do you get to the Airport Rail link from Khao Sarn Road ?

 

(Its 40mins from KSR to Suvranabumi - Google Maps as of 4:20pm on Saturday - probably longer than that at the same time on a week day - i.e. 1 hour).

[jerrymahoney]

2 hours ago, proton said:

Queens is part of NY, Samut Prakan is not part of Bangkok, it's another province

People don't know where Samut Prakan is and they don't know where Queens so so what?

[richard_smith237]

49 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

Airlink is 200m from Phayathai BTS. I take a 65cm duffle bag. 10kgs carry on.

 

From Phaya Thai area be 1 hr in taxi and 300 baht fixed. Most taxis dont want to use meter to airport.

 

 

Right now it takes 28-35mins (depending on route) from Phayathai to Suvarnabumi via taxi. 

 

Of course - its a lot easier with a small duffel...  200m walk from BTS to Airlink is not too much - more than I want with baggage though. 

Are there escalators are are there steps (for those with rolling luggage). 

 

Grab Taxi can be booked. 

I don’t want to have to walk out of my Moo-ban to the main road and flag down a taxi either - no point - just use the Grab App.

 

 

[Laphroaig27]

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

How do you get to the Airport link ?.... You still need a taxi, right ? or can walk?

So most people still need a taxi which makes the above comment somewhat moot.

 

From Thonglor, its quicker to get to the airport than to the Makkassan Station... 

 

Unless someone lives within 5mins walk of Makkassan station and has no baggage the Airport Rail link offers no convenience or time saving. 

We would take the MRT.

 

We travel light and it's only a few stops but for 200b pax 2 a cab saves dragging the bags about.

[Sparktrader]

1 hour ago, jerrymahoney said:

People don't know where Samut Prakan is and they don't know where Queens so so what?

They know where Survannavesillyname is? Middle of nowhere.

[Lemsta69]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

How to do you get to the Airport Rail link from Khao Sarn Road ?

 

(Its 40mins from KSR to Suvranabumi - Google Maps as of 4:20pm on Saturday - probably longer than that at the same time on a week day - i.e. 1 hour).

Good question because it's a bit out of the way over there in Rattanakosin. Taxi to the nearest BTS or MRT I suppose. Or the local bus if they're really on a shoestring.

 

Flashpackers will likely take a taxi.

 

I don't know what the hardcore begpackers do these days to save money. Supposedly there's the S1 bus that goes from Democracy to Swampy for 60 baht that takes its own sweet time. 

 

Since the Lonely Planet nuked the Thorn Tree forum I don't know where to go to keep up with the latest from that sector of the travel market.

[Sparktrader]

20 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Good question because it's a bit out of the way over there in Rattanakosin. Taxi to the nearest BTS or MRT I suppose. Or the local bus if they're really on a shoestring.

 

Flashpackers will likely take a taxi.

 

I don't know what the hardcore begpackers do these days to save money. Supposedly there's the S1 bus that goes from Democracy to Swampy for 60 baht that takes its own sweet time. 

 

Since the Lonely Planet nuked the Thorn Tree forum I don't know where to go to keep up with the latest from that sector of the travel market.

Save money by skipping Bangkok. Its not cheap.

[jerrymahoney]

13 hours ago, Sparktrader said:

They know where Survannavesillyname is? Middle of nowhere.

BKK 

[Paul Catton]

Caught the Airport Link to Phaya Thai.

A couple of escalators and a two minute walk we were at the BTS line. 

Boarded heading South West and got off at Saphan Taksin to get the Hotel ferry boat to the accommodation.

Easier than going to the Supermarket for the weekly shop.