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Bangkok
International Airport
(Terminal 1)
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Lay
out of
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Bangkok
Interntaional Airport Terminal 1
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Click here to Bangkok International Airport Terminal 2
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TERMINAL
1 is
a storey building, completed with all accommodating facilities. The
ground floor and the 2nd floor is used for servicing arriving passenger
while the 3rd floor is for departing passengers. The 4th floor is
accommodated for airlines offices, restaurant and observation decks.
ARRIVING
& DEPARTING
By
Air
Bangkok's
new Don Muang Airport international terminal, adjacent to what
is now the domestic terminal, has relieved congestion and handles
international passengers with modern efficiency. As you leave
customs, you'll find an array of desks where you can arrange for
taxis into Bangkok and transport to other destinations; a reservation
desk for Bangkok hotels (no fee); and a TAT desk with free brochures
and maps (tel. 02/523-8972). Both terminals have luggage-checking
facilities (tel. 02/535-1250).
There is a tax of B500 for international departures and B30 for domestic departures. A word of caution: The airport has more than its share of hustlers out to make a quick baht, who often wear uniforms and tags that make them seem official. They will try to get you to change your hotel to one that pays them a large commission, perhaps claiming your intended hotel is overbooked. They will hustle you into overpriced taxis or limousines. Do not get taken in. CARRIERS The U.S. carrier with the most frequent flights is Northwest Airlines (153 Rajdamri Rd., Peninsula Shopping Plaza, 4th Floor, tel. 02/254- 0789). It has direct service through Tokyo (with a minimal stopover) from New York, Detroit, Seattle, Dallas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Incidentally, this airline's seats recline more than most, making sleeping much easier. Northwest also has a round-Asia fare, in conjunction with local airlines, which lets you hop from one capital to another. British Airways flies nonstop to Bangkok from London. Thai Airways International (485 Silom Rd., tel. 02/234-3100) is the national airline, and most of its flights come in and out of Don Muang. It has direct flights from the West Coast of the United States and from London, and also flies daily to Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan. FLYING TIMES Bangkok is 18 hours from Seattle, 17 hours from San Francisco, 20 hours from Chicago, and 22 hours from New York. Add more time for stopovers and connections,,especially if you are using more than one carrier. East- coast travelers departing from New York or Washington, DC, should consider using Virgin Atlantic/Thai Airways via London for 19-hour flights to Bangkok.
By Bus Bangkok has three main bus terminals. Northern/Northeast Bus Terminal (Phaholyothin Rd., tel. 02/272-0296 or 02/279-6222), often referred to as Morsit, serves Chiang Mai and the north. Southern Bus Terminal (Pinklao- Nakomchaisri Rd., Talingchan, tel. 02/435-1199), on the Thonburi side of the river, is for Hua Hin, Ko Samui, Phuket, and points south. Eastern Bus Terminal (Sukhumvit Rd., Soi 40, Ekkamai, tel. 02/391-2504 or 02/392- 2391), usually referred to as Ekkamai, is for Pattaya and points southeast, to Rayong and Trat province. By Train Hualamphong Railway Station (Rama IV Rd., tel. 02/223-0341), the city's main station, serves most long-distance trains. Bangkok Noi (Arun Amarin Rd., tel. 02/411-3102), on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, is used by local trains to Hua Hin and Kanchanaburi. The State Railway of Thailand has three lines, all of which terminate in Bangkok. The Northern Line connects Bangkok with Chiang Mai, passing through Ayutthaya and Phitsanulok; the Northeastern Line travels up to Nong Khai, near the Laotian border, with a branch that goes east to Ubon Ratchathani; and the Southern Line goes all the way south through Surat Thani--the stop for Ko Samui--to the Malaysian border and on to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, a journey that takes 37 hours. (There is no train to Phuket, though you can go as far as Surat Thani and change to a scheduled bus service.) Most trains offer second- or third-class tickets, but the overnight trains to the north (Chiang Mai) and to the south also offer first-class sleeping cabins. Couchettes, with sheets and curtains for privacy, are available in second class. Second-class tickets are about half the price of first-class, and since the couchettes are surprisingly comfortable, most Western travelers choose these. Do not leave valuables unguarded on overnight trains. Tickets may be bought at the railway stations. Travel agencies can also sell tickets for overnight trains. Reservations are strongly advised for all long-distance trains. Train schedules in English are available from travel agents and from major railway stations. Fares are reasonable. An air-conditioned, second-class couchette for the 14-hour journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is B530; first class is B980. For information on schedules and passes, call the Bangkok Railway Station Advance Booking Office (tel. 02/223-3762 or 02/223-0341). Getting around Bangkok as anything has 2 sides to it. Bangkok mass transit system operates 24 hours a day and is cheap even for the local populace. It efficiently covers the whole are of the Greater Bangkok and you always have choice to fit your budget: from plain simple buses with ever open windows up to hotel limousines. Yet, the other side of the medal is that you can enjoy all these advantages in full only when the city is deserted by half of its inhabitants with their cars during amjor public holidays. Otherwise, the only progress made in Bangkok transporatation in this century seems to be the switch from Chinese immigrant-driven rickshaw tricycle (average speed 10 mph) to futuristic turbo-charged and air-conditioned round-the- clock traffic snarl-up (average speed 8mph). Taxis and Tuk-tuks Most taxis in Bangkok use metres and have a lit sign "Taximeter" on the roof. If there's no metre in the taxi, fares must be agreed upon from the start. Fares range from 35 Baht to maximum of approximately 300 Baht within the city's precincts. Tuk-tuks or 3-wheel taxis (aka "3-wheel motor saws gone berserk") are quite popular among locals and tourists for short journeys Tuk-tuks are not allowed to enter highway). Fares range from abouT730 up to 150 Baht. However, taxi is a more advisable option considering never-ending Bangkok traffic snarl-up, especially during the rush hour, as travelling through Bangkok polluted street without air-conditioner may prove hazardous to health. Buses Bus transpor ' t in Bangkok is cheap and reasonably comfortable. There are non-airconditioned red and green buses (any destination 3.5 Baht), airconditioned blue buses (fare depending on distance) and air-conditioned televised microbuses with free newspapers (20 or 30 Baht, very comfortable for longer trips within the city). Red and green buses operate 24 hours a day (night fare 5 Baht). Airport buses busying between the Don Mueang Airport and the major downtown destinations are a bit of ripoff with their 70 Baht fare, but avoiding a likely trip around Bangkok by taxi (with the fare clocking up all the way on the taximetre), it's still a bargain. There are 3 routes of the Airport Bus:
Motorcycles
The fastest vehicle to whisk you out of a traffic jam, it require a somewhat adventurous disposition. Fares range from 15 to 100 Baht. Basically they do not go for long distances. Wearing helmet is obligatory and usually the driver will provide you with one. |
