Work In Bangkok But Live In Samut Prakarn?

[Portlandstone]

Anybody live out that far but work in BKK? Is Samut Prakan even considered Bangkok or another town?

How about way out by Bang Mueang Mai (Sukhumvit 115)? Is traffic so bad as to make it not worth it?

[Gigabyte]

Hi,

I live in Samut Prakarn and work in Bangkok. Samut Prakarn compared to Bangkok is not even another town, it's another province... Really.

I live on Theparak Road, near the ring road. My office is on Sathorn, near Surasak. I would never even consider Sukhumvit to go back and forth; every morning the g/f and I take the ring road to the Bangna-Trad expressway, then we go all the way to Bangna and pass Bitec we jump on the other expressway, exit to follow Dao Khanong (after the port, before Rama 4 exits), follow for Rama 9 then exit at Sathorn. It takes 30 minutes on a very quiet morning, more than an hour - an hour and a half on a rainy Monday morning (30+ Km). Toll boots cost 65 baht one way. The same ride by taxi (including expressway tolls) costs about 300 baht. Evening ride is the same, opposite direction.

Not really my ideal location, far from that, however that's where the g/f insisted we move because her parents live nearby.

Happy commuting!

[Irene]

Hi,

I live in Samut Prakarn and work in Bangkok. Samut Prakarn compared to Bangkok is not even another town, it's another province... Really.

I live on Theparak Road, near the ring road. My office is on Sathorn, near Surasak. I would never even consider Sukhumvit to go back and forth; every morning the g/f and I take the ring road to the Bangna-Trad expressway, then we go all the way to Bangna and pass Bitec we jump on the other expressway, exit to follow Dao Khanong (after the port, before Rama 4 exits), follow for Rama 9 then exit at Sathorn. It takes 30 minutes on a very quiet morning, more than an hour - an hour and a half on a rainy Monday morning (30+ Km). Toll boots cost 65 baht one way. The same ride by taxi (including expressway tolls) costs about 300 baht. Evening ride is the same, opposite direction.

Not really my ideal location, far from that, however that's where the g/f insisted we move because her parents live nearby.

Happy commuting!

I live near to km 8 Bangna-Trad (Smuthprakarn) and work near to Queen's Convention Centre. Going up on Cholburi-Bangna expressway linking with Bangna expressway, it takes me 15 to 30 minutes. The secret is being near to the entry to the expressway. On the way back, I have to take Bangna exit and cruise along the Bangna-Trad road, it could take 30 minutes.

I used to live in Sathorn and it took slightly more time than when in Smuthprakarn. The beauty now is the break from town and yet take less time travelling when living in town though having to pay toll fees.

[singa-traz]

Traffic is fluid ... at 06h00 in the morning.

Let us know where you work in Bangkok, so we can make a more accurate estimation of the travel time.

Bangna-Rama IV can take from 20 to 90 min in the morning depending on time and weather.

If you can have flexible hour and don't mind waking up early, your travel time will be reduced.

If you have fixed office hour (09h00-18h00), you might spend 2h00-2h30 per day on the road.

BTS at Sukhumvit 107 will open next year ... or the year after.

[Portlandstone]

Right now I am not working anything full time but will likely be at some point, so not sure precisely which location. I should mention I don't drive a car and usually avoid taxis, but I do often take buses and I noticed several buses go down that way, so it makes one think if there is a respectable travel time (an hour or less), the slightly lower prices (things to spend on) and being away from hectic BK might be attractive.

I don't know just how clogged the buses all along Sukhumvit get usually (as in past On Nut or Suk soi 90 and beyond). I'm really surprised that buses even go down as far as they did.

I'm not sure what working start and end times I'll have yet.

Also am looking into the area that is a bit closer in, such as Suk 115. Still seems a good long ways out, but if buses can usually get through without too much problem, at least up to one of the BTS stations, it might be something to look in to. I guess I'll just have to make five or six trips out there on my own to see approximate travel times by bus, at various times of the day, and give it several test runs when I have the time. So thought I'd ask others what their experience along the road has been in the meantime. Well that's all I can think of for now.

[PatLogan]

Right now I am not working anything full time but will likely be at some point, so not sure precisely which location. I should mention I don't drive a car and usually avoid taxis, but I do often take buses and I noticed several buses go down that way, so it makes one think if there is a respectable travel time (an hour or less), the slightly lower prices (things to spend on) and being away from hectic BK might be attractive.

I don't know just how clogged the buses all along Sukhumvit get usually (as in past On Nut or Suk soi 90 and beyond). I'm really surprised that buses even go down as far as they did.

I'm not sure what working start and end times I'll have yet.

Also am looking into the area that is a bit closer in, such as Suk 115. Still seems a good long ways out, but if buses can usually get through without too much problem, at least up to one of the BTS stations, it might be something to look in to. I guess I'll just have to make five or six trips out there on my own to see approximate travel times by bus, at various times of the day, and give it several test runs when I have the time. So thought I'd ask others what their experience along the road has been in the meantime. Well that's all I can think of for now.

When Bearing and BangNa BTS stations will open, Suk 115 will be easy to reach. But as singa-traz said, who really know when they will open? But I think the buses to join On Nut from there are numerous. It seemed to me the traffic was not that bad either every time I use this route by taxi to go back home (Suk71) from the airport.

Samut Prakan / Bangkok... wow, I could not imagine doing that. Have you considered looking into Rama 2 area? It is kinda closer,

[AAACEEE]

get a motorbike... if u dont have to go to far its unbeatable in bkk traffic.. and fun 2.. only when it rains its a problem

[Portlandstone]

get a motorbike... if u dont have to go to far its unbeatable in bkk traffic.. and fun 2.. only when it rains its a problem

Yes but doesn't that make you a frequent target for police that are looking to nab people for this or that violation?

PatLogan, it looks like I have plenty more to learn as I don't even know where it is as well as other "optimal" outlying suburbs are. I just thought of the places I've mentioned as they are straight down the road on Sukhumvit (with hectic traffic, apparently). Looks like the goal is to find such a suburb that also has good bus lines into and out of the city that aren't clogged. Speaking of "Rama 2", I typed it into google maps and it shows an area that is on the West side of the river. Good bus transportation in and out of the city there?

[KhaoNiaw]

I'm on Theparak, roughly km 2, just beyond Samrong, and I drive in to the Klongtoey area.

I think Sukhumvit 115 is Soi Apichart? and I used to live further beyond that. It's not really that far out, and the traffic has been much better in the last couple of years since the bridges and the ring road opened. A lot commuters in that area get the bus as far as the BTS, but it's now a pretty good area to be driving in from.

My route to work is great - straight down the Old Railway Road, all the way down to Klongtoey - one way in the morning and reversed in the evening as far as Sanphawut (Bangna). It's usually 40-45 minutes in the morning, and 30-35 going home. You get the odd morning of hel_l, of course, but much less frequently than before.

Edited September 4, 2010 by KhaoNiaw