BTS, MRT and boats: getting around Bangkok

Short answer: live near a train line, carry a Rabbit card for the BTS and a contactless bank card for almost everything else, and keep Grab on your phone for the gaps.

The short version

The BTS Skytrain still runs on the Rabbit card or single tickets. It doesn't take tap-and-go bank cards at the gates [1][2].
The MRT Blue and Purple lines have accepted contactless Visa and Mastercard since January 2022. The Yellow and Pink monorails take contactless and Rabbit [3].
The Airport Rail Link runs from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi in about 27 minutes for 15 to 45 baht, and has taken contactless cards since 8 November 2025 [4].
River boats on the Chao Phraya cost about 10 to 32 baht. The Khlong Saen Saep canal boat costs 8 to 22 baht, cash only [5][6].
Smartraveller says to check the plate and driver's name when you use Grab, and agree the fare before getting on a motorbike taxi [7].

How Bangkok's rail network fits together

Coming from Sydney or Melbourne, the surprise is that Bangkok has no single transit agency and no single card. Different companies run different lines, and each has its own ticketing. Here's the map in words.

BTS Skytrain is the elevated network most expats use daily [1]:

Sukhumvit Line: Khu Khot in the north, through Mo Chit, Siam, Asok, Phrom Phong and Thong Lo, out to Kheha in Samut Prakan.
Silom Line: National Stadium through Siam, Sala Daeng and Saphan Taksin, then across the river to Bang Wa.
Gold Line: a short people mover from Krung Thon Buri to Khlong San, serving the ICONSIAM side of the river.

The two main BTS lines meet at Siam. Fares are distance-based [1].

MRT is the other half of the network [3]:

Blue Line: a loop-style line from Tha Phra to Lak Song, running under Sukhumvit, Silom, Hua Lamphong and Chinatown.
Purple Line: Tao Poon to Khlong Bang Phai in Nonthaburi.
Yellow Line: a monorail from Lat Phrao to Samrong, opened in July 2023.
Pink Line: a monorail from Nonthaburi Civic Centre to Min Buri, opened in February 2024.
Orange Line: under construction, with the eastern section planned for 2027 [3].

You change between BTS and MRT at stations such as Mo Chit/Chatuchak Park, Asok/Sukhumvit, Sala Daeng/Si Lom and Bang Wa [1]. Every change means leaving one system's gates and entering the other's, so you pay twice.

Cards and contactless: what works where

This is the bit that confuses new arrivals, so here it is in one table.

Line or service	Rabbit card	Contactless bank card	Cash or single ticket	Typical fare
BTS Skytrain (Sukhumvit, Silom, Gold)	Yes [2]	No, per current reports [1]	Single-journey tickets from machines [1]	Distance-based [1]
MRT Blue and Purple	No [3]	Yes, since January 2022 [3]	Tokens [3]	Distance-based
MRT Yellow and Pink monorails	Yes [3]	Yes [3]	Yes [3]	Distance-based
Airport Rail Link	Check at the gate	Yes, since 8 November 2025 [4]	Yes	15–45 baht [4]
Chao Phraya Express Boat	No	Not confirmed	Yes	About 10–32 baht [5]
Khlong Saen Saep canal boat	No	No	Cash on board only [6]	8–22 baht [6]

The Rabbit card

The Rabbit card is a stored-value card first sold in 2012. Use it on the BTS, the BRT bus and the Yellow and Pink monorails, and at plenty of convenience stores and cafés [2]. A few things worth knowing [2]:

top up at any BTS or BRT ticket office
the card holds up to 4,000 baht
credit expires two years after your last transaction, so a card left in a drawer while you're home for Christmas is fine
the card itself lasts seven years.

Ask at a BTS ticket office about student and senior versions. On the MRT, smart cards give 50% off for children and older riders, and children under 15 or under 90 cm tall ride free [3].

Contactless for everything else

For the MRT Blue and Purple lines and the Airport Rail Link, just tap your Visa or Mastercard at the gate [3][4]. Tell your Australian bank you're living in Thailand, and use a card without foreign transaction fees, otherwise small fares add up.

Australian phone wallets usually work where contactless cards do, but carry the physical card as a backup in case the gate rejects your phone.

Boats: the Chao Phraya and the canal

Bangkok's waterways beat the traffic and come with a view.

Chao Phraya Express Boat runs up and down the river [5]:

the orange flag boat runs from Nonthaburi to Wat Rajsingkorn and is the everyday local service
yellow, red and green-yellow flag boats are faster, with fewer stops, mostly at peak times
the blue flag tourist boat runs between Phra Arthit and Asiatique.

Fares run from about 10 baht for a short local trip to 32 baht for the full green-yellow run. The hub is Sathorn Pier, directly below BTS Saphan Taksin [5]. Tha Chang serves the Grand Palace, and Rajinee Pier connects with MRT Sanam Chai [5]. On weekdays the last boat leaves Sathorn about 9.30pm, and weekend services finish earlier [5].

Khlong Saen Saep is the canal boat locals use to skip Phetchaburi Road traffic. It runs about 18 km from Panfa Leelard near the Golden Mount, through Pratunam (the change point) and Asok, east to Wat Sriboonruang near NIDA [6]. Fares are 8 to 22 baht, paid in cash to a collector on board, and boats run roughly 5.30am to 8.30pm on weekdays and until 7pm on weekends [6]. It's fast, cheap and a bit splashy. Step on and off quickly.

Smartraveller notes that ferry and boat travel in Thailand can be dangerous [7]. On the river, wait for the boat to stop, keep away from the edge and skip boats that look overloaded.

Grab, Bolt, taxis and motorbike taxis

For anything the trains miss, Bangkok runs on apps:

Grab and Bolt both run car and motorbike rides in Bangkok. Smartraveller's advice: check that the plate number and driver's name match the app before you get in [7].
Metered taxis are generally safe and convenient, Smartraveller says. Check the driver's ID is displayed and insist on the meter [7].
Motorbike taxis in numbered orange vests wait at the mouth of most sois. Agree the price before you get on, hold on, and know that helmets are rarely supplied [7].
Tuk-tuks are for fun, not commuting. Agree the fare and route first and walk away from "cheap tours" that end at gem shops [7].

The Tourist Police are on 1155 if a ride goes wrong [7].

Getting to the airports and home to Australia

Bangkok has two international airports, and booking the wrong one is a classic expat mistake.

Check the code. Suvarnabhumi is BKK; Don Mueang is DMK. Most direct flights to Australian cities use Suvarnabhumi. Don Mueang is mainly a low-cost hub for regional flights.
Suvarnabhumi by train. Take the Airport Rail Link from Phaya Thai (change from BTS) or Makkasan (change from MRT Phetchaburi). Trains run 5.30am to midnight, every 10 to 13 minutes, and cost 15 to 45 baht [4]. The airport station is underground, right under the terminal [4].
Don Mueang by train. The SRT Red Line runs from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal at Bang Sue to Don Mueang. A planned Airport Rail Link extension linking both airports isn't built yet [4].
Late flights. Many flights home leave late at night. Once trains stop, use a metered taxi from the official rank or a Grab.
Allow for traffic. By road, either airport can take an hour or more in peak traffic. Allow extra time in the wet season, when storms slow everything.

Living with Bangkok transport

A few tips from Aussies who've done the hard yards:

Choose your condo by the line. A five-minute walk to a station changes your life, especially in April's heat.
Expect peak-hour crushes on the Sukhumvit Line around Asok and Siam. Let a train go if you need to.
Use the skywalks. Covered walkways link many BTS stations with malls and offices.
Watch for free-travel days. In January 2025, the government made Bangkok public transport free for a week to cut traffic during a PM2.5 pollution spike [1].
Bring a small umbrella. Rainy season downpours come fast between May and October.

Want to know which station has the best morning coffee nearby? Join Cooee Thailand, our Facebook group for Australians in Thailand.

BTS, MRT and boats: how to get around Bangkok without a car in 2026