Transport in Bangkok


has 9.7 million automobiles and motorbikes, a number the government says is eight times more than can be properly accommodated on existing roads. And those numbers are increasing by 700 additional cars and 400 motorbikes every day. Charoen Krung Road, the first road to be built by Western techniques, was completed in 1864. Since then, the road network has expanded to accommodate the sprawling city's needs. Besides roads, Bangkok is served by several other transport systems. Bangkok's canals and ferries historically served as a major mode of transport, but they have long since been eclipsed by land traffic. A complex elevated expressway network and Tollway helps bring traffic into and out of the city centre, but Bangkok's rapid growth has put a large strain on infrastructure. By the late-1970s, Bangkok became known as "the city of traffic disaster". Although rail transport was introduced in 1893 and electric trams served the city from 1894 to 1968, it was only in 1999 that Bangkok's first rapid transit system began operation. Older public transport systems include an extensive bus network and boat services which still operate on the Chao Phraya river and Saen Saep canal. Taxis appear in the form of cars, motorcycles, and tuk-tuks.
Bangkok is connected to the rest of the country through the national highway and rail networks, as well as by domestic flights to and from the city's two international airports. Its centuries-old maritime transport of goods is still conducted through Khlong Toei Port.

Governance

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is largely responsible for overseeing the construction and maintenance of the road network and transport systems through its Public Works Department and Traffic and Transportation Department. However, many separate government agencies are also in charge of the individual systems, and much of transport-related policy planning and funding is contributed to by the national government.
For many years politicians have pledged to improve Bangkok's road congestion. In 1995 Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a pledge to ease traffic woes within six months. In August 2018, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered police to ease road congestion within three months by using integrated traffic control systems. He threatened to take disciplinary action against any police station found to be negligent in their traffic control duties. In 2022, incoming Governor of Bangkok Chadchart Sittipunt aimed to ease congestion "within one year".
In October 2024, Minister of Transport Suriya Juangroongruangkit announced plans for congestion pricing in Bangkok, which would charge 40-50 baht to drivers on street in inner Bangkok to subsidize 20 baht electric rail fares in Greater Bangkok. Governor Sittipunt announced his support for the plans.

Roads

Road-based transport is the primary mode of travel in Bangkok. Due to the city's organic development, its streets do not follow an organized grid structure. Forty-eight major roads link the different areas of the city, branching into smaller streets and lanes which serve local neighbourhoods. Eleven bridges over the Chao Phraya link the two sides of the city, while the Ratchadaphisek inner ring road encircles the inner city. Several roads linking Bangkok with neighbouring and further provinces are designated as national highways, including the primary routes Phahonyothin, Sukhumvit, and Phetkasem. The outer ring road, Kanchanaphisek, runs through Bangkok's suburbs, linking with Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan, while the Bangkok–Chonburi Motorway runs to the eastern seaboard province, passing Suvarnabhumi Airport on the way.
Bangkok's rapid growth in the 1980s resulted in sharp increases in vehicle ownership and traffic demand, which have since continued—in 2006 there were 3,943,211 in-use vehicles in Bangkok, of which 37.6 percent were private cars and 32.9 percent were motorcycles. These increases, in the face of limited carrying capacity, were expressed as severe traffic congestion evident by the early 1990s. The extent of the problem is such that the Thai Traffic Police has a unit of officers trained in basic midwifery in order to assist deliveries which do not reach hospital in time. While Bangkok's limited road surface area is often cited as a major cause of its traffic jams, other factors, including high vehicle ownership rate relative to income level, inadequate public transport systems, and lack of transportation demand management, also play a role. In 2015, about nine million vehicles were registered in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, but the existing road system can accommodate only 1.5 million vehicles. The result is traffic jams that waste about 97 million baht worth of fuel each day on average, or about 35 billion baht a year. Efforts to alleviate the problem have included the construction of intersection bypasses and an extensive system of elevated highways, as well as the creation of several new rapid transit systems. These actions, however, have not been successful in improving the city's overall traffic conditions.
Traffic is one of the sources of air pollution in Bangkok, which reached serious levels in the 1990s. Efforts to improve air quality by improving fuel quality and enforcing emission standards, among others, have had some effect: atmospheric particulate matter levels dropped from 81 micrograms per cubic metre in 1997 to 43 in 2007.
Although the BMA has created thirty signed bicycle routes along several roads totalling, cycling is still largely impractical, especially in the city centre. Most of these bicycle lanes share the pavement with pedestrians. Poor surface maintenance, encroachment by hawkers and street vendors, the tropical climate, and a hostile environment for cyclists and pedestrians, make cycling and walking unpopular methods of getting around in Bangkok.
In an effort to lessen the impact of VIP convoys on Bangkok's already clogged streets, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered NCPO bigwigs to "take less than 30 seconds" to drive through intersections with their police vanguard. Closing off roads for ministers and other VIPs is common practice in Thailand. With sirens blaring, police block roads to permit passage. The Thai national police chief warned of harsh penalties for officials who mismanage traffic, adding that, "...police do not want to portray the idea that cabinet members are more important than the public."
In 2024 the Thai government suggested plans to introduce a congestion charge of 40–50 baht for vehicles entering central Bangkok. This revenue would be used to subsidise a flat 20-baht fare for all electric rail lines in the city, encouraging public transit use and reducing traffic congestion. The plan is still under study, with details expected by mid-2025.

