There are a few different options for travelling around the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok in Thailand. Sukhumvit is an area that attracts foreigners in large numbers. One option is BTS Skytrain which runs in the air above Sukhumvit Road, the main road in the area. The closest BTS Station to the beginning of Sukhumvit Road is Pleon Chit. After this Station, the next Station on the BTS line is Nana. If you walk out on the left side exit you will be close to Soi 7/1, a popular entertainment Soi.
The next station after Nana is the interchange Station, Asoke. Underneath the Asoke Stationit is the MRT subway system which predated Skytrain. If you want to go further down Soi Asoke, this is the place to change to the underground subway system. The subway station is called Sukhumvit.
Phrom Phong is the next BTS Skytrain Station along Sukhumvit Road. If you exit on the right hand side you will walk into Thailand's most exclusive shopping centre and department store, The Emporium. Exiting on the left of Phrom Phone Station will take you to other Sukhumvit Sois such as the popular Soi 33, which is well known for its night life. For the average foreigner visiting Bangkok, Phrom Phong is usually as far as they wish to go on Sukhumvit Road or on the BTS Skytrain system.
Another way of travelling around Sukhumvit is by car taxi. However, there are times when the roads are so jammed up that taxis can not move very much. In the mornings, particularly between 7 am and 9 am, it is very difficult to get anywhere in Sukhumvit in a taxi because people are commuting to work. You might as well go back to that cafe or sleep in!
In the afternoons and evenings, between 4 pm and 9 pm, the Sukhumvit area is jammed up with traffic as well. Better to walk to Skytrain than try and get anywhere in a taxi at this time. Otherwise, when in a taxi, the flag fall amount is 35 baht. If you are stuck in traffic the metre will run quite slowly. You will find taxi drivers are reluctant to pick you up. This is because they can not make much money from the metre in a traffic jam. They will usually quote you a high fixed price to take you where you want to go.
There are also Tuk-tuk's in Sukhumvit. These are noisy two-stroke engine open-air taxis that ply their trade on Sukhumvit Road. They can be more expensive than a normal taxi. They have no metre, and as a tourist unfamiliar with Sukhumvit, you will not know what the fair price should be. They also have little protection against rain. If it pours you will be soaked. Tuk-tuks are best experienced a few times. Taxis are cleaner, cooler, and often cheaper.
Another way of getting around is by motorcycle taxi. This is a cheap way to travel. But it can be very dangerous. You will probably not have a helmet. The bikes zig-zag in-and-out of traffic. The chances of having an accident are much higher on a motorcycle in Bangkok. Motorcycles are best for short distances when there is high traffic volume. Sometimes, in traffic jams it is the only way to get from deep in a Soi to BTS Skytrain reasonably quickly.
Short distance rides on a bike are around 20 baht. If there is a sudden shower, you will be very wet and so will any bags that you are carrying. These are the ways of getting around in the Sukhumvit area. Remember though, if you have the time, you can walk to most places in Sukhumvit. It will take less than an hour to walk anywhere. In the rainy season if you are walking take a big umbrella!
Michael Edgerston lives in Thailand and writes on Thailand related subjects. He is building a Thailand Travel website at http://www.ThailandTravel.net and also has a Sukhumvit Blog at http://sukhumvitblog.blogspot.com.
By Michael Edgerston
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