Traveling in Bangkok on a Budget
by vacation-guide.infoBangkok, Thailand is an amazing city in the heart of South East Asia. If you're living in Asia, chances are you've visited the city, or have a friend or relative who has. If you're not, here are some tips on how to navigate your way around.
If there are any budget carriers flying into Bangkok from your country, hop onto it - airlines like Jetstar Asia, AirAsia and Tiger Airline offer pretty decent service for a very low cost. Otherwise, catch Thai Airways or any other airline that passes by your country en-route to Bangkok.
The new international airport is Suvarnabhumi Airport, and is located about 30-45 minutes away from the city. The layout is longitudinal, so it does take some time to get your bearings upon arrival. Passport clearance and baggage claim should be quick, depending on the time of day you arrive.
When you step out of the departure area, you will see many representatives of the airport limousine companies offering car services into the city. The cost of these is about 3 times that of a regular street cab, which can be easily found. Head towards the signs showing the way to buses, and go down the escalator where you can find the taxi stand. Getting to the city from here should cost no more than USD10. Best part is, you won't to negotiate with the driver, as the price is metered, and destination pre-arranged at the cab counter.
In the city, choose to live near the sky train system, or BTS. This is a city-wide monorail network that takes you to most of the major shopping and business areas. The fares on the network are very affordable, and the service is efficient. If you're getting to an area not served by the Skytrain, you can experience the adventure of a tuk-tuk or auto rickshaw for a very low fare.
If you intend to stay beyond a couple of days, and intend to make local or overseas calls on your cellphone, remember to purchase a prepaid SIM card for your cellphone. Some of the local operators are AIS, and TRUE. You can be sure that this will save you bundles compared to your Vodaphone or Singtel Autoroam.
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