Transport in Thailand is varied, with no one dominant means of transport. For long distance travel, bus transport dominates. Low-speed rail travel has long been a rural long-distance transport mechanism, though plans are underway to expand services with high-speed rail lines extending to several major regions of Thailand. Road transportation is the primary form of freight transport across the country.
The Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS Skytrain, is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System PCL (BTSC), a subsidiary of BTS Group Holdings, under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) which owns the lines. The system consists of 62 stations along three lines with a combined route length of 70.05 kilometers (43.53 mi). The BTS Sukhumvit Line runs northwards and south-eastwards, terminating at Khu Khot and Kheha respectively. The BTS Silom Line which serves Silom and Sathon Roads, the central business district of Bangkok, terminates at National Stadium and Bang Wa. The Gold Line people mover runs from Krung Thon Buri to Klong San and serves Iconsiam. The lines interchange at Siam station and Krung Thon Buri. The system is formally known as "The Elevated Train in Commemoration of HM the King's 6th Cycle Birthday".
The Metropolitan Rapid Transit or MRT is a mass rapid transit system serving the Bangkok Metropolitan Region in Thailand. The MRT system comprises two fully operational rapid transit lines and one fully operational monorail line (Yellow). One monorail line (Pink) is in trial operation, with another rapid transit line (Orange) under construction. The MRT Blue Line, officially the Chaloem Ratchamongkhon Line, between Hua Lamphong and Bang Sue was the first to open in July 2004 as Bangkok's second metro system. The MRT Blue line is officially known in Thai as rotfaifa mahanakhon (รถไฟฟ้ามหานคร) or "metropolitan electric train", but it is more commonly called rotfai taidin (รถไฟใต้ดิน), literally, "underground train" as it was distinguished from the BTS Skytrain by being completely underground when its first section between Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue opened.
The Sukhumvit Line is an elevated metro rail line of the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok, Thailand. From the central Siam Station, where it connects with the Silom Line, the line runs both northwards along Phaya Thai and Phahon Yothin Roads to Khu Khot in Lam Luk Ka District in Pathum Thani, and eastwards along Rama I, Phloen Chit and Sukhumvit Roads, through Bang Na District to Kheha Station in Samut Prakan. BTS daily ridership (2019) is 740,000 passengers per day.
The BTS Silom Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System PCL (BTSC), a subsidiary of BTS Group Holdings, under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). The line serves Silom and Sathon Roads, the central business district of Bangkok, terminates at National Stadium and Bang Wa. The line is 14 km in length and consists of 14 stations.
The MRT Orange Line is a rapid transit line of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand. When fully completed, the MRT Orange line will be 35.9 km (22.3 mi) long with 29 stations, including an interchange with the current Thailand Cultural Centre Station of MRT Blue Line).
The MRT Brown Line is a 22.1 km rapid transit line in Bangkok, Thailand proposed monorail mass transit line from Nonthaburi Civic Centre, Nonthaburi Province to Lam Sali intersection, Bang Kapi District. 20 stations are proposed for the line and the expected cost for the project is 48 billion baht. The line has been integrated for 7.2 km with the N2 expressway project and a feasibility study has been completed. The MRT Brown line will interchange with 7 other mass transit lines.
The MRT Pink Line is an elevated monorail train line of the MRT in Bangkok and Nonthaburi Province, Thailand. The monorail line is 34.5 kilometres (21.4 mi) long and has 30 stations. It runs in the northern part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Area from Nonthaburi Civic Center in Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi along the major east–west transport corridor of Highway 304 to terminate at Min Buri in Min Buri district in east Bangkok. It opened for free public trial operation on 21 November 2023 with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin taking the inaugural ride.
The SRT Light Red Line, or Nakhon Withi Line is a 15 km (9.3 mi) between Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal and Taling Chan and is part of the SRT Red Lines suburban railway system serving the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Region.
Saphan Taksin station is a BTS skytrain station, on the Silom Line in Sathon and Bang Rak Districts, Bangkok, Thailand. The station is located at the entry ramp of Taksin Bridge, below Sathon Road, to the east of the Chao Phraya River. It is the only rapid transit station in Bangkok which can transfer to a river pier for the crossing-river ferry to Thonburi and the Chao Phraya Express Boat service. That makes the station popular for both daily passengers and tourists sightseeing by river boats to historical area such as Wat Arun, Wat Pho and Sanam Luang.
