Transportation Costs in Thailand
Updated: Nov 8, 2022
A breakdown of transportation costs in Thailand from our month long trip in April 2019.
One thing that I always wanted to know when I was researching for our trip to Thailand was how much it cost for transportation and traveling between different places. We traveled a lot while we were in Thailand because we just wanted to get a taste for the different places in the country. When I go back again, I’ll travel a bit slower which will save money in this area. Here’s a list of all the different forms of transportation we took and how much it cost.
Round trip flight from PDX to BNK
From PDX to BNK – BNK to PDX
$1,385.78 (for 2 tickets)
$692.89 (each)
*Purchased online
Taxi from airport to Airbnb (Bangkok)
Taxi from airport to Airbnb (I believe it was about a 1/2 hour drive)
Breakdown:
100 baht for tolls
627 baht for fare
700 baht rounded up (we only had 100 baht bills from getting money out at the airport)
$25.95 total
*We had to pay for the freeway tolls as well as the fare.
To get a taxi you have to get a slip from a machine that is on the sidewalk which will tell you which parking slot to go over to get a taxi from. Don’t just walk up to a taxi like we did. Kind of made us look like stupid tourists.
A less expensive alternative would be taking the subway, but we got in during the middle of the night about an hour after they closed.
BTS (Skytrain) to/from MBK (Bangkok)
BTS train from Phrom Phong station to National Stadium station
74 baht – $2.40 (for 2 tickets; one way)
37 baht – $1.20 (each)
BTS train back to Phrom Phong station from National Stadium station
74 baht – $2.40 (2 tickets; one way) 3
7 baht – $1.20 (each)
*There is one train change, but it’s rather easy to do and the ticket works with the change.
MRT (subway) to Hua Lompang station (Bangkok)
MRT from station BL24 to BL28
52 baht – $1.68 (for two tickets)
26 baht – $0.84 (each)
We had to walk almost a mile to reach the BL24 station which was closest to where we were staying. The MRT subway is underground and is a more local form of transportation. We only saw 2 other caucasians during our time in the subway.
There is less information in English, but it is definitely doable to use as a means of transportation.
BL28 is the station that comes out right by the Hua Lompang Train Station.
Note: It is on the same side of the road as the train station. On our maps it appeared that it came out on the opposite side of the road.
Overnight train to Chiang Mai
From Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Travel Time: 12 hours
$65.40 (for 2 tickets, 2nd class)
$32.70 (each)
*Purchased online
Note: We got a lower and upper birth. The lower birth costs a bit more than the upper birth so it isn’t an exact split. Make sure you purchase tickets for the right type of train.
This is a really efficient way to get to Chiang Mai. You get the cost for transportation and accommodation put into one which saves money. Plus it’s a pretty cool experience.
The train station has a Left Luggage place where you can pay for them to hold your luggage for the day. We left our hotel in the morning and our train wasn’t until 5pm, so we paid to have our large bag kept there. It was 80 baht ($2.59) for the day.
Taxi from Chiang Mai Train Station to Old City
Taxi from Train Station (Chiang Mai) to Old City gates
100 baht – $3.24 (we bartered for this price)
Taxi to Chiang Mai Airport
Taxi to Chiang Mai Airport from Old City
150 baht – $4.86
*The hotel we were staying at helped us arrange this taxi. We set it up ahead of time. We were taken in a minivan.
Flight from Chiang Mai to Phuket
Flight from CNX – HKT (AirAsia)
Travel Time: 2 hours
6015.80 Baht – $200.79 (for 2 tickets)
$100.40 (each)
*Purchased online
Checked bag
2,000 baht – $64.89
*We had to pay this once we got to the airport. It wasn’t the cheapest thing, but we only had one bag to check. They charge by weight in 500 baht increments.
Taxi to Airbnb on Phuket
$12.97 (in minivan)
*Our host picked us up for a set fee. It was a 1/2 hour drive to where we were staying and convenient so we went ahead and just had her pick us up and drive us.
