Bangkok Sky Train
Currently consisting of two lines, the Bangkok Sky Train is a modern elevated public transport system which is very handy for buzzing you round the main areas of Bangkok.
The East-West line runs from the National Stadium/Siam Square epicentre of Bangkok towards the east, running parallel with Sukumvit Road out to ____Thong Lo, whilst the North-South line runs from _______ to _______ intersecting the east-west line at Siam Square and passing through _________ down to _______.
The Sky Train is a godsend of an alternative to Bangkok’s polluted and traffic-clogged streets. It’s beautifully air-conditioned, trains run frequently and it costs next to nothing, with fares running from 5 Baht for a one-station hop and longer journeys being based on a zone scheme clearly displayed in English at all BTS SkyTrain stations.
The only downer is that the Khao San Road area is not yet connected to the Sky Train grid. If you are based over in the backpacker ghetto and are feeling spritely, you can walk the mile or two eastwards to Victory Monument BTS station and get on the network there, or those who are more lazy (not to mention less masochistic) can grab an air-conditioned meter taxi from Khao San Road to Siam Square (60-80 Baht), though a couple of words of caution: always check with the driver before getting in that he will run the trip on the meter. Increasingly in the Khao San Road area taxi drivers will quote inflated fixed prices of 200-300 Baht to backpackers for a trip down to Siam Square. Never accept this; always walk away and find another taxi if it refuses to operate on the meter. If you walk a few minutes south of Khao San Road you will come out onto the busy road that has a strip of green in between and has big pictures of the Thai King on it. You can easily flag a passing taxi down from there, and they are far more likely to take you on the meter for the 60-80 Baht it should cost.
