Easiest way from Don Muang Airport to Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital 488 Srinakarin Rd. Suanluang

[lostinisaan]

Sawasdee Khrap,

I've got a hospital appointment on the 3rd of May at the Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital 488 Srinakarin Rd. Suanluang.

i'll arrive at Don Muang by plane ( if the machine stays on radar, of course)

I thought best would be to take the train ( any that stops at Don Muang (airport) and drive to Hualo Lumphong. Then the MRT and there's where my question begins.

Does anybody of you know how to get there without having traffic jams?

Thanks a lot for your answer.

Edited April 24, 2016 by lostinisaan

[laolover88]

Get a taxi!! If you can avoid arriving at Don Muang at 09.00 that would be good. Ditto to avoid leaving 15.00+. Otherwise you have to do complicated things with MRT/BTS. If you have all day, of course you can get a bus or a TourBus! Samitijev? Hope you are well insured!! Good wishes!

[lostinisaan]

Get a taxi!! If you can avoid arriving at Don Muang at 09.00 that would be good. Ditto to avoid leaving 15.00+. Otherwise you have to do complicated things with MRT/BTS. If you have all day, of course you can get a bus or a TourBus! Samitijev? Hope you are well insured!! Good wishes!

I'll arrive at Don around 10.20 coming from Ubon. Got my doctor appointment after lunch at 1 pm. So plenty of time to make it.

But i wouldn't like to be trapped in a cab.Most cab drivers are from lower northeast and i speak their slang. But I wouldn't want to chat with him/her for hours. It wasn't about saving money, just to bypass the crazy traffic.

One night in Bangkok is totally okay.

P.S. Will take my Thai SS card with me. Thanks for the heads up.

Edited April 24, 2016 by lostinisaan

[saakura]

DM to Samitivej Srinakarin. The fastest and most convenient would be to take the airport meter taxi and ask the driver to take the elevated tollway (80Baht) which ends at Din Daeng and instead of getting off, just continue on the elevated expressway going to Srinakarin (you will have to pay an additional 50B toll fee). This will take you from DM airport to the Hospital doorstep in about 30-45 minutes with normal traffic.

Edited April 24, 2016 by saakura

[lostinisaan]

DM to Samitivej Srinakarin. The fastest and most convenient would be to take the airport meter taxi and ask the driver to take the elevated tollway (80Baht) which ends at Din Daeng and instead of getting off, just continue on the elevated expressway going to Srinakarin (you will have to pay an additional 50B toll fee). This will take you from DM airport to the Hospital doorstep in about 30-45 minutes with normal traffic.

Thank you very much for the great solution. Really nice of you. Cheers.-

[KhunBENQ]

Wish there was already a train from Don Mueang

Last time from the bus I see the construction work.

If there is a way to escape the crazy traffic then it is the tollway looking down to the jams.

And you are lucky that there is only a short drive off from the tollway to the hospital.

Give the driver a nice Isan chat and he will know that you are not an easy victim

Samitijev? Hope you are well insured!! Good wishes!

But he is not going to Bangkok Hospital or Bungrumrad (black or platin CCs recommended)

Dark blue route over the tollways (not the shortest).

Don't allow any other!

Edited April 24, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[lopburi3]

The traffic will not be bad at that time of day and there is no MRT/BTS even close to that hospital - you have to take taxi.

But at Laksi I would take RamIntra road to Ekamai-Ramintra Expressway to Rama 9 road myself.

[siam2007]

Wish there was already a train from Don Mueang

Last time from the bus I see the construction work.

If there is a way to escape the crazy traffic then it is the tollway looking down to the jams.

And you are lucky that there is only a short drive off from the tollway to the hospital.

Give the driver a nice Isan chat and he will know that you are not an easy victim

Samitijev? Hope you are well insured!! Good wishes!

But he is not going to Bangkok Hospital or Bungrumrad (black or platin CCs recommended)

Dark blue route over the tollways (not the shortest).

Don't allow any other!

route.jpg

since decades, there have been trains going to and from Don Mueang as it is on the Bangkok - Ayutthaya line. There is even a dedicated elevated walkway at the train station to get straight to the Airport. I never took this train, but if I remember right what people said, the fare to Hualamphong must have been 6 Baht. Or was it 3 Baht?

