Don Mueang Airport: DMK and Suvarnabhumi Airport are two airports in Bangkok and both are at opposite ends of the city. For your Thailand trip, if you are going to land at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, we have compiled key details for how to get around.
Click here to read all blogs from our Thailand backpacking trip.
We faced issues during our trip as we could not get any consolidated information at one place. Hope our blog helps you to get quick insights. In case, you find more details that we missed, please mention the same in comments to help other fellow travellers.
Before we start, here are some helpful links –
- Bangkok Metro Map: Click here
- Position of all transit places on Google Map: Click here
Hire a Taxi/Uber/Grab – Fastest but Costliest Option
This is the easiest and fastest way to reach anywhere in Bangkok from Don Mueang Airport. However this is also the costliest mode. so, take a decision basis time at your hand. You can hire a Taxi from counters inside airport or get one on the spot standing just outside the airport (Fare: Based on meter plus 50 baht airport surcharge). Please ensure to ask the taxi to go by meter. Fare by meter comes quite reasonable compared to the amount quoted by taxi drivers for complete trip (without meter). Alternately, you can also book a cab using Uber or Grab apps. Anyhow you would be buying a SIM immediately after landing in Thailand, so download Uber or Grab apps and check fares. Just a quick online search would also give you few discount coupons if you are a new user to Uber and Grab .
From Don Mueang Airport (DMK), taxi will cost you ~100 Bahts to Mo Chit BTS station/Bus Stand (~30 minutes) , ~350 Bahts to Hua Lamphong Railway Station (~35 minutes using Toll Expressway and 1 hour from normal route) and ~500 Bahts to Suvarnabhumi Airport (~ 1 Hour). Please note that Bangkok has huge traffic jam problem, in case you are tight on time please account for that. While coming back to Don Mueang Airport from Pattaya, we were caught in bad traffic as soon as we entered in Bangkok. Our Van driver dropped us at the entry of Toll Expressway to Don Mueang Airport and thankfully we reached just in time by hiring a taxi. Please do buffer some extra time if you have to catch you flight in peak hours.
In case, you want to explore options other than taxi, here are the details –
How to get from Don Mueang Airport (สนามบินดอนเมืองกรุงเทพ) to Bangkok Mo Chit Bus Station/ BTS Station (สถานีรถไฟฟ้าหมอชิต)
Mo Chit BTS Station is the closest Metro Station to Don Mueang Airport (~16 kilometers). So, if you want to take a metro to reach your destination, you can head for Mo Chit BTS Station from Airport. To reach Mo Chit, take Bus# A1. You can catch Bus A1 right outside the airport. As soon as you will come out from Gate 6, you will find a bill-board with Bus A1 details mentioned. Just wait here for the bus. It runs between 5:30 AM and 11:00 PM and departs every 20 minutes. The bus ride takes around 20 minutes and fare is 30 Bahts per person. Bangkok Mo Chit Bus Station/ Bangkok Mo Chit BTS Station/ Chatuchak Park MRT Station are all close by. In case you just want to catch metro, you may also catch A2 which will drop you at Victory Monument, a few stations ahead. For step by step guidance, you may refer this Lonely Planet forum page.
Same Bus A1 also heads back from Mo Chit Bus Stand to Don Mueang Airport. You may use the same bus while going back to the airport. However, do account for Bangkok traffic jams as I elaborated above 🙂
In case, you are in a group of more than 2 people, it is advisable to take a taxi to Mo Chit Bus Stand. Total fare will not be much different.
