Getting In And Out Of New Immigration Office

[glen]

Hi all,

My first trip to Chaeng Wattana was ok. Took a 29 A/C bus from Saphan Kwai. The new offices are immense but the service is good.

Getting back I took a taxi to Laksi railway station, but no trains back to Bangkok for an hour, so 510 a/c back.

The only hitch was getting out. Are there no options except taxis? I couldnt see any and the front desk was unhelpful.

Can any other carless expats recommend an alterntaive?

best, Glen

[mjperry]

There's the free bus that shuttles you to and from the building from the main road

Martin

[asanee]

even though I am not an expat and dont need to deal with that office, I am carless and use publ transp most of times. I am still a little unsure of the exact location-but I understand its some distance OFF Ch Wattana main road-between the 2nd stage expressway and Pak Kred. You may have noted there are plenty of buses running on that section of road, incl for you quite useful VANS=minibuses. Also bus 29, be it AC or fan, does not come any near. And for Sapan Kwai that train is also making it much more cumbersome. your best bets are:

1.BMTA bus 166, both red and AC, from the Vict. Monument, going straight on expr way from there. very fast.

2.VAN-use mouth to ask-they are quite used to those questions and wont eat you, from Mochit/khao+chatuchak park, end of BTS

3.WHITE bus 52-the best for you, coming from Bang Sue train stop-via Pradiphat-along Ch_chak-along the 29/510=PTT-Rangsit road, then turns left onto Ch wattana, to end at Pak Kred. bring time-it wont be fast. and yes-though i think you dont belong to those asking for all that: come back same way too!

from what I have recalled there is quite a long way between the office and the main road. This is Thaild-so there will be some motosay boys or whatever.

[kurtdhis]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Bangkok-Immi...be-t300625.html

and this link:

http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/04/su...gkoks-mass.html

should provide you with all the information that you need.

[asanee]

yes-this kratruang=ministery is NOT on the section I thought it was-its just EAST of the exp-way, so bus 166 wont help.

As could-on a forum with this name-have been expected with anyone with some expereince, it was posted+asked about before. Above the links have already been given (though I admit it was not that easy to find them).

Another fairly over-obvious tip for bus-users: (like i would do when in China or so): jot down the bus-route-nrs of the stop to you (in China these always also have names) and then if youre faraway and spot a stop with a same-route nr-you can be pretty sure that bus will olink to home. Which you could easily have done with that 52.

[glen]

Thanks all,

That's helpful about the free bus. When I went back again a few days later I just took a cab from Huay Kwang and it was only 110 baht.

That seems the easiest,

best, Glen

[DegenFarang]

I took Taxi from Sukhumvit and was very disappointed at how far away it was compared to the old immigration office. However I was blown away at the quality of the new government complex it seems they've built out there - almost felt like I was in Washington DC or something. That building is gorgeous, and HUGE. The service was also top notice. In and out in under a half hour and instead of standing around in the hot and cramped Suan Plu waiting room I got to go downstairs and enjoy a nice lunch and some coffee at the numerous small restaurants and shops they have.

So yes my only complaint was the distance from Sukhumvit, everything else 5 stars.