Getting around Thailand

The distances are the thing

Thailand is about 1,600 km from north to south. Chiang Mai to Phuket is roughly the same as London to Rome, and there is a sea at one end of it.

This is why domestic flights matter. A route that takes an hour in the air is 12 to 15 hours on the ground, and the fare difference is usually small enough that the flight is the better use of a holiday.

Plan in moves, not in kilometres. Each time you change region you lose most of a day, whatever the mode.

Domestic flights

The domestic network is excellent. Budget carriers fly constantly between Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai and the island airports, and the fares booked ahead are low.

Bangkok has two airports and they are 30 km apart. Suvarnabhumi (BKK) handles most long-haul and many domestic flights; Don Mueang (DMK) is the base for most budget carriers. A connection between them needs a long transfer in traffic — never book one tightly.

Island airports are the exception to the cheap rule. Flights to Koh Samui in particular cost far more than flying to Surat Thani and taking the ferry, because one airline group dominates the route.

Trains

The State Railway of Thailand runs a network that is slower than the bus but far more pleasant, and the overnight sleepers are genuinely worth doing once.

Bangkok to Chiang Mai overnight, in a second-class sleeper berth, is the classic journey: you leave in the evening, sleep, and arrive in the morning having saved a hotel night. Book ahead — the sleepers sell out, especially in the cool season.

Trains also run south towards Surat Thani and the Malaysian border, and the short line to Kanchanaburi crosses the Bridge on the River Kwai itself.

Fares are cheap, the classes are clearly priced, and the difference between first and second class is mostly privacy rather than comfort.

Buses, minivans and boats

This is how most of the country actually moves, and it works — with two caveats.

• Long-distance buses are cheap, cover routes the trains do not, and range from comfortable overnight coaches to rattling local services. Government buses are generally steadier than private ones.
• Minivans are faster and stop more often, and have a reputation for aggressive driving that is earned. If you are at all nervous, take the bus or the train.
• Island ferries and speedboats run on published timetables in high season and reduced ones in the monsoon. Some services stop entirely between May and October on the Andaman side.
• The last leg to a beach is often a longtail boat from the pier, which may not run after dark and may involve wading.

Getting around a city

Bangkok is the only Thai city with a serious rail network, and using it is the difference between a good day and a wasted one.

• The BTS Skytrain and MRT underground in Bangkok are fast, air-conditioned and cheap.
• The Chao Phraya Express Boat is the quickest way along the river and the most pleasant route to the old city.
• Metered taxis should use the meter. If the driver refuses, take the next one — this is normal, not rude.
• Ride-hailing apps work in the main cities and remove the negotiation entirely. Grab is the standard.
• Tuk-tuks are for the experience and short hops, not for value. Agree the price before you get in.
• Motorbike taxis are the fastest way through gridlock and by far the most dangerous. Decide deliberately.
• Songthaews — converted pickup trucks with two rows of seats — are the shared local transport in Chiang Mai and many towns. Wave one down, tell the driver where you are going, agree the fare.

Renting a scooter or a car

Scooter rental is cheap, convenient and the single largest source of serious injury to visitors in Thailand. The roads are fast, the driving is on the left, the hills are steep, and the standard rental agreement does not include insurance that would actually cover you.

If you do ride: wear a helmet that fits, do not learn on a hill, do not ride after drinking, and photograph the bike before you take it. An international driving permit plus your licence is what you are legally required to carry.

Cars are a better option for the north, where the driving is the point. You need an international driving permit, and you drive on the left.