What crew need on the ground
Cheap and easy to move around, with a vape ban that catches more crew than anything else on the network.
Metered public taxis from Level 1 between Gates 4 and 7, plus a 50 baht airport surcharge and tolls on top, and a rail link from Level B1 that stops at midnight.
Grab is the app the airport names, with a designated 24-hour pick-up point at Level 1, Gate 4, and no published fare, so the in-app quote is the only number you get.
Information on Severe Flooding ('Warnings and Insurance’ page)
Read the full advice at UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office →One district, and the rail link decides whether it is painless.
Two districts if they share a line, and the evening is the half worth keeping.
The old city, the river, then Chinatown after dark, in that order.
The rail link runs from Level B1 between 05:30 and 24:00. Outside those hours there is no train, and the metered rank on Level 1 carries a 50 baht airport surcharge plus tolls.
Chinatown and the street-food district, a night market every evening. MRT Wat Mangkon.
The old royal island: the palace, the temples and the daytime half of the city.
The Chao Phraya bank along Charoen Krung, with the express boat piers.
The central shopping interchange, and where the two BTS lines cross.
Business district by day and a going-out district after dark.
The long hotel and restaurant corridor east of the centre, on the BTS.
Vapes are illegal to even carry, criticism of the monarchy carries a long prison sentence, and alcohol sales stop between midnight and 11am.
Vaping is the offence most likely to catch crew. It is illegal to possess or use any vape, e-cigarette, pod, e-liquid or heat-not-burn device in Thailand. Offences can lead to confiscation, fines typically between 5,000 and 30,000 baht, detention and court proceedings, and the FCDO states there are no exceptions for tourists or for personal use. Leave the device at home.
Criticising the Thai monarchy, known as lese-majeste, is illegal. The law can be interpreted broadly, covers accusations about members of the Thai royal family past and present, and carries a long prison sentence. Journalists, human rights defenders and members of the public have faced charges for political comments or for sharing articles online, so this applies to what is on your phone as much as what you say.
The sale of alcohol is restricted between midnight and 11am. This does not apply to licensed hotels, international airport terminals or authorised entertainment venues. The FCDO also warns that drinks served in bars are often stronger than those in the UK.
Possessing small quantities of illegal substances can lead to heavy fines or imprisonment, and possessing Class A drugs can lead to the death penalty. The FCDO describes conditions in Thai prisons and other detention facilities as harsh, with limited access to healthcare.
UK FCDOchecked Aug 2026
The concourse of Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link station in Bangkok.Watcharakorn / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0The public taxi information counter and the automatic ticket vending machines are on Level 1 of the passenger terminal, between Gate 4 and Gate 7, inner curb. The rank operates 24 hours.
Getting out of the airport in full
A pink Toyota Corolla taxi on a Bangkok street.BrokenSphere / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Grab is the ride-hailing service the airport operator lists by name. Its designated pick-up and drop-off point is in the arrivals area of the Passenger Terminal, Level 1, Gate 4, outer curb.
Ride-hailing in fullTrue/dtac sells tourist SIMs at airport counters with 24-hour service and at shops nationwide.
Staying connected in full
Heavy rain on a Bangkok road, cars with their lights on in the downpour.Chainwit. / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Bangkok is hot in every month: mean daily maximums sit around 31–35 C all year, with April–May the peak (34–35 C max) and December–January the mildest (nights around 21 C).
Weather in fullWMOchecked Aug 2026
Thailand's tourism authority says tipping is not a usual practice in Thailand, although it is becoming more common.
Tipping in fullTourism Authority of Thailandchecked Sep 2026
Yaowarat Road in Chinatown is the street-food area the Tourism Authority of Thailand itself flags: restaurants inside buildings plus stalls set up along the road, with a fresh-food market alongside.
Eating near the crew hotels in fullYaowarat Road is Bangkok's traditional gold-shop street — TAT notes it is 'full of thriving gold shops' and nicknamed the Golden Road; the gold trade and the night food market share the same strip.
What to buy in fullSave the guide and its 8 sections now, and read them on the crew bus before you have a SIM.
Fares, timetables and rules change. Where a figure matters to your plan, the publisher above is the one to check.