As for Samitivej Srinakharin - I live not far away and I can only second what saakura said. Take an Airport cab or walk out to Vibhavadee road if you don't trust the airport cabs (which I would fully understand) as there is no MRT or BTS nearby the Samitvej. If you really want to do it the Cheap-Charlie-way, you could hop on a Bus at Don Mueang, then get on the BTS at Mor Chit, get off at Udomsuk and take a cab for the last 4 km to the hospital. But actually not worth the hassle, me thinks

Edited April 24, 2016 by siam2007

[KhunBENQ]

I don't have local/frequent experience so I tend to suggest the "tourist path"

Edited April 24, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[lopburi3]

I don't have local/frequent experience so I tend to suggest the "tourist path"

Actually Google agrees with you at 0845 - same distance but about 15 minutes shorter drive your way - but believe later in day that will change, but probably not enough to make it worthwhile to try and tell driver which way to go.

I live in Latphao so to me going through seems shorter - that is why tourists are often more knowledgeable than locals about local things.

[asiaexpat]

A shuttle bus from the domestic terminal 2 goes to MoChit BTS and I believe also an MRT station (can not remember which one.) Then at Phaya Thai BTS can connect with Airport Rail Link. ARL to Hua Mak station leaves you a short distance from the hospital. Many taxis (both motorcycle and car) at this station. From Phaya Thai station to ARL Hua Mak is 20 minutes. Taxi to hospital 5 minutes.

[lostinisaan]

I don't have local/frequent experience so I tend to suggest the "tourist path"

Actually Google agrees with you at 0845 - same distance but about 15 minutes shorter drive your way - but believe later in day that will change, but probably not enough to make it worthwhile to try and tell driver which way to go.

I live in Latphao so to me going through seems shorter - that is why tourists are often more knowledgeable than locals about local things.

Wise words....thanks a lot. ( Khop Khun La Lai...)

[lostinisaan]

Wish there was already a train from Don Mueang

Last time from the bus I see the construction work.

If there is a way to escape the crazy traffic then it is the tollway looking down to the jams.

And you are lucky that there is only a short drive off from the tollway to the hospital.

Give the driver a nice Isan chat and he will know that you are not an easy victim

Samitijev? Hope you are well insured!! Good wishes!

But he is not going to Bangkok Hospital or Bungrumrad (black or platin CCs recommended)

Dark blue route over the tollways (not the shortest).

Don't allow any other!

route.jpg

Thanks a lot for the great advice. It's truly amazing when you speak their local slang and they usually don't wanna rip you off.

Then I'm planning to spend a night at Nana, not to sit in any of the bars on a stool for too long. The pool and continental breakfast for two, plus two welcome drinks and an open end night can't be that bad.

Gotta Google how to get there from the hospital.....life's complicated, but nice.

[lostinisaan]

Wish there was already a train from Don Mueang

Last time from the bus I see the construction work.

If there is a way to escape the crazy traffic then it is the tollway looking down to the jams.

And you are lucky that there is only a short drive off from the tollway to the hospital.

Give the driver a nice Isan chat and he will know that you are not an easy victim

Samitijev? Hope you are well insured!! Good wishes!

But he is not going to Bangkok Hospital or Bungrumrad (black or platin CCs recommended)

Dark blue route over the tollways (not the shortest).

Don't allow any other!

route.jpg

Thanks a lot for the great advice. It's truly amazing when you speak their local slang and they usually don't wanna rip you off.

Then I'm planning to spend a night at Nana, not to sit in any of the bars on a stool for too long. The pool and continental breakfast for two, plus two welcome drinks and an open end night can't be that bad.

Gotta Google how to get there from the hospital.....life's complicated, but nice.

I've just booked an online hotel called "Boss Suites Nana Hotel" at Sukhumvhit 40,42 for 1,300 baht. Is it the Nana hotel, or just the same name?

I'm a little bit irritated.

[lopburi3]

Not the Nana. It is a new hotel way back on soi away from the nightlife zone.

[lostinisaan]

Not the Nana. It is a new hotel way back on soi away from the nightlife zone.

The way I see it it's down the road from Nana,is that Soi 4? Can't be that far from Sukhumvhit, right?

I just wanted to stay at Nana because of their two welcome drinks and Continental breakfast for two.

Thanks a lot.

P.S. Not really into the bar stool activity, really love to walk around then sit down and watch. Much better than any reality TV and free.

Edited April 25, 2016 by lostinisaan

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Don't think your Thai SS card will do much good at a private hospital, Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital

Mac

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Lost

At least your new place on Soi 4 seems to have WiFi in the rooms, not so at the Nana, at last last year when I stayed there one night.

Mac

[lostinisaan]

Don't think your Thai SS card will do much good at a private hospital, Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital

Mac

Thank you Mac,

Nope, it was only my response to another poster's joke. I already know how much it will cost. Thanks a lot. i could still try to get it reimbursed from the Thai SS. Lol.....

P.S. Actually with a try. It's only 2 K, but i remember that they easily reimbursed a bill from a hospital in another province. Wasn't a private hospital though.

