A Comprehensive Guide to Thailand Bus Systems

1. Fares for each type of bus in Thailand

In Thailand there are many types of buses, each type will have many trips with different lengths and destinations. Therefore, you should prepare a map before deciding to take a bus in the land of the Golden Temple.
Most buses (except night buses) will run from 05:00 am to 23:00 pm each day.

Some types of buses for your reference and choose the most suitable bus:

• The regular bus costs 7 baht (red car) and 8 baht (blue and white car).
• The express bus costs 8.5 baht.
• Air-conditioned bus (bus equipped with air conditioning) costs from 9-19 baht (depending on the distance traveled) - dark blue car.
• Night bus (red) costs 8 baht.
• Standard bus EURO II (orange-yellow) costs 12-22 baht depending on the distance traveled.

Overnight bus in Thailand/https://www.tripsavvy.com/

Notes when catching the bus in Thailand

• Because most destinations in Thailand are recorded in Thai, the best way to determine where a bus is going is based on the route number, vehicle type, colors, and map.
• Buses in Thailand only stop when someone wants to catch them. So, you need to know the station you want to get off and notify the driver in advance when you are about to get to the station.
• The fare will be collected on the bus by the staff, so you should prepare the change.
• Keep tickets or bills as they get checked sometimes.
• On air-conditioned buses, prices fluctuate depending on the distance. Just say where you want to go, the cashier will say the amount you have to pay.
• The regular bus or small bus cost about 7-8 baht (usually no more than 10 baht). This is a fixed price for the whole line.
• Courteously give seats to young children, priests, the elderly, and pregnant women. Once in the vehicle, continue to head to or to the end of the vehicle, avoiding standing at the door or in the center aisle.
• Hold the handrail firmly because the bus in Thailand is also quite fast. To announce the departure, you press the button or report directly to the driver and the flight attendant before arriving at the station.
• If you do not know which station to get off, ask a local to accompany you on the car or the ticket staff.
• Always keep the business card (or name, phone number, address) of the hotel you are staying in, especially in Thailand. It will be extremely helpful when you get lost.
  EURO II (orange-yellow) is the newest, most comfortable, and spacious bus line. The driver and ticket staff are very friendly. Most importantly, the air conditioner works very well.

Inside a bus in Thailand/https://www.thailand-tourist-information.com/

2. Other means of transport are recommended

In addition to the bus, you can choose the means of transport after arriving in Thailand

• Skytrain BTS: This is an extremely convenient and fast means of transportation in this country. Fares vary from 10 baht to 52 baht depending on your destination. If you intend to use the Skytrain as the main means of transport within Thailand, you should buy a one day pass for 130 baht, which can be used for an unlimited number of times a day.
• Tuk-tuk: This is a cheap means of transportation and is available everywhere in Thailand. The tuk-tuk experience will definitely make you never forget because of the surprisingly fast speed of this vehicle on the always crowded streets of Bangkok. When traveling for short distances, tuk-tuks are more beneficial than taxis because of the cleverness of the drivers.
• Taxi: It is quite popular in Thailand and especially convenient in areas of Thailand that the BTS and MRT systems do not cover. The price shown when starting on the taxi is 35 baht, and this will stay the same for the first 2 km. After that, each kilometer will increase to about 5 baht. During traffic congestion, there will be an additional surcharge of 1.25 baht per meter traveled.

Note

Watch out for bus theft. Do not place your bag on an overhead shelf, as it is easier for someone to do so when they intend to steal your bag. Especially someone passing by while you are sleeping. During a break at the roadside stop, take a photo of your vehicle, or record your license plate so you can still recognize your vehicle later. Sometimes multiple buses stop at the same time and it can cause confusion for you when searching for a bus. And finally, be sure to equip yourself with mosquito repellent because there are mosquitoes on the bus!

Hopefully, this article will be useful for your upcoming trip to Thailand. 

Jenny Tran

(Image Source: Internet)