Adice About Thai Transportation Needed :)

[ampapzle]

Hello Everyone

This is my first time to post an article in this forum.

I plan to go to Thailand on 12/29 Friday. I will arrive the airport at 10:30 pm. My Friend and me want to go to Phitsanulok. We plan to take the early bus or train to that Province on Saturday morning. Since it’s our first time to travel independently in Thailand, I have some questions about the new airport and the transportation in Thailand.

The first question: Is it better and safer to stay in the airport until the next morning? Then how can we go to Bangkok in the early morning, say around 4 or 5 am? Are there buses to downtown in the early morning? Or we just have to take the taxi?

The second question is that is it possible for us to book the train or bus tickets in advance? ( Taking bus is actually what we prefer) I know the traffic is gonna be extremely busy at that time of the year. That’s why I am worried about whether we are able to buy the tickets or not. I have this website about the bus company, but they only have little information in English, and I can’t read Thai………

So, can we book the tickets on line? http://www.transport.co.th/default.htm

Thank you very much for providing your precious opinions.

[Soju]

You didn't really mention what kind of a budget you're on. If money isn't that tight, I'd recommend flying to Phitsanulok. Thai Air has a flight (TG 160) that departs at 07:00 and arrives in Phitsanulok at 07:55. Cost is 2185 Baht per person, one-way if booked online via THAI. There's a Novotel hotel next to the airport where you could spend the night, though certainly not cheap. Staying inside the airport certainly didn't seem unsafe to me. Lots of passengers there doing that. Just need to take the usual precautions about your personal belongings.

I can't help you any about buses or trains as I've never done that from Bangkok, but I would recommend making advance reservations as you're talking about the New Year weekend and lots and lots of Thais will be traveling then as well as lots and lots of tourists. If you wait till you get there, you may find an expensive taxi ride is the only way to get to your destination.

[ampapzle]

You didn't really mention what kind of a budget you're on. If money isn't that tight, I'd recommend flying to Phitsanulok. Thai Air has a flight (TG 160) that departs at 07:00 and arrives in Phitsanulok at 07:55. Cost is 2185 Baht per person, one-way if booked online via THAI. There's a Novotel hotel next to the airport where you could spend the night, though certainly not cheap. Staying inside the airport certainly didn't seem unsafe to me. Lots of passengers there doing that. Just need to take the usual precautions about your personal belongings.

I can't help you any about buses or trains as I've never done that from Bangkok, but I would recommend making advance reservations as you're talking about the New Year weekend and lots and lots of Thais will be traveling then as well as lots and lots of tourists. If you wait till you get there, you may find an expensive taxi ride is the only way to get to your destination.

Thank you for your information. Cause we don't have that much money to take the plane, so we plan to take the bus or the train. So I need to know the methods to see how to book the tickets in advance

[asanee]

You didn't really mention what kind of a budget you're on. If money isn't that tight, I'd recommend flying to Phitsanulok. Thai Air has a flight (TG 160) that departs at 07:00 and arrives in Phitsanulok at 07:55. Cost is 2185 Baht per person, one-way if booked online via THAI. There's a Novotel hotel next to the airport where you could spend the night, though certainly not cheap. Staying inside the airport certainly didn't seem unsafe to me. Lots of passengers there doing that. Just need to take the usual precautions about your personal belongings.

I can't help you any about buses or trains as I've never done that from Bangkok, but I would recommend making advance reservations as you're talking about the New Year weekend and lots and lots of Thais will be traveling then as well as lots and lots of tourists. If you wait till you get there, you may find an expensive taxi ride is the only way to get to your destination.

Thank you for your information. Cause we don't have that much money to take the plane, so we plan to take the bus or the train. So I need to know the methods to see how to book the tickets in advance

[asanee]

Start with the basics too: arr at 22.30 on 29/11, count on 1 hr extra to reach immigr/pass, collect bags, etc. never been on an airline with delays?

To BKK-Phi-loke BOTH train + bus are feasible. Trains= railway.co.th has the info, fares vary per TRAIN, EXpres trains are all reserved but unlikely to be full, and the trip is just too short for a sleeper. First good train is NEXT morning at 7.00 or 8.30 =The tourist ChMai bound sprinter), from MAIN =HUa LamPong station. you can get there by 1 of the airportexpress buses, lve from the taxilevel=floor 1, cost is 150 bt/pp. a taxi wont cost much more as 300 baht.

BUS; lve from the superbig MOCHIT busstation, about hourly, till 23.30 and agian from 5.30/6.00 or so, cost+time in THIS case comparable to train (this is not always so for any Thai city). Alas, NO easy bus to Mochit for 1st time Thai visitors (there is, but youll needd to have some grasp of how things work here to get it), so take taxi, cost 3/400 thb, incl the tolls. Bus/train ticket should be like 250/300 bt/pp (1 US= 36,xx baht)

Neither Mochit NOR HLPong are good to stay overnite.

[asanee]

oh, you canNOt book online NOR is that needed NOR is that a part. busy day (unless you yourself got mixed up meant 29/12= 2 days before nw yr, when indeed all of BKk empties out. In that case: you wont be able to get tickets anwyay, as the Thai in the know have all snapped them up

[cdnvic]

If it's your first trip to Thailand you'll miss far too much by flying everywhere. VIP bus is much more comfortable and you get to see the real Thailand along the way.

[Soju]

oh, you canNOt book online NOR is that needed NOR is that a part. busy day (unless you yourself got mixed up meant 29/12= 2 days before nw yr, when indeed all of BKk empties out. In that case: you wont be able to get tickets anwyay, as the Thai in the know have all snapped them up

Asanee, the OP specifically said "I plan to go to Thailand on 12/29 Friday.", meaning Friday, December 29, which means departing Bangkok on a bus or train on Saturday, December 30, which is 2 days before January 1, New Years Day. The OP never mentioned November 29 (which is on Wednesday). As you say, Bangkok empties out as most Thais will be traveling at that time and there is little chance the OP will be able to find any available public transport. So I think the only options are to pre-purchase the tickets (maybe you can give advice on how to do that?), take a plane, or take an expensive taxi (probably more expensive than a plane).

[ampapzle]

oh, you canNOt book online NOR is that needed NOR is that a part. busy day (unless you yourself got mixed up meant 29/12= 2 days before nw yr, when indeed all of BKk empties out. In that case: you wont be able to get tickets anwyay, as the Thai in the know have all snapped them up

Thank you very much for the information.

Yes, I 'll arrive on 12/29.

So that means since we can't get both the train and the bus tickets in advance anyway, we just have to arrive in the station earlier to get the tickets?

[Sophon]

oh, you canNOt book online NOR is that needed NOR is that a part. busy day (unless you yourself got mixed up meant 29/12= 2 days before nw yr, when indeed all of BKk empties out. In that case: you wont be able to get tickets anwyay, as the Thai in the know have all snapped them up

Thank you very much for the information.

Yes, I 'll arrive on 12/29.

So that means since we can't get both the train and the bus tickets in advance anyway, we just have to arrive in the station earlier to get the tickets?

It means that unless you find a way to book from back home (and doing so soon), it's very unlikely you will be able to get tickets to any train or bus out of Bangkok that close to New Years. Do you happen to know anyone in Bangkok, who could buy the tickets for you?

You might still be able to get plane tickets, but you have already mentioned, that you budget doesn't allow for that.

Good luck.

Sophon