BTS Skytrain - Bangkok's Mass Transit System

Can I just say that I love the BTS?

I don't know what exactly it is about it, but I love it. It was was nice, clean, efficient. It was easy to hear what stop you were approaching and which door would open. Most of the time it was crowded. And I mean really  crowded. You start to walk a mile in the shoes of sardines smashed all up against each other in one of those little cans. There are sights. There are smells. I love it all.  Okay, I don't love all of the smells. But the memories that come with it are my jam! 

Another reason I probably loved the BTS was because we strategically chose an accommodation that was steps away from the Onnut BTS stop. ;) A girl has to get places, amiright?!

Check out this short video for how to insert a ticket at the BTS station, if you're unfamiliar.

There are a number of ticketing options for the BTS.

You can get:

* Single journey ticket - 15-42 baht per trip (~$0.42 - 1.18 USD) 
* One day pass -  unlimited for 140 baht (~$3.92 USD) 

It really depends on what you're doing which is a better value. Check the chart at the station (or online) to see what the cost would be for you to get to your destination(s) and back. In some cases it is worth it to get the pass. Or if you are only visiting for a day or so and prefer the peace of mind of the pass in case you get off at the wrong stop and need to get back on etc, then go for the one day pass. Our first day we did a lot of moving and got the one day pass. After that we did the single journey tickets. 

The stations were great because everything was in Thai and English. Or... whatever they call the English spelling of the Thai words. (?) That was super helpful. 

There are also quick food places in the stations! I was excited about that!! Although, you are not to eat on the platforms or in the trains. But when you get off it's convenient to grab a bite on your way out. We enjoyed several Thai teas with boba this way. <3

There are 2 BTS lines (Silom and Sukhumvit Lines) and they connect via BTS at Siam station. The BTS website is an excellent resource and has an English option for page viewing. It has interactive maps and routes. You can see not only the stops, but also when you click on any stop it will bring up another map of the area around the stop. What business are around, where the different exits are and so-on..

An incredible service is the "Explore Bangkok by BTS" page. Here you can narrow down places you want to go to by category (such as Palaces, Shopping, Parks, etc) You can read a description of the place and get information like hours, entrance fees, phone number, website, and instructions on how to get there!!! How awesome is that?!

I hope this brief overview of the BTS is helpful to you. I found it very convenient to use and user-friendly for a newbie in Thailand. If you're visiting for a short time, it will likely take you to all the main places you would want to go, or at least pretty close to them.

Trip on over again next week for info about the Chao Phraya Express Boat including some video footage. ;)

Have an awesome weekend!