Transportation
You'll need two things to navigate this city successfully: a map and patience. Bangkok's streets are among the busiest and most crowded in the world, and traffic headaches are as much a part of Thai lives as monsoons and fiery hot chile peppers. Midday traffic is bad enough, but rush hours (6 to 10 am and 3 to 7 pm) are four-hour bottlenecks. Renting a car without a driver is not recommended. Some alternatives, both conventional and unorthodox, are described in the "Getting Around" section below.

Don Muang International Airport is 15 mi/24 km north of the city center. In the early morning and at night, the drive into the city takes about 40 minutes. At any other time, plan on at least one hour.

Express Boats This combination of boat and bus is perhaps the most efficient way to reach these hotels: Oriental, Shangri-La, Royal Orchid Sheraton and Marriott Royal Garden Riverside. 700 baht per person. See hotel representatives in the arrival hall or call the River Jet Company: 585-9120 or 585-1616.

Hotel Courtesy Vans Hotel vehicles stop outside the baggage claim. A hotel board is near the luggage claim. Hotel vehicles run on a set schedule, usually every hour. All hotels listed in the "Where to Stay" section of this profile offer transport, some for a price, some for free.

Taxis There are two taxi stands in the arrival hall. One is the Thai International Airlines Limousine Service, which costs between 500 and 600 baht, depending on your destination. The other stand is for public taxis, which cost around 230 baht (excluding the expressway fare), depending on your destination. Most of the taxis are metered, but there are still some taxi drivers who will bargain. Public taxis just outside the airport are not recommended because they demand exorbitant rates.

Airport Buses A great new Airport Bus Service has been added, with large air-conditioned buses that serve all the major tourist and business areas on three different routes. Large signs mark the stops. Buses run from 5 am to 11 pm, leaving every 15 minutes. Price one way is 70 baht. To call for route information, phone 246-0969.

Train Going by train is the cheapest but least appealing route into the city. The trains are dirty, and the station is inconveniently located. At the airport, the station is in front of the Airport Hotel (walk across the pedestrian bridge from the international terminal). The train runs to Hua Lampong, Bangkok's central terminal, every hour daily from 5 am to 8 pm. The ride takes 40 minutes. Cost is 5 baht for regular service, 10 baht for express service. Phone 223-7010 (some English spoken).

Rental Cars Avis and Hertz are on site.

Vehicles are driven on the left side of the road. Speed limit on the major highways is 50 mph/80 kph. Because Bangkok is the center of the country politically, economically and geographically, all major roads pass through it. Highway 1 goes north to Chiang Rai, Highway 3 goes southeast to Pattaya and Rayong, and Highway 4 goes south to the Malaysian border. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to bypass the city. The elevated toll road, the Bangklo-Jangwatana Expressway, is an attempt to alleviate traffic problems, but often you can look down and see street traffic moving faster. Toll for the expressway is 30-40 baht, depending on which exit you take. The Don Muang Tollway can cut the trip to and from the airport by at least 20 minutes. It costs 20-40 baht more.

Roads in Bangkok seem to be constantly in a state of repair. Sukhumvit Road, the main street of Bangkok, always seems to be torn up in one location or another. Current road work on Sukhumvit is centered around the Sheraton and Grand Delta Hotels around Soi 19. Construction of the new Skytrain system, a modern elevated railway that's expected to alleviate some of Bangkok's traffic woes, is expected to add to roadway difficulties for the next several years. Even without construction, traffic is horrible. Thais spend so many hours in their vehicles every day that many are equipped with TV sets. Vans that carry the family are often outfitted with toilets and beds for the children. Our strong recommendation: Leave the driving to someone else.

The main train station in Bangkok is Hua Lampong Terminal. Information and advanced booking: Rama IV Road, phone 223-0341. The Chiang Mai Express from the north arrives daily at Hua Lampong Terminal at 6 am and 9:40 am. The Hat Yai Express from the south arrives at the terminal daily at 9:30 am and 10:35 am.

A taste of former glory, the Oriental Express travels in luxury from Singapore to Bangkok and back with stops in Sukothai, Chaing Mai, Kuala Lumpur and Hua Hin, Wang Po and Kanchanaburi. The trip takes three days each way. Prices start at around 25,000 baht. Call the Oriental Hotel, 236-0400, or E&O Services (in Singapore), 65-227-2068, for more information.

