Downtown, the efficient and fast Skytrain has two lines: the Sukhumvit route from Morchit Station in the north to Onnut Station, and the Silom route from National Stadium to Taksin Bridge, with an interchange between the two routes at the Siam Center. The Sukhumvit line is being extended to Sukhumvit 105, and the Silom line into Thonburi will soon be completed. A direct BTS to Suvarnabhumi airport is due to open in late 2008.

The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) underground runs the 20 km (12 miles) from Hua Lampong Station to Bang Sue. Other forms of city transport include riverboats, buses, limousines and tour buses run by hotels, taxis, and tuk-tuks .

Express riverboats serve popular piers on the Chao Phraya River. Ferries also link east and west banks, and it is possible to rent a long-tail boat at some piers.

One-way bus lanes make for speedy road transport. The Tourist Map Bangkok City  and Tour ‘n’ Guide Map Bangkok  show the routes. Blue air-conditioned buses (“AC” in the transport details for each Bangkok sight), and pink and gray microbuses (indicated by “M”) are comfortable and cover the popular routes. Ordinary (non air-conditioned) buses are cheap, cover all of Bangkok, and run into the night. City buses outside Bangkok are not easy to use for non-Thai speakers, but taxis, tuk-tuks , and songthaews  are readily available and convenient.

Meter taxis operate in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Hat Yai, distinguishable by the “Taxi-Meter” sign on the roof. Drivers tend to know only the names and locations of the major hotels and sights. In nonmeter taxis (in Bangkok these are now quite rare and not recommended), you need to bargain for the fare before getting in.

Motorcycle taxis operate in some towns. Drivers tend to congregate near markets and long sois  and can be identified by their colorful numbered vests. Prices are negotiated.

Songthaews  (literally translated as “two rows”) are vans with two rows of seats in the back. They are more common than city buses outside Bangkok and run popular routes for set fares, typically between 20 and 40 baht . Drivers may wait until they are at least half full before starting out. Routes are sometimes written in English on the sides of the vans. Songthaews  can be rented like taxis, but are less comfortable.

Samlors  are three-wheeled vehicles that can transport one or two people up to a few kilometers. Motorized samlors  are known as tuk-tuks  – their two-stroke engines, introduced by the Japanese during World War II, are notoriously noisy. In heavy traffic or during the rainy season, tuk-tuks  can be uncomfortable and unstable, but are always popular with tourists. Nonmotorized samlors  are often in the form of bicycle rickshas. You need to negotiate a price before climbing into either type: 30–60 baht  is reasonable for short hops.