Speed Boat from Phuket to Koh Yao Noi
Bang Rong Pier (Phuket) to Manoh Pier (Koh Yao Noi)
Travel Time: 35 minutes
600 baht – $19.46 (for two tickets)
300 baht – $9.73 (each)
We planned on getting ferry tickets, but they only have two ferries that go out. One in the morning and one in the evening. We got there at midday. They had a speed boat going out one hour after we got there so we just bought tickets for that.
Red Truck from Koh Yao Noi Pier to Sabai’s
Red Truck from Manoh Pier to Sabai Bungalows
200 baht – $6.48 (for 2 people)
*Red trucks charge per person so it was 100 baht each.
Motorbike Rental (Koh Yao Noi)
Motorbike Rental for 24 hours (from Sabai’s)
180 baht – $5.84
Gas (Koh Yao Noi)
70 baht – $2.27 (from gas station)
Taxi + Boat Tickets to Koh Lanta
2400 baht – $77.87 (for two people)
1200 baht – $38.94 (each)
Red truck to Laem Sai Pier on Koh Yao Noi (15 mintues)
Speed boat from Laem Sai Pier on Koh Yao Noi to Ao Nang port near Krabi (35 minutes)
We were transferred directly onto another larger boat from the speed boat.
Ferry from Ao Nang port to Saladan Pier on Koh Lanta (2 hours)
We left our accommodation on Koh Yao Noi at 8:15 am and arrived on Koh Lanta at 12:30 pm.
We purchased this package through Sabai’s where we were staying. We talked with the lady that owned the bungalows and she told us what the different options there were.
We could purchase a package through her, we could go to the piers and purchase a package through them, or we could buy each ticket individually as we went. She let us know how much the different options would cost. Buying each ticket individually would be the least expensive, but would be the most stressful. We decided to just buy through her since it would make the day go a lot smoother. Note: we purchased the night before.
Landing fee on Koh Lanta
20 baht – $0.64 (for 2 people)
10 baht – $0.32 (each)
There is a fee charged at the pier when you arrive. It is 10 baht per person. Make sure you have 10 baht in cash on you for each person in your group. Thankfully I did my research ahead of time so I knew that.
Taxi from Pier to Resort
Taxi from Koh Lanta Pier to Cha Da Resort
200 baht – $6.48 (for 2 people)
100 baht – $3.24 (each)
There are tuk tuks and red trucks at the pier and they charge “set prices” to different parts of the island. It can be rather expensive. We were within a mile of the pier so we could have walked. We were able to bring them down to 100 baht per person instead of 150 per person. So in total we saved 100 baht. They don’t really seem to want to barter much. But we went to a couple different people and got one to do 100 baht. Transportation that isn’t a motorbike rental seems to be pretty expensive on Koh Lanta.
Motorbike Rental (Koh Lanta)
Motorbike rental for 24 hours
250 baht – $8.11
Motorbike rental for 2 hours
150 baht – $4.86
Gas from 1 L bottle
35 baht – $1.13
We did a 24-hour motorbike rental and then we also did a 2-hour motorbike rental on the last day. We rented from a rental shop right across from the resort we were staying at. They have an agreement thing with the resort where they don’t hold your passports as collateral.
Motorbike Rental (Koh Samui)
We rented a motorbike on Koh Samui from the hotel we stayed at. We payed for it in addition to our stay so I didn’t write down how much it cost. I believe it was very similar to the previous islands in cost.
Van + Ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan
Transfer from hotel by van and a ferry to Koh Phangan
900 baht – $29.20 (for 2 people) *
We went to the Pralan Pier on Koh Samui the day before and purchased the tickets in person at the Lomprayah office.
ADDED:
Transfer to hotel on Koh Phangan
360 baht – $11.68 (for 2 people)
*When we checked in for our tickets for the ferry we also purchased the transfer to our hotel on Koh Phangan so we didn’t have to try and barter. I again was very glad we did this because the drivers at the Koh Phangan Pier were very aggressive.
Motorbike rental (Koh Phangan)
Motorbike rental for 7 days
1400 baht – $45.42
We rented a motorbike for our entire stay on Koh Phangan. We rented from a rental place that was associated with the hotel. Everywhere on the island requires that you leave your passport or a large sum of money as collateral.