Bangkok has three major bus terminals, one for each direction of travel outside the city. It's nearly impossible for a non-Thai-speaking person to make reservations by phone. Use one of the many local travel agents in town. Buses going south leave from the station on the west end of the city, across the river from the Grand Palace at Charansantiwong Road, phone 435-1199. The eastern station is at Ekka Mai, Soi 63 Sukhumvit Road, phone 391-2504. The station for buses going north or northeast, Mor Chit Terminal, is north of the city center near Chatuchak Park, Phaholythin Road, phone 271-2961.

Buses The Bangkok Microbus Co. has air-conditioned, comfortable buses. TV, newspapers, magazines, drinks and snacks are available. Fare is 25 baht per trip. Place your money in the box near the driver. Make sure you have exact change, because there's no conductor to make change for you. (However, you can get exact change from Microbus officers at bus stops.) Buses of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority remain a cheap and efficient way to get around the city over more than 100 routes. A few run 24 hours, most run 5 am to 11 pm. Fares range from 2.5 to 16 baht depending on whether the bus is air conditioned or not and how far you're going. Exact change not required. You can purchase a Tour 'n' Guide Map at any travel agency or hotel for 50 baht. This is the official street map and bus-route guide, and it's worth its weight in gold.

Taxis Bangkok Taxi, phone 424-3062, Nakornchai Taxi, phone 878-9000, Thai Taxi, phone 437-8867, are all available 24 hours a day. Order by phone, hail one in front of any major hotel or hail one on the street. But be careful: Bangkok's metered and nonmetered taxis often look alike. If it's a metered taxi, make sure the driver switches on the meter at the beginning of the ride. If it's nonmetered, agree on a price before you get in. Metered taxis charge 35 baht for the first two kilometers and 6 baht for each additional kilometer. When the taxi is stopped in traffic, the meter switches to a clock, and the fare goes up 2 baht for every minute the speed is below 6 kph. Four passengers maximum; no additional charges per person. It's always a good idea to have the hotel clerk write down your destination in both Thai and English.

Note Be sure to allow plenty of time to get to the airport for your return flight. Even though most international flights leave early in the morning, traffic can still be horrific. Ask at the hotel how much time to allow.

Water taxis They ply the Chao Phraya River and the city's canals (klongs); they're cheap and relatively efficient, because there's less congestion on the waterway. (Fares start at 5 baht on the Chao Phraya Express River Taxi.) This is the preferred mode of transport if the pickup and drop-off points are convenient. Pick up a copy of Nancy Chandler's famous Map of Bangkok from any bookstore for river taxi pickup points. Be aware that the klong taxis don't come to a full stop and dock -- they just slow down long enough for you to jump on.

Other waterway options They include river jets (used as hotel and airport shuttles and for sightseeing -- any travel agent or the Oriental Hotel can hook you up); long-tailed boats (for trips up smaller klongs); and river ferries (to cross the river from Bangkok to Thonburi, with a fare of 1 baht).

Tuk-tuks These are three-wheeled contraptions that are half motorcycle and half golf cart. They offer exciting and unsafe-at-any-speed transportation. They're more expensive than taxis, and since there's no meter, you must bargain with the driver on price. Tuk-tuk drivers are sharp bargainers, and you could go broke using them exclusively.

Motorcycles They're a viable, though dangerous way of getting around. In a city where traffic often sits for half an hour before creeping up a few inches, motorcycle drivers can get you to your destination in good time. Drivers defy traffic laws, good sense and even the laws of gravity. The price of a death-defying motorcycle ride is a bit more than a metered taxi, but you can bargain. Keep your body tucked in -- every inch counts. Wear a helmet. Check the neck of your motorcycle driver for a blue line and triangle peeking out above his collar. If you spot these tatoos, choose another driver. (Many young Thai men go to occult shamans who ceremonially tattoo their backs, chests and necks with protective symbols that, the young men believe, make them immune to danger.)

Walking This can be a good way to get around, and it's always an adventure. Don't expect Thais who are driving to give right-of-way to pedestrians. Even if they see you, that doesn't mean they'll slow down or stop. When you're not scanning for traffic, keep your eyes glued to the ground ahead of you: Uneven sidewalks, open trenches and exposed sewer drains have been known to incapacitate more than the occasional pedestrian. Keep in mind, too, that in the tropics where heat and humidity are usually high, a midday jaunt of more than 15 or 20 minutes will leave you looking and feeling more than a bit soggy and limp.