Bangkok has 9.7 million automobiles and motorbikes, a number the government says is eight times more than can be properly accommodated on existing roads. And those numbers are increasing by 700 additional cars and 400 motorbikes every day. Charoen Krung Road, the first road to be built by Western techniques, was completed in 1864. Since then, the road network has expanded to accommodate the sprawling city's needs. Besides roads, Bangkok is served by several other transport systems. Bangkok's canals and ferries historically served as a major mode of transport, but they have long since been eclipsed by land traffic. A complex elevated expressway network and Tollway helps bring traffic into and out of the city centre, but Bangkok's rapid growth has put a large strain on infrastructure. By the late-1970s, Bangkok became known as "the city of traffic disaster". Although rail transport was introduced in 1893 and electric trams served the city from 1894 to 1968, it was only in 1999 that Bangkok's first rapid transit system began operation. Older public transport systems include an extensive bus network and boat services which still operate on the Chao Phraya and two canals. Taxis appear in the form of cars, motorcycles, and tuk-tuks.
The MRT Blue Line or MRT Chaloem Ratchamongkon Line is Bangkok's third rapid transit line, following the Sukhumvit line and Silom line of the BTS Skytrain. It is the first line of the MRT system and is operated by Bangkok Expressway and Metro (BEM). The original 20 km (12.43 mi) MRT Blue Line from Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue opened on 3 July 2004. A 1.2 km (0.75 mi) extension to Tao Poon opened on 11 August 2017. The 15.9 km (9.88 mi) western extension to Lak Song opened for full service on 29 September 2019 and the 11 km (6.84 mi) extension from Tao Poon to Tha Phra to form the quasi loop, opened for full service on 30 March 2020.
The BMA Grey Line is a planned monorail line in the north of Bangkok to be built from Watcharaphon to Thong Lo. The route would provide a vital north - south link for a distance of 16.25 km with 15 planned stations and is expected to cost 27 billion baht. The line would support the growth of residential areas around Pradit Monutham Rd and Kaset-Namawin rd corridors and is forecast to eventually have 370,000 passengers per day. The BMA Grey with interchange with other lines including the MRT Pink Line, the proposed MRT Brown Line, the MRT Yellow Line, MRT Orange Line and BTS Sukhumvit Line.
The Light Blue Line is a planned monorail line to be built in Bangkok, Thailand. Its path runs along a north–south axis. This line would link the Din Daeng housing community areas, Bangkok City Hall 2, Makkasan Station, and the business area along Sathon Road.
The Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, or M-Map, is the latest version in a series of Thai government plans for the development of an urban rail transit network serving the Greater Bangkok area. It was drafted under the care of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) of the Ministry of Transport.
Rail transport was introduced to Bangkok in 1893, and the national railway network was developed during the 20th century. Modern rapid transit in Bangkok includes several rail systems: the BTS Skytrain which opened in 1999, followed by the MRT, Airport Rail Link and SRT Red Lines.
Talat Phlu station is a BTS skytrain station, on the Silom Line in Thon Buri District, Bangkok, Thailand. The station is on Ratchaphruek Road surrounded by residences, small shops and office towers. It is an interchange station with Ratchaphruek BRT station. However, it is located in a different location to Talat Phlu railway station operated by the State Railway of Thailand.
Bang Wa station is a rapid transit station on the BTS Silom Line and MRT Blue Line in Pak Khlong Phasi Charoen Subdistrict, Phasi Charoen District, Bangkok, Thailand. The station is on the Phet Kasem Interchange where Ratchaphruek cuts with Phet Kasem Roads. It serves as an interchange station for BTS Silom Line and MRT Blue Line, providing direct interchange, but with separate fare and ticket systems for the two lines. Out of the interchanges between the MRT and Skytrain, Bang Wa was the only station where both systems share the same name for the station, as the other interchange stations on the BTS Skytrain all have separate names with their MRT counterparts. This is no longer true after the opening of the MRT Yellow Line's station at Samrong.
The BMA Bang Na–Suvarnabhumi line is a proposed light rail line in Bangkok that would run from Bang Na junction to Suvarnabhumi Airport. The line was first proposed in 1994, but it was not included in the 2005 OTP Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan. Initially, it was planned for the line to potentially be a BTS Sukhumvit Line branch line with turnouts constructed near Bang Na junction. In December 2015, the BMA said it would advance construction and would propose it to cabinet in the near future. In April 2016, deputy governor Amorn Kitchawengkul said the project would take 3–6 years and cost THB 20 billion.
The Gold Line is an automated people mover line, part of Bangkok's rapid transit system. The line is 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long, consisting of 3 stations, and was opened by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on 16 December 2020. It primarily serves as a feeder line between the BTS Silom line and Iconsiam shopping center. The line will be extended 1 km (0.62 mi) along Somdet Chao Phraya road to connect with the future MRT Purple Line southern extension. When completed, it will connect Krung Thon Buri BTS station with Prajadhipok Road in Thon Buri District for a total distance of 2.68 km (1.67 mi).
