Bus Transfers To and From Bangkok Airport

Passengers can choose from a variety of bus lines, but must first take the free airport shuttle to the Public Transportation Center. This free shuttle leaves from outside the 2nd floor by gate 5.

The Bangkok Airport buses available at the Public Transportation Center, which is a few kilometers away from the terminal, run to various districts in the city of Bangkok.

Line 549 runs from the airport to Min Buri, while line 550 goes to Bank Kapi. Line 551 buses from Savarnabhumi go to Victory Monument. Line 552 travels to On Nut and line 552A goes to Sam Rong.

Buses from Savarnabhumi Airport on route 553 travel to Samut Prakan and line 554 goes to Don Muang Airport. Using the expressway line 555 travels to Rangsit, while line 558 runs to Central Rama 2. Using the outer ring road buses from Savarnabhumi for line 559 travel to Future Park Rangsit.

Depending on the time of day one travels, which can influence the congestion on the roads, it will take between 1 and 2 hours to arrive. Savarnabhumi Airport is deemed to be the largest airport complex in the world and passengers should allow plenty of time to get from the security and passport controls, baggage claim and level 2 shuttle bus stop to their final destination in Bangkok city.

Buses from Bangkok Airport's Public Transportation Center run at 20 minute intervals during the day and at night the service runs at 20 minutes to 1 hour intervals, depending on which line one wishes to travel on. Ticket prices also vary considerably depending on the destination and bus line. A ticket for the final stop On Nut via line 552 will cost around 32 baht and will take approx. 40 minutes travelling during the afternoon, when the traffic is not so bad.

Privately owned mini buses charge a flat rate of around 50 baht, not making lots of stops but travelling directly to the final destination in Greater Bangkok. Travelling by bus is cheap but takes a long time, making the airport train via the City (27 minutes) and the Express Train (15 minutes) a much better option.

Within the city it is best to avoid the travel centers when bus travel out of Bangkok is required. It is cheaper and safer to buy bus tickets at one of the three public bus terminals in the city. They all deal with long distance bus travel, but each handles a different direction. The Northern Bus Terminal is locally referred to as Mo Chit. From the upper level passengers can travel to destinations in Isaan in the northeast of the country, while the ground floor sells tickets to destinations in Northern Thailand, although some places like Rayong, Chanthaburi, Pattaya and Trat can also be reached with bus services from Ekkamai, the Eastern Bus Terminal in Bangkok city. From here it is possible to get a bus to the Cambodian border at Poipet via the line that travels to Aranyaprathet.

The Southern Bus Terminal Sai Tai deals with destinations such as Nakhon Pathom, Kanchanaburi in Western Thailand and Krabi, Ko Samui, Hat Yai in Southern Thailand.

All public transportation centers and public bus terminals are very well organised and well stocked with ATM's, western type snack bars and it is easy to buy tickets at the counters, since the destinations are signposted in big Western-style lettering and the price per ticket is clearly displayed underneath it.