How to get from Don Mueang Airport (สนามบินดอนเมืองกรุงเทพ) to Bangkok Hua Lamphong Station (สถานีหัวลำโพง)
After landing in Bangkok if you are looking to catch your train for Chiang Mai or to Cambodia, you have to head for Hua Lamphong Railway Station which is around 30 kilometers from Don Mueang Airport. Since there is no metro link to Don Mueang Airport so it becomes a bit hassle to head to city from this airport. Beside taxi, you can opt for one of the following two options to reach Railway station –
Option 1: Take a train: Don Mueang Railway Station is just outside the airport. Ask anyone for the over bridge and within few minutes, you can walk to the railway station. All trains coming from the north or northeast have a stop at Don Muang before heading into the city centre. Fare was only 20 Bahts up to Hua Lamphong Railway Station. Entry to Metro station is just next to the Railway station. So in case you have time at hand (~1 Hour), take the next train you can catch. Frequency is usually good but at times you may have to wait. We were lucky to get a train as soon as we reached Station.
Option 2: Take A1/A2 Bus to Mo Chit BTS Station and then use Metro: Alternately, you may take Bus# A1/A2 to Mo Chit BTS Station or Victory Monument and can take metro there onward to reach Hua Lamphong. Please note that you have to change metro line at Si Lom Station. So, this route will require you to change twice and also cost more compared to taking a direct train.
We will suggest you to opt for option 1 of taking train. At least you may just walk to railway station and check if any train is expected in another 10-15 minutes. It may require some wait time but you will reach directly to Bangkok Hua Lamphong Station without any intermediate changes.
How to get from Don Mueang Airport (สนามบินดอนเมืองกรุงเทพ) to Suvarnabhumi Airport (สนามบินสุวรรณภูมิ)
Suvarnabhumi Airport is on the opposite side of Bangkok city (on the road heading to Pattaya). It is around 45 kilometers and will take around an hour for you to reach there provided you do not get caught in traffic jams. Even Expressways remain jam-packed during peak hours.
Option 1: Airport Free Shuttle Bus: Yes, there is a free Shuttle Bus that runs between two airport. You need to present your ticket for the onward journey to take this bus. You can catch this Shuttle bus from the platform of the first floor of Passenger Terminal . Here is the schedule for the bus –
- 05:00 AM to 08:00 AM – Depart every 30 minutes
- 08:12 AM to 11:00 AM – Depart every 12 minutes
- 11:30 AM to 04:00 PM – Depart every 30 minutes
- 04:12 PM to 07:00 PM – Depart every 12 minutes
- 07:30 PM to 24:00 PM – Depart every 30 minutes
You may find more details about free Shuttle bus here. Please note that this bus has no stops on the way.
Option 2: Take Bus# 555/554: This bus runs between two airports with 5 stops on the way and takes around 1 hour. Bus operates from 04:00 AM to 23:00 PM every 30 minutes with a fare of ~36 Bahts. There is another bus 554 which too operates between two airports. There are also mini-vans operating between two airports (till 9 PM) that you can find as soon as you exit and walk to the bus station.
Option 3: Take Metro from Mo Chit BTS: This is the least favorable route considering multiple stops. Take Bus A1 to Mo Chit BTS Station as detailed out above. From Mo Chit BTS, take blue line to Phetchaburi. Get down there and walk to Makkasan City Terminal to catch non-stop airport express through Airport Link City Line. with multiple changes, this too would take additional time compared to above two options.
Thailand Hotel Booking
Booking.com is the best option to book your accommodation in Thailand. Most of the hotels, farm-stays and even camping sites prefer to list on booking.com. You may book your hotel (address to be mentioned in your visa application) without any advance payment and in case of change of plans, you can easily cancel your booking. Click here to book your Thailand hotel or search below –
Booking.comWe hope this helps you plan your trip better after landing at Don Mueang Airport. It was a fun trip to Thailand for us. Wish you too a very happy journey !!
Happy Exploration !!
Main image source – https://www.donmueangairport.com
Nice Blog !!
Can you tell me where to get a 4G SIM with unlimited data and how much it cost @ Suvarnabhoomi Airport
Hi Shalini – SIMs are available at Airport itself. All Telecom companies have their stalls at airport Exit only, so it wont be difficult to get one. It costs around 200 to 300 Bahts – depends on Data pack you choose.