Sunday, March 18, 2012
Public Transportation in Bangkok
Bangkok is a big city in Asia and one of the main business centers of South East Asia. It is a very cosmopolitan city where you can meet people from all other the world. Because of the traffic congestion in Bangkok, the public transportation plays a big role.
Roads
There are some elevated highways and motorways in Bangkok which ease traffic jams a little, but still during the rush hour if possible and if you can, it is better to use a boat or train; it is better to avoid Bangkok's roads. If you need to travel by road, there are a lot of cheap public buses, some of them very comfortable air conditioned buses (sometimes can be very crowded), and some of them non air conditioned buses which can be very hot.
There are a lot of taxis in Bangkok which are quite cheap. They are metered and have fixed fares which start from 35 baht. In some areas like near famous for its nightlife Patpong and in front of some hotels, taxi drivers don't want to use taxi meters and might offer you a ride for a fixed price which is usually a few times higher than what you would normally pay if using a taxi meter. You might just say "no" and hail another taxi. Usually there are a lot of taxis on Bangkok's roads and you won't have any problems to find them. The only exception is when it rains, and then it can be difficult to get a taxi.
Rivers and Canals
Bangkok used to be called the Venice of the East because of its many canals. There are fewer canals in the city nowadays, but still quite a few and some of them are used for transportation. It is an excellent way to avoid traffic jams and to see the city from its canals. The most popular and used canal is the San Saeb Canal which is served by boats on the Baglamphu - Bang Kapi route.
There are also boats, some of them express boats, on the Chao Phraya river. There are also many ferries on the River that can take you across it. There are also some boats on the Chao Phraya that can take you to some of the most famous temples in Bangkok, including the most popular among tourists Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Grand Palace complex.
Rail Systems
There are two excellent railway systems in Bangkok:
Sky train
Sky train is the elevated train which runs on two lines, from Bearing to Mo Chit and from the National Stadium to Wongwian Yai. You can transfer from one line to the other at the Siam Station (the Central Station). Unfortunately the train doesn't go to many places that you might need to travel to, but there are plans to extend the sky train's lines.
The MRT Subway System
Bangkok's subway as the sky train is a safe and fast way to travel in the city. There is only one line which runs from Bang Sue to the Hua Lamphong central railway station. You can transfer from the MRT to the Skytrain at the Asok, Silom and Mo Chit stations.
Airport Link
Airport link is a one line that runs from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport to the Phaya Thai where you can transfer to the sky train Station.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6693916
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