Just thinking of my way back to Don Muang to catch the plane to Ubon. Wouldn't it make sense to take the MRT from Sukhumvhit to Hua Lumphung, then a train to Don Muang?

There must be plenty of trains driving this direction. And no traffic jam. maybe only a broken locomotive?

Edited April 25, 2016 by lostinisaan

[lopburi3]

Should be able to walk to/from Sukhumvhit if you want - but really about as far from road as you can get on Nana Soi. Should be a better hotel and more comfortable (have not stayed in Nana Hotel for more than 40 years so no recent knowledge).

The MRT Subway is at Soi Asoke so quite a distance (BTS Skytrain is at Nana). If going to Asoke you could take subway North to Latphao or Morchit and then taxi or bux from there to airport. Or take BTS to Morchit and bus to airport. Or just take taxi. But if you want to use the train I would take a taxi to station rather than walk/bts/mrt combinations.

[lostinisaan]

Should be able to walk to/from Sukhumvhit if you want - but really about as far from road as you can get on Nana Soi. Should be a better hotel and more comfortable (have not stayed in Nana Hotel for more than 40 years so no recent knowledge).

The MRT Subway is at Soi Asoke so quite a distance (BTS Skytrain is at Nana). If going to Asoke you could take subway North to Latphao or Morchit and then taxi or bux from there to airport. Or take BTS to Morchit and bus to airport. Or just take taxi. But if you want to use the train I would take a taxi to station rather than walk/bts/mrt combinations.

Thanks a lot for taking the time, lopburi.

I've walked the 2, or 3 km's a few times to the Asoke, not too bad. Then only a few minutes and I'm at the train station. I was just wondering how many trains are driving to Don Muang and actually stop there???

It was just an idea to bypass all the traffic and i can stay a little bit longer at the hotel pool.

Isn't the next BTS also at Asoke? BTW, the hotel is not bad, 1,500 baht, two welcome drinks of your choice and Continental breakfast for two. ( really a lot of nice stuff, not the ordinary American breakfast).

The pool is nice, since a few months all rooms have WIFI and I never had a bad experience. They let me check out at 3 pm and other goodies.

Edited April 25, 2016 by lostinisaan

[lostinisaan]

Lost

At least your new place on Soi 4 seems to have WiFi in the rooms, not so at the Nana, at last last year when I stayed there one night.

Mac

They do have WIFI as well. Started a few months ago.

[lopburi3]

Was thinking you might have bags to carry - but guess easy backpack or less? There is a BTS (Nana station) at Soi 6 so a lot closer. Believe all trains other than the Southern line stop at Don Muang.

An alternative would be take BTS to end of line at old Morchit and connect MRT there one stop to Bang Sue Railway station and get your train from there (all trains stop there - but believe Southern Trains use different physical station so be sure you are at right one (have never taken MRT there so not sure where it exits). You want Station 1 (North trains)

Edited April 25, 2016 by lopburi3

[lostinisaan]

Was thinking you might have bags to carry - but guess easy backpack or less? There is a BTS (Nana station) at Soi 6 so a lot closer. Believe all trains other than the Southern line stop at Don Muang.

An alternative would be take BTS to end of line at old Morchit and connect MRT there one stop to Bang Sue Railway station and get your train from there (all trains stop there - but believe Southern Trains use different physical station so be sure you are at right one (have never taken MRT there so not sure where it exits). You want Station 1 (North trains)

Once more, thanks a lot for the time you've taken to reply. I might have a small rucksack and maybe my notebook, so not a big deal.

Once I'm at Asoke, I take the MRT and I think it's only five stations to Hua Lumphong. Then it should be easy to get a train to Don Muang.

I'll try that route and post how it was. Will have to buy something for my wife,I guess.....

[lopburi3]

I was thinking the wife was with you with your talk of breakfasts for two so trying to avoid long march/sun - by yourself should not be an issue getting to Asoke (although the wrong direction to where you want to end up).

[lostinisaan]

I was thinking the wife was with you with your talk of breakfasts for two so trying to avoid long march/sun - by yourself should not be an issue getting to Asoke (although the wrong direction to where you want to end up).

My artificial knee joint might start to hurt, but that's fine. My breakfast for two's gone through the wrong booking. And just because it's non refundable, you can't even change the hotel via "Agoda."

The hidden "special offer" turned out to be a 250 + breakfast for one only option. Depends on her look then.

I've sent them an e-mail and they replied if I need help booking a room at Nana? Do they have Filipinos employed now? ( At Agoda)

Waiting for the next answer......

Edited April 25, 2016 by lostinisaan