Getting around Thailand, explained by someone who never bought a car

For ten years I have got around Thailand on everything except a car of my own: pink taxis that would not run the meter, motorbike taxis in orange vests, red trucks in Chiang Mai that follow no timetable, sleeper trains to the south, and more airport runs at strange hours than I can count. Somewhere along the way I worked out how the whole tangled system actually fits together, which parts are simple once you know the trick, and which parts are quietly built to confuse a visitor. This site is that knowledge set down plainly: how each way of getting around really works, how to use it without the usual mistakes, and how to reach where you are going when the obvious option has just fallen through. A long-term Bangkok driver checks the details.

Recent guides

• Renting a Scooter in Thailand: Licence, Deposit and Insurance

  Renting a scooter in Thailand legally needs an International Driving Permit with the motorcycle category, a helmet, and a cash deposit, not your passport.

• Tuk-Tuks in Thailand: When They Make Sense and How to Avoid the Scams

  A tuk-tuk has no meter, so you agree the fare before you get in. When one is actually worth it, and how the gem-shop and 'temple closed' scams work.

• Getting Around Chiang Mai: Red Trucks, Grab and Walking the Old City

  Most of Chiang Mai's old city fits in a compact square you can walk, and the red-truck songthaews handle everywhere else for around 30 baht a hop.

• Renting a Car in Thailand: The Licence Law, Insurance and the Driving Reality

  Renting a car in Thailand means an International Driving Permit by law, real insurance, and some of the world's most dangerous roads. Here is the honest brief.

• Bangkok to the Islands: Train, Bus and Fly Combinations to the Coast

  Getting from Bangkok to the gulf and Andaman islands: the realistic train, bus and fly combinations with a ferry, overnight options and timing the handover.

• Getting to Hospital in Bangkok: Ambulance or Taxi in an Emergency

  In a Bangkok emergency, should you call an ambulance on 1669 or 1554, or take a Grab or taxi? How dispatch works and how to decide quickly and calmly.

• Late-Night Airport Arrival in Thailand: What Is Still Running and How to Plan It

  Landing at 2am changes your options: the taxi queue runs all night but the trains do not. How to plan a safe late arrival at a Thai airport.

• Ferries to the Thai Islands: Joined-Up Bus, Train and Boat Routes

  Reaching Samui, Phangan, Tao and Phi Phi by boat: the joined-up bus-and-boat tickets, the main operators, rough-sea seasons and how to book a through fare.

• Motorbike Taxis in Thailand: How to Use the Orange Vests

  Those orange-vested riders on every corner are Thailand's fastest short hop. How to hail a win motorsai, the posted local rates, etiquette and helmets.

• Road Safety in Thailand: The Honest Picture and How to Stay Safer

  Thailand's roads are among the world's most dangerous, at around 32 deaths per 100,000 a year. Here is the honest picture and how to lower your own risk.

• Buses in Thailand: VIP vs Regular, Government vs Private, and the Terminals

  Intercity buses in Thailand run from big city terminals in classes from cramped to VIP. Here is how to pick a safe operator and avoid the cheap-bus scam.

• Don Mueang Airport Transfer: Into Bangkok, and the Trap of the DMK to Suvarnabhumi Hop

  Don Mueang is the low-cost hub north of Bangkok. How to reach the city from DMK, plus the free shuttle to Suvarnabhumi and the tight-transfer trap to avoid.

• Chiang Mai Airport Transfer: CNX to the Old City the Easy Way

  Chiang Mai airport sits barely 4 km from the old city, so the ride in is short: the real choice is between the fixed-fare desk, Grab and the red trucks.

• Getting Around Pattaya: The Baht-Bus Loop and How to Ride It

  Pattaya runs on the baht bus, a songthaew looping the coast for a flat fare. Here is how to ride the loop, where it stops short, and when to charter instead.

• Bangkok to Chiang Mai: Train, Bus or Plane, and How to Choose

  Three ways cover the 700 km from Bangkok to Chiang Mai: an overnight sleeper train of 11 to 13 hours, a VIP bus, or a one-hour flight. Here is how to pick.

• Grab in Thailand: How the Ride Apps Actually Work

  Grab shows the price before you get in, which kills the fare argument. How the app works in Thailand, plus Bolt, InDrive, GrabBike and pickup points.

• Overnight Trains in Thailand: Sleeper Classes, Berths and Booking

  Sleeping your way across Thailand: the SRT sleeper classes, upper versus lower berths, the Bangkok to Chiang Mai route, and how to book a bunk that suits you.

• BTS and MRT Bangkok: How the Skytrain, Underground and Airport Rail Link Fit Together

  Bangkok's Skytrain, underground and Airport Rail Link are three systems on one map: how they connect, which card to buy and when to skip the road.

• Phuket Airport to Town: Getting from HKT to Patong Without the Sting

  Phuket airport sits a long way from the beaches, and the ride into town costs more than most arrivals expect: here is how every option actually works.

• Getting Around Phuket: The Taxi Reality, Songthaews and Grab

  Phuket has the thinnest public transport of any major Thai destination, which is why getting around the island trips up so many first-time visitors.

• Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok: Every Honest Way Into the City

  Level 1 holds the official taxi queue, not the touts in arrivals. Every honest way from Suvarnabhumi into Bangkok, from the meter queue to the rail link.

• Booking Transport Online in Thailand: Aggregators, E-Tickets and When to Bother

  How online booking works in Thailand: the 12Go aggregator landscape, booking SRT trains direct, e-tickets and pickup, and when to reserve ahead versus turn up.

• Songthaews Explained: How Thailand's Shared Pickup Trucks Actually Work

  A converted pickup with two benches down the back is Thailand's cheapest shared ride. Here is how songthaew routes, flagging, the buzzer and paying really work.

• Bangkok Taxis: How the Metered Cabs Actually Work

  How Bangkok's metered taxis work: getting the meter run, handling refusals, who pays the tolls, the airport surcharge, and what changes at night.