What with so many buses and cars and crazy tuk tuk drivers racing around, the traffic in Bangkok’s chaotic streets is notoriously bad!
Bangkok
It’s easy to become snarled up in a traffic jam in Bangkok at any hour of the day, wasting hours of your precious vacation time. However, recent years have seen many excellent modern systems of public transport constructed, and so nowadays it is possible to navigate your way around the city with surprising ease and speed, even without your very own tuk tuk.
Both the elevated skytrain (known as BTS) and the subway (MRT) link up the city’s main shopping, business and entertainment areas, while there are still many traditional river taxis that can be used by tourists keen to explore Bangkok’s riverside attractions. There are even more boats that serve some of the canals in the city too, and these can be a very fast way of reaching certain areas that can’t be reached via the BTS or MRT.The downside to the canal boats is that the water here is very dirty and polluted, and it’s very common to get sprayed with it!
A more comfortable option then might be one of the literally thousands of taxis on every street corner, while the famous tuk tuk is almost as common, and a little faster. It’s most definitely worth a ride during your visit if only for the novelty experience.
The buses in Bangkok are notoriously dirty, old and quite slow, yet they nevertheless offer a very cheap way of getting around the city, and they are also a great way to meet some of the locals. Meanwhile, another far more exciting option you might want to consider, even more exciting than the old tuk tuk, is a white-knuckle dash on one of Bangkok’s notorious motorcycle taxis. These are great during rush hour traffic; they can be lightning quick and very efficient. However, the experience can be a little frightening, especially to someone making their first visit to Bangkok, so they are most certainly not for everyone!
Options for doing it yourself include the humble bicycle, but again this is not the safest option as you are a very soft target for any unobservant bus drivers!
Driving in Bangkok is not for first time visitors
Renting Car in Bangkok
Another option is to rent a car by yourself, but this isn’t really recommended, except to experienced Bangkok travelers. Renting a car in Bangkok can turn into a massive headache, as the roads and one way systems in the city are mind-boggling to anyone not used to it. As well as the confusion, don’t forget that sitting in a car and getting lost will almost certainly mean that you get caught up in Bangkok’s traffic jams too!
What you can do is rent car and driver to take you around this big city. Bangkok Beyond has a car and driver for rent. Whether you want to tour the city for a few hours or go outside Bangkok to see other parts of Thailand, we can take you there.
Scams to look out for
There are one or two scams that involve tuk tuk drivers and taxi drivers that you need to be aware of. Do not accept a ride with any tuk tuk driver who offers to take you to a great tailor shop or a jewelry shop, as they will almost certainly be taking you into a high-pressure sales situation. Also, beware of any taxi driver who tells you his meter is not working. He is almost certainly lying and will instead name a price, often several times higher than what it would cost to reach the same destination while using the meter. Be sure to read more about scams in the two related articles below.
Related articles:
- Bangkok Taxi Tips (bangkokbeyond.com)
- Bangkok Scams (bangkokbeyond.com)
