All You Need to Know About Bangkok BTS, BRT and MRT

If you had come to Bangkok once, you might have known that Bangkok had a lot of subways and trains constructed to support the need to travel and tourism. It may be hard for foreigners to understand these systems. So, in this article, we will try to help you distinguish the 3 most common means of transportation in Bangkok which are BTS, BRT and MRT. Then, you will not be confused on your next visit to this city.

1. BTS

BTS, also known as the Bangkok Mass Transit System, is an elevated fast transit system in Bangkok. It comprises 48 stations along 2 lines: the Silom line in dark green and the Sukhumvit line in lighter one. While the former runs south-eastwards and northwards with termination at Kheha and Kasetsart University respectively, the latter serves Sathorn and Silom Roads with termination at Bang Wa and National Stadium.

Thanks to BTS’s high speed, passengers can save much time while traveling in Bangkok. Instead of wasting 60 to 90 minutes for a taxi or bus drive during rush hours, they can decide on BTS and save more 40 minutes to relax.

They can even enjoy some “views” and sometimes, the skytrain will stop at stations that are connected to buildings, shopping malls and the skywalk. As a result, people can get off to buy stuff or just wander around the high-end constructions.

Plus, BTS runs on electricity, which means it will not emit any gases into the air. So, travelling by BTS is one of the best ways people can do to protect our environment.

However, the price for a BTS ticket is not budget, which is around 16 Baht for a single ticket and 59 Baht for the whole system. In fact, the fares change every year and often rise rather than decrease.

The BTS comprises of 48 stations along 2 lines: the Silom line in dark green and the Sukhumvit line in lighter one

2. BRT

Bangkok BRT is a Bus Rapid Transit System in Bangkok. Despite being planned to have 5 routes, only one line was operated in 2010. This line is 16 kilometers long and includes 12 different stations. Its termination is connected to the BTS Silom Line at Talat Phlu and Chong Nonsi. The buses used for this system are all from Sunlong SLK 6125 CNG buses. Now, the price is about 5 Baht but it will increase 3 times higher than that in the future.

If you are wondering whether catching a standard bus is super challenging in big cities like Bangkok, please don’t worry. Bangkok BRT runs on a dedicated lane so you can totally get on the bus safe. Nevertheless, because of having only 1 line, BRT has a very limited reach. Therefore, if you want to go by BRT, you need to make sure your wanted-to-go destinations are near the bus stations, or else, you will get lost.

Bangkok BRT is 16 kilometers long and includes 12 different stations

3. MRT

The Metropolitan Rapid Transit, which is shortened as MRT, is a mass rapid transit system in Thailand. It has two heavy rail lines and a further three lines are being constructed at the moment. The first MRT Line, the Chaloem Ratchamongkhon Line, between Bang Sue and Hua Lamphong, was opened in 2004 and the second one, the Chalong Ratchadham Line was opened 12 years later, which is connected to Khlong Bang Phai and Tao Poon in Bangkok.

According to our research, the 2 lines mentioned above serve around 470 thousand passengers every day. The ticketing system is integrated with RFID contactless technology, featuring a round black token for a single trip. In the future, they will join the ticketing system together so passengers can use the single ticket both on the Skytrain and the MRT.

MRT runs underground and the price is slightly cheaper than BTS, which ranges from 16 Baht to 42 Baht. This is such a reasonable price despite the fact that there are not as many rides travelling by MRT compared to by BTS.

In addition, the Chaloem Ratchamongkhon Line goes through lots of places including tourist, cultural and business areas, bringing convenience to most people. Some of its 18 stations are also super close to the BTS stations so passengers can find it easy to interchange from MRT to BTS.

The Metropolitan Rapid Transit, which is shortened as MRT, is a mass rapid transit system in Thailand

To sum up, each mentioned kind of transportation in Bangkok has its own advantages and disadvantages. Based on what we have listed above and your demands, you can totally choose the right option for you. You can opt for one and then change from one to another so as to get the most convenience for you.

Remember to check the map carefully before using. In case you can’t find the route, just ask the locals or anyone who can help you. The transportation system in Thailand is quite modern, so don’t worry too much!

Hang Moon

Image sources: Internet