We were pretty hesitant about this, but my dad took a picture with the rental guy holding his passport. We had no issue with getting the passport back, but you are taking a risk by doing this. We would have done the money as collateral instead, but this was our last stay on the island and we wouldn’t be able to use it all up after getting it back so we decided to go with my dad’s passport.
Gas
100 baht – $3.24
Travel from Koh Lanta to Koh Samui
Total Travel Time: 10 hr 40 min
Total Cost: 2700 baht – $86.13 (for 2 people); $43 each
We let our hotel in Koh Lanta at 7:50 am and arrived at our hotel in Koh Samui at 6:30 pm. This long and complicated form of transportation is way less expensive than flying. It still costs less for 2 people than it costs for 1 airplane ticket.
Taxi from hotel to Koh Lanta Pier
Red truck ride from Cha Da Resort to Koh Lanta Pier
Travel Time: 5 minutes
100 baht – $3.24
We booked this the night before from the rental place across from our resort. We were able to get a red truck ride to the pier for 100 baht for the both of us.
Ferry from Koh Lanta to Krabi Town
Ferry from Koh Lanta Pier to Krabi Town Pier
Travel Time: 2.5 hours
600 baht – $19.46
It was 300 baht each. The ferry is the slower option. It would definitely be faster to take a speed boat or something like that, but this was the least expensive option. The ferry doesn’t have AC, but it does have fans and open windows so it isn’t too miserable.
Taxi from Krabi Town Pier to Lomprayah Station
Taxi from Krabi Pier to Lomprayah Station
Travel Time: 10 minutes
200 baht – $6.48 (for 2 people)
Bus + Ferry Tickets from Krabi to Koh Samui
Packaged bus & ferry deal (Lomprayah)
1600 baht – $50.47 (for 2 tickets)
800 baht – $25.24 (each)
*Purchased online 2 days before.
Here’s the break down:
Bus from Krabi to Surat Thani Pier at Surat Thani (2.5 hours) The bus had AC, thank goodness!
Catamaran from Surat Thani Pier to Koh Samui (2 hours) The catamaran also had AC, but we had to sit on the top deck since all the seats were taken inside.
(added) Transfer from Koh Samui pier to hotel (40 minutes)
To get better deals, purchase further ahead of time. We were a bit worried we wouldn’t be able to find any tickets because some of the more reliable companies had already sold out of tickets.
ADDED COST:
Transfer to hotel on Koh Samui
200 baht – $6.48 (for 2 people)
*We purchased the add-on transfer to the hotel at the Lomprayah Station office when we checked in. I’m so glad we did this, because it was a lot less expensive then the other options that were at the pier when we got there. We were almost on the other side of the island which was a 40 minute drive.
Start of trip back to PDX
Total Travel Time: 43 hours
From 11am on Thursday (in Thailand) to 4:20 pm on Friday (in Portland, Oregon).
Transportation from Koh Phangan To Surat Thani Airport
Pick up from hotel, catamaran from Koh Phangan Pier to Surat Thani Pier, and bus from Pier to Airport
2140 baht – $69.43 (for 2 people)
Catamaran from Thong Sala Pier on Koh Phangan to Surat Thani Pier (2 hr 50 min) Bus from Surat Thani Pier to Airport (40 minutes)
Flight from Surat Thani to Bangkok
Flight from URT – DMK
Travel Time: 1 hr 10 min
2477.80 baht – $78.11 (for 2 tickets)
$39.06 (each)
*Purchased online and doesn’t count checked bag fee
Shuttle from DMK to BKK
The shuttle from DMK to BKK is actually free. All you have to do is show proof of your next flight. They’ll stamp your hand and you can get on the shuttle bus. I believe your flight has to be within 24 hours to use the shuttle.
The Shuttle station is at Terminal 1 at Exit 6. On a blog post I found about the free shuttle, it says it takes an hour with no traffic to get to BKK from DMK. We got in near midnight and there was no traffic. It took us 40 minutes
This website updates information about the shuttle system and has really useful information.
Second half of round trip flight
BKK to Hong Kong to Los Angeles to Portland
*Purchased before trip
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