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  1. #1
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    A day out in Bangkok

    I needed to go to Bangkok to get a new Aussie passport so I hopped on the plane from Ubon at 7.05 am.

    I got into Don Muang about 8. I must say that they've cleaned up the taxi chaos now but it would help if the personnel at the desks at a bit more English skill for an international airport. Anyway, I had the address of the Aussie embassy written down to complement my oral instructions (didn't think about writing the address down in Thai as I thought that it wouldn't be necessary) but I was met with quizzical looks - South Sathorn Road is a major road in the Silom/Lumphini area but it caused problems.

    They called a taxi-driver over and we got the same looks - South Sathorn Road - mmmm... not sure...

    Anyway, away we go. I'm immediately advised by the taxi-driver about "traffic jams... must take tollway." I'm not in a great hurry so I said "No." I now realise that this decision influenced the amount of air-conditioning that the driver was going to allow me to have, until I eventually told him to turn his a-c up so the person in the backseat could get some.

    Maybe I should have taken the tollway!!! Two hours later, after trips to the Austrian Ambassador's Residence and a few other places beginning with "A," we finally got there - 290 baht + 50 baht airport charge!!!! Take it for granted that the driver did not get a tip!

    Embassy business was done, so I had plenty of time to get back to Don Muang for my return flight so I was not going to take a taxi. I knew that there were a few stations not far from the Embassy (Lumphini and Sala Daeng) but asking people was a complete waste of time - security guards referred me to motor-cycle taxis, business person said just up the road to Salang Daeng, which turned out to be Silom!

    Anyhow, I made it back to Hualonmphong - I must complement Bangkok on its metro service but maybe it's a bit too expensive for many people to use.

    Still with plenty of time, I decided to catch a train up to Don Muang. Guess the fare - 5 baht!!!! Five baht for a journey of about 25 km!!!! But it's a good job that I had plenty of time as this 25 km took about 90 minutes! The train journey is another world and there's lots of construction going on. I think I saw a few thousands workers, all with yellow safety helmets on, sitting waiting to do something.

    I arrived at Don Muang eventually. In past times, you waited for the train to leave and then crossed the lines, but now there's a fence down the middle of the tracks that stops you doing this. So you have to negotiate a difficult track away from the airport through building materials, motor-cycle taxis, and food sellers to access the overpass - the backpackers that I walked with had never seen anything so challenging.

    All I had to do then was sit and wait for my flight back to Ubon.

    Thank goodness that I only have to do this once every 10 years!

  2. #2
    R.I.P. Luigi's Avatar
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    Thanks Bob.

    See you again in 2026.


    the elevated railway should be nearly be open by than (like the BTS, from outside Don Meuang airport down to Bang Sue, to join the MRT station there).

  3. #3
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    2026.
    BKK Metro will be under water.

  4. #4
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    80 baht (?) for the tollway, and the whole day would have started on a positive note.

    Preparation and planning makes life a lot easier... Take the address in Thai to show the taxi driver, take the expressway, have a beautiful MacD Big Breakfast waiting for the embassy/consulate to open, be the first one there - life can be easy...

    From Lumphini and Sala Daeng, which every fuker in Silom area knows..., you get the BTS/MRT up close to the airport then get a 15 minute (100 baht?) taxi ride to Don Muang, arrive at the door, stroll in, have a beer, relax, life is goooooood...


    If that trip was challenging, Bob, then you wouldn't wanna do the around Bkk work permit and visa extension fun day!
    Cycling should be banned!!!

  5. #5
    R.I.P. Luigi's Avatar
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    Didn't even go to SoL.

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat Jofrey's Avatar
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    Thais need to learn to speak 'Strain.

  7. #7
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    Soon the Skytrain will serve Don Muang. Which will be nice.

    My recent trip out of the country I took the train out to Swampy, that was great. Though getting to the Phaya Thai staition was a bit of a pain, as they don't have a walkway from the BTS. You have to go down to the street then cross the busy blvd on the overhead walkway, then navigate though some construction sites. Maybe all the construction is the walkway in progress....

  8. #8
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    Not the skytrain, it will go from Prathum Thani to Bang Sue. Expected to be finished in 2.5 years but way behind schedule.

  9. #9
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    Theres a yellow bus at Don Mueang that takes you on a 20 minute drive to Mo Chit BTS.

    from there you are minutes away from it all.

    Maybe you should ask for advice on here next time Bob. Oh well you had an adventure i guess

    Edit:The bus number is A1 and the cost is 30 baht
    Last edited by Dillinger; 22-08-2016 at 12:41 PM.

  10. #10
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  11. #11
    Thailand Expat Jofrey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger
    yellow bus at Don Mueang
    nightmare of an airport now, infested with chinese tour groups.

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat klong toey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jofrey View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger
    yellow bus at Don Mueang
    nightmare of an airport now, infested with chinese tour groups.
    T2 is okay if your on a internal flight better than swampy.

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat CaptainNemo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by thaimeme View Post
    2026.
    BKK Metro will be under water.
    That *will* be cool!


  14. #14
    Thailand Expat CaptainNemo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jofrey View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger
    yellow bus at Don Mueang
    nightmare of an airport now, infested with chinese tour groups.
    There's one way to deal with that... Japanese tour groups


  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by bobforest View Post
    Maybe I should have taken the tollway!!! Two hours later, after trips to the Austrian Ambassador's Residence and a few other places beginning with "A," we finally got there - 290 baht + 50 baht airport charge!!!! Take it for granted that the driver did not get a tip!
    About 6 or 7 quid for a two hour taxi journey, during rush hour, from Don Mueang to Sathorn and you're complaining?

    You absolute peasant.

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