Bangkok public transport: tickets, passes and apps

The BTS Skytrain and the MRT metro are separate systems with separate tickets, so there is no single card that covers everything. For a stay of two days or more, get a Rabbit card for the BTS: it is a stored-value card, you tap in and out, and you top it up at station machines or counters. It removes the queue at the token machines, which is the main time cost of using the Skytrain.

If you will ride the metro more than the Skytrain, the MRT's own stored-value card does the same job on those lines. A single token makes sense for one or two journeys. A one-day pass only pays off at roughly four or more rides in a day, which is a lot of sightseeing by rail.

The Airport Rail Link is a third system with its own token; it is not covered by the Rabbit card.

Ticket machines at BTS and MRT stations take coins, and some accept banknotes but do not give change. Keep a pocket of ฿5 and ฿10 coins, or buy at the staffed counter where one exists. The Rabbit card and the MRT card are topped up in cash at machines and counters; both are the fastest way through the gates at rush hour.

Contactless bank cards and phone wallets work on the MRT's newer gates, but not on the BTS. If your card is refused, fall back to a token. For door-to-door trips, Grab and Bolt are the default apps in Bangkok; both give a fixed price before you accept, which avoids the meter conversation. Fares for 5–10 km run about ฿80–250, and traffic can double the time at rush hour.

Boats on the Chao Phraya river and the Saen Saep canal are paid in cash on board or at the pier, and are not part of any card system.

Bangkok's rail fares are distance-based rather than zone-based, so the price rises with how far you travel, not how many lines you cross. A short hop of two or three stations is cheap; a cross-city ride on the BTS costs several times more. The exact bands change from time to time, so treat the figures here as a 2026 estimate and check the board above the machine.

The BTS covers the elevated lines through Siam, Sukhumvit and Silom, which is where most hotels and malls sit. The MRT runs underground and under the river, linking the same core with Hua Lamphong and the northern bus and train stations. The two meet at a few interchange stations, and you pay again when you change systems.

Children below a certain height and some older passengers ride free or at a reduced fare; the rules are posted at the gate.

From Suvarnabhumi (BKK), the Airport Rail Link is the cheap, traffic-proof option: about 30 minutes to Phaya Thai, where you change to the BTS. Buy a token at the station; the Rabbit card does not cover this line. A metered taxi or Grab from the same airport costs more and takes 45–60 minutes in normal traffic, longer at rush hour.

From Don Mueang (DMK), there is no rail link. Buses and taxis take 45–90 minutes into the city depending on traffic. If your flight lands late, a fixed-price Grab is the simpler choice.

If you are staying near the airport for an early flight, see hotels near Bangkok airport.

Rush hour is the one time the rail loses its advantage: trains are packed and you may wait for the second or third one. Outside those windows the BTS and MRT beat taxis comfortably for anything over a couple of kilometres.

Keep small notes and coins. Machines that do not give change, pier fares and street food all assume cash. A Rabbit card with a small balance is the single easiest thing to carry.

For a short visit, plan your day around the rail lines rather than crossing the city repeatedly. Our one day in Bangkok and weekend in Bangkok itineraries are built that way.