Buses

Bangkok has an extensive bus network providing local transit services within the Greater Bangkok area. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority operates a monopoly on bus services, with substantial concessions granted to private operators such as Thai Smile Bus. 3,506 BMTA buses, together with private joint buses, minibuses, songthaews and vans totalling 16,321 in number, operate on 470 routes throughout the region. Although a large number of commuters still ride buses daily, passenger numbers have been almost consistently in decline in the past two decades. The BMTA reported an average of 1,048,442 trips per day in 2010, a quarter of the 4,073,883 reported in 1992.
A separate bus rapid transit system owned by the BMA has been in operation since 2010. Known simply as the BRT, the system currently consists of a single line running from the business district at Sathon to Ratchaphruek on the west side of the city. Although further lines had been planned, development on all route expansions are currently halted.
Long-distance bus services to all provinces operate out of Bangkok. The Transport Co., Ltd. is the BMTA's long-distance counterpart. North and northeast-bound buses leave from the Chatuchak Bus Terminal, while eastbound and southbound buses leave from Ekkamai and South Bangkok terminals, respectively.
Since July 25, 2024, the BMTA's bus reform policy has caused changes to 107 routes, including some being cancelled altogether. The renumbering of several bus lines has also created confusion. Many regular passengers have been affected, with some forced to switch to affiliated buses, resulting in higher fares. Critics argue that the more reforms are made, the more the system seems to regress.

Taxis

Taxis are ubiquitous in Bangkok, and are a popular form of transport., there are 106,050 cars, 58,276 motorcycles and 8,996 tuk-tuk motorized tricycles cumulatively registered for use as taxis. Meters have been required for car taxis since 1992, while tuk-tuk fares are usually bargained. Motorcycle taxis operate from regulated ranks, with either fixed or negotiable fares, and are usually employed for relatively short journeys.
Car taxis are either privately owned, or belong to a company or cooperative. Such ownership is signaled by their distinctive paint schemes: private taxis are green-yellow, while different companies have varying colour schemes. Despite their popularity, taxis have gained a bad reputation for often refusing passengers when the requested route is not to the driver's liking. In June 2012, the Department of Land Transport announced a campaign to overhaul taxi driver registrations, as it revealed that there had been only 66,645 legally registered cabdrivers. A campaign of stricter punishments for refusing passengers was announced in September, along with the launch of new complaint-lodging systems.
Motorcycle taxis were quasi-legal and unregulated before 2003. Since 2003, registration has been required for motorcycle taxis, operators, and their 5,000 taxi ranks. The 100,000 to 200,000 motorbike taxi drivers now wear distinctive numbered vests designating their district of registration and where they are allowed to accept passengers. The president of the Motorcycle Taxi Association claims that women make up roughly 30 percent of Bangkok's registered motorbike taxi drivers.
Ride hailing services like Grab and Bolt provide automobiles and motorbike taxis on-demand, and startups like MuvMi offer electric tuk-tuk commuter services.