Thailand forum

Check the Bangkok page on this site, I would suggest Suk11. or near the Train Station... you are near an MRT there.

Choose somewhere that's near a sky train (BTS) station or an underground (MRT) station.

Suk 11 is a good suggestion. The vibe isn't as friendly and laid back as it was a few years ago but it's clean and very conveniently located as far as transport is concerned.
The Nana skytrain station is about 50 meters away and it's less than a 10 minute walk to the underground station at Asoke as well.

You don't mention where you're going after Bangkok, but the MRT goes to the main train station (Hualumphong). The Eastern bus terminal is at Ekkamai, just a few stops away on the sky train. If you want to travel south by bus, then you can catch a 511 bus to the Southern bus terminal from the opposite side of Sukhumvit road.

Thank you for your advice! We booked a room at suk 11!

Public transport in Bangkok isn't dangerous whatever the time of day or night it is but the skytrain won't be running that late, so get a taxi. Airport taxis aren't "3 times more expensive" if you can get them to use the meter. If the first taxi you try refuses to use the meter, then simply say no and take another one.

There's just a 50B airport surcharge if you get the taxi at official stand at the arrivals level. Don't take a taxi from people who approach you inside the airport, just follow the signs to the taxi stand.

You can avoid paying the 50B airport surcharge if you get a taxi at the departures level. Taxis dropping off people hang around there a bit hoping they can get a fare back into town too, even though they aren't supposed to. If you get a taxi at the departures level you won't have one of the airport staff writing the address of your guesthouse in Thai for the driver though ... and the driver may not speak any English.

As there are 3 of you sharing the taxi, it's your first time in Bangkok and you'll be tired and jetlagged after the flight, it's not really worth the hassle for a 50B difference in price. However if you want to risk it you can tell the driver you want to go to Sukhumvit Soi 11 (Soi "sip et" in Thai), near the Ambassador hotel.

Suk 11 is located in a small side street almost opposite the Ambassador Hotel main entrance. (There's a 7/11 on the corner) Even if the taxi driver doesn't know where Suk 11 is, they nearly all know where the Ambassador hotel is.

PS If you use the toll road and have the meter on then the driver will ask you for money to pay the tolls. This is normal, he's not ripping you off. There are two tolls and total price is 70-75B, can't remember exactly. Best to have some small change on you, not 1,000B notes.

"PS If you use the toll road and have the meter on then the driver will ask you for money to pay the tolls. This is normal, he's not ripping you off. There are two tolls and total price is 70-75B, can't remember exactly. Best to have some small change on you, not 1,000B notes."

I can picture this in my head right now. A sort of comic exchange as the cab driver reluctantly hands over the thousand baht note and get's a large fistfull of baht in return...

If you take 19,900 or 9900 out of the ATM instead of 20,000 or 10,000 then you'll have change.

Sometimes the taxi drivers don't like it when you ask them not to use the express way either. Gets them back into town (and the chance of picking up another fare) quicker. The 35B drop fee hasn't been increased in over a decade so I always tip taxi drivers who use the meter without arguing and they get a slightly better tip if they don't use the expressway as well.

I'll second that Madmac.My son-in-law drives one now and like you say doesn't make a lot.
BTW Most of them are from Isan.