Thailand Travel Guide: Transport, Money & Food Costs

Bangkok: start from your destination and the nearest station

If your hotel and sights are near a BTS or MRT station, the trains help you avoid road traffic. Check the station name, exit, interchange and the final walk, because getting off at the right station can still leave a walk or another short ride. [T1–T2]

Arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Airport Rail Link connects the airport with Phaya Thai in Bangkok. Don't confuse Suvarnabhumi with Don Mueang: the Airport Rail Link does not start from Don Mueang. Check your onward route to the hotel and the last train on your travel day. [T3]

Taxis and ride-hailing apps suit destinations far from a station, travellers with luggage, or groups. In an app, check the price shown, the pickup point and any extra charges before you confirm. In a taxi, check how the fare is charged before you set off. Bangkok is a Grab service area, but which cars are available and what they cost depends on the actual pickup point and time. [T4]

For places along the Chao Phraya River, consider the Chao Phraya Express Boat. Check the line, piers, direction and operating days before boarding, because not every line stops at every pier. [T5]

Tickets and payment methods differ between systems. Don't assume one card works everywhere; check the information from the operator you're about to use.

Chiang Mai: separate in-town trips from day trips out of town

In town there are red songthaews and ride-hailing apps such as Grab. A red truck may take shared passengers or be chartered, so tell the driver where you're going, ask whether the price is per person or for the whole truck, and agree on the drop-off point before getting in. Don't expect every red truck to go everywhere for the same price. [T4, T6]

If you're visiting several places outside the city, a car with driver booked in advance can make timing easier. Grab offers hourly car-with-driver rental in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, but check the area, duration, end point and any extra charges in the app. It isn't guaranteed to cover every mountain or district. [T7]

Before booking a chartered vehicle or car with driver, agree clearly on the route, waiting time, number of passengers, luggage space, fuel, tolls or parking, and what happens if plans change.

If you'd rather not arrange transport yourself for a day out of town, see our day trips. Pickup details are listed on each tour's page.

Travelling between cities

Bangkok–Chiang Mai: there are flights and trains. One State Railway of Thailand example is Krung Thep Aphiwat–Chiang Mai. If you fly, check the actual departure airport on your ticket; if you take the train, check the station, class and travel date in the booking system. [T8–T9]

Bangkok–Chiang Rai: there are flights, for example Thai Airways' Bangkok–Chiang Rai route. The railway to Chiang Rai was still under construction according to the Department of Rail Transport on 18 September 2026, so don't plan on a direct passenger train to Chiang Rai as of the date these sources were checked. [T10–T11]

Chiang Mai–Chiang Rai: GreenBus runs between the two cities. Choose your date in the operator's system and check the departure and arrival bus terminals on your ticket; not every trip uses the same stops. [T12]

Compare the whole journey time, not just time on the bus or plane: getting to the station or airport, check-in, baggage, waiting for connections and getting to your hotel. Flight, train and bus fares depend on the date and ticket type, so they aren't listed on this page.

If you plan to drive yourself, check that your licence and documents are valid in Thailand for that type of vehicle, and check the insurance terms before renting, especially for motorbikes: don't assume a car licence covers them. [T13]

Transport at a glance

• BTS / MRT in Bangkok

  Best for: Sightseeing along the lines

  What to check: Exits, interchanges, last train and the walk at the end

• Airport Rail Link

  Best for: Travelling between Suvarnabhumi and the city

  What to check: Which airport you land at, onward connections and service hours

• Taxi / ride-hailing app

  Best for: Luggage or destinations far from a station

  What to check: How the fare is charged, pickup point, capacity and car availability

• Chao Phraya Express Boat

  Best for: Sights along the river in Bangkok

  What to check: Line, pier, direction and operating days

• Red songthaew in Chiang Mai

  Best for: Trips within the area the driver will take you

  What to check: Shared or chartered, price per person or per truck, and drop-off point

• Car with driver

  Best for: Several stops or trips out of town

  What to check: Route, waiting hours, total cost and the ride back

• Flight

  Best for: Bangkok–Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai

  What to check: Airport, baggage and total journey time

• Train

  Best for: Bangkok–Chiang Mai

  What to check: Station, class and date; there is no direct train to Chiang Rai

• GreenBus

  Best for: Chiang Mai–Chiang Rai

  What to check: Boