From Bangkok you can travel by bus directly to nearly any destination in Thailand and also a number of destinations in neighbouring countries such as Siem Reap in Cambodia (for Ankhor Wat temple complex) and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The bus network reaches far more destinations than the railway network or than are accessible via nearby airports. Bus also travel tends to be cheaper than 2nd class train travel in Thailand and normally quicker. There are three main bus stations in Bangkok. Most buses to destinations in the North, such as Chiang Mai, depart from Morchit Bus station near Chatuchak Park. Buses to destinations in the South, such as Phuket, depart from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal. There are buses to many destinations in the East of Thailand, such as Pattaya, from Ekkamai Bus station, which is conveniently located near a BTS station on the Sukhumvit Road. There are also a number of very good private bus service, such as the Lomprayah Company services to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, which leave from a city centre location near the famous backpacker area of the Khao San Road.
Buy Tickets for Travel from Bangkok
You buy tickets online for travel from Bangkok to destinations across Thailand and other countries in Bangkok using the Search Box below.
Part 1: Bangkok to destinations in Thailand
This section of our guide to travel from Bangkok focuses on travel from Bangkok to destinations in Thailand.
Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Information about 3 different bus companies providing transport from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Our Guide to bus travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai includes timetables, ticket prices, ticket booking and station maps. We explain how and where to catch the bus, and then how to get from your arrival point in Chiang Mai to your hotel.
- See more information about bus services from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Chiang Mai:
06.00, 08.30, 16.00, 18.50, 20.00 20.15, 20.20 and 20.35
- Bus Stations: Morchit
Bangkok to Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan currently has no airport. To get there you can either fly to Koh Samui and take a ferry to Koh Phangan, or alternatively you can fly to Surat Thani Airport and take a bus/ferry journey to Koh Phangan. The cheapest way to do the journey is by bus. A slightly more expensive option is to go by train to Surat Thani and travel onward to onward to Koh Phangan via Donsak ferry port.
- See more information about bus travel from Bangkok to Koh Phangan.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Koh Phangan:
06.00, 20.00 and 21.00
- Bus Stations: Bowon Niwet Road (nr Khao San Road) and Chakrabongse Road (nr Khao San Road)
Bangkok to Pattaya
Information about 3 different bus services from Bangkok city to Pattaya and a minivan service that collects you from your hotel in Bangkok. Maps of the departure stations in Bangkok and a map of Pattaya Bus Station. Online ticket booking, timetables, tickets prices and a guide to onward travel from Pattaya Bus Station.
- See more information about bus travel from Bangkok to Pattaya.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Pattaya:
09.00, 09.30, 13.00, 13.30, 17.30 and 18.30
Bangkok to Phuket
There are four ways to travel from Bangkok to Phuket. 1. By taxi. 2. By flying to Phuket Airport: Lion Air and Thai Asia Air both fly there. 3. By bus. 4. By train to overnight sleeper train to Surat Thani and connecting bus from there. In our information page we focus on the train/bus option 4. Information about the other options can be viewed by clicking on the Book button.
- See more information about train travel from Bangkok to Phuket.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Phuket:
06.30, 06.40, 15.30, 16.30, 17.30, 17.40, 18.30, 19.30, 19.50 and 20.30
- Bus Stations: Sai Tai Mai
Bangkok to Koh Samui
The direct flights to Koh Samui are very expensive because of the monopoly held by a single airline over the route. For this reason many travellers choose to take either the bus or an overnight train to Surat Thani province from where a variety of different companies provided ferry services to Koh Samui. If you do not like travelling overnight then there is a daytime bus and high speed ferry service which does the journey in daylight hours.
- See more information about bus travel from Bangkok to Koh Samui.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Koh Samui:
06.00, 20.00 and 21.00
- Bus Stations: Bowon Niwet Road (nr Khao San Road) and Chakrabongse Road (nr Khao San Road)
Bangkok to Koh Phi Phi
Koh Phi Phi does not have an airport. You need to take a ferry from either Rassada Pier in Phuket or Klong Jilard Pier near Krabi Town to reach Koh Phi Phi. There are several bus companies which offer ‘Joint Tickets’ which include both bus travel from Bangkok to Phuket’s ferry pier and the ferry ticket to Koh Phi Phi. The journey takes 18 to 20 hours. VIP buses with reclining seats are available.
- See more information about bus travel from Bangkok to Koh Phi Phi.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Koh Phi Phi:
16.30, 17.30, 17.40, 19.20, 19.30 and 20.40
- Bus Stations: Sai Tai Mai
Bangkok to Krabi
You can fly from Bangkok to Krabi (1 hour 20 minutes). You can take a bus (12 hours 30 minutes). Or you can travel by train to Surat Thani and by bus from there (15 hours 30 minutes). The cheapest option is the bus, then the train/bus route, and the most expensive option is flying, particularly when you take into account the cost of the taxi journey to Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok and from Krabi Airport to wherever you plan to stay in Krabi.
- See more information about bus travel from Bangkok to Krabi.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Krabi:
17.30, 19.20, 19.30 and 20.40
- Bus Stations: Sai Tai Mai
Bangkok to Koh Tao
The best way to get from Bangkok to Koh Tao is to take the combined bus and ferry service offered by the Lomprayah High Speed Ferry Company. They have two services a day leaving from near the Khao San Road in Bangkok. Alternatively save yourself the cost of a hotel room for night and take a sleeper train to Chumphon and then transfer to the Lomprayah catamaran ferry from a nearby pier.
- See more information about bus travel from Bangkok to Koh Tao.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Koh Tao:
06.00 and 21.00
- Bus Stations: Bowon Niwet Road (nr Khao San Road)
Bangkok to Sukhothai
To get to Sukhothai from Bangkok you either need to take a bus the whole way, or alternatively take a train as far as Phitsanulok. From Phitsanulok it is an easy 1 hour journey by local bus services to Sukhothai. The bus journey is scheduled to take 8 hours 10 minutes compared to a total travelling time of around 7 hours if you travel by train and then bus from Phitsanulok.
- See more information about travel by train to Phitsanulok and local bus connection to Sukhothai.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Sukhothai:
07.00, 12.30, 17.00 and 21.30
- Bus Stations: Morchit
Bangkok to Kanchanaburi
Two ways to get from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi. 1. By train. There are two departures a day from Thonburi Train Station. 2. By minivan. There are many different minivan operators who charge from 150 THB per person and leave from a variety of different locations around Bangkok.
- See more information about bus travel from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi.
- Minivan Times from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi:
Regular departures from 05.00 to 21.3o everyday
- Bus Stations: Morchit and Southern Bus Terminal and Burana Sat Road (near Khao San Road) and Chakkapong Road (near Khao San Road
Bangkok to Koh Kood
The only direct service from Bangkok to Koh Kood is provided by the Boonsiri High Speed Ferries company. Their services departs once a day from near the Khao San Road. The first part of the journey is by minivan to Trat where passengers transfer to a ferry to Koh Kood. Doing the trip independently via Trat costs roughly the same as the direct service but takes several hours longer.
- See more information about bus travel from Bangkok to Koh Kood.
- Bus Times from Bangkok to Koh Kood:
05.30 and 08.00
- Bus Stations: Tanee Road (nr Khao San Road)
Part 2: Bangkok to Cambodia
Bangkok to Siem Reap
The cheapest way to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap is by bus. The journey takes around 9 hours. You can also fly to Siem reap with Thai Asia Air with air fares typically priced 2 to 3 times more than the bus fare. Flights depart from Don Mueang Airport near Bangkok and the flight time is 1 hour.
- See more information about bus travel from Bangkok to Siem Reap.
- Bus Departure Times:
08.00, 08.30 and 09.00
- Bus Stations: Morchit and Khao San Road
Part 3: Bangkok to Vietnam
Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City
This is a journey with two stages. At present there are no bus services which go all the way from Bangkok to Vietnam.
Stage 1 involves taking a bus to Phnom Penh, which is the capital city of Cambodia. This stage of the journey takes 13 hours. The bus departs from Bangkok at 05.00 and arrives at 18.00. On completion of the first part of the journey passengers need to organise their own accommodation for the night.
Stage 2 is a shorter bus journey of 6 hours 30 from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City. There are two daily departures: 08.00 and 12.30. Most people opt for the earlier departure as they arrive in Hon Chi Minh city at 14.30. However, if you plan to experience Phnom Penh’s night life you might opt to take the later departure.
- See more detailed information about the overland trip from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh city.
Part 4: Other Travel Options from Bangkok
There are lots of different ways to travel from Bangkok.
Minivan: For short journeys a minivan is often the most cost effective and quickest form of transport. There are minivan stations located in many different parts of Bangkok but the main departure point is near Victory Monument right in the centre of Bangkok, and this is the place where the most people go to catch a minivan to nearby destinations like Ayutthaya, Hua Hin and Kanchanaburi.
Trains: Train travel in Thailand is an experience which we recommend everyone to try at least once. The overnight journeys to Chiang Mai and Surat Thani (for ferry connections to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan) on a sleeper train are the most popular. All long distance trains from Bangkok start at Hua Lamphong Train Station, except the train to Kanchanaburi for the Bridge Over the River Kwai, which departs from Thonburi Train Station. For information about train services in Thailand see our Guide to the Booking Train Tickets in Thailand.
Taxis: The most expensive way to travel, but sometimes the most convenient particularly from Bangkok’s International Airport (Suvarnabhumi) to Pattaya. If you speak some Thai, understand the way to negotiate, and have an understanding of what constitutes a ‘fair price’, then the cheapest way to take a long distance taxi journey is to bargain directly with the driver. The most expensive way is to use one of the ‘Limousine Services’ with a kiosk located in the airport. A third option is to book online (see the link above) which can be more expensive that bargaining directly with the driver but most likely cheaper than using a Limousine Service from the airport. Uber and other online Taxi booking services are prohibited from sending their drivers to pick up from any of the Airports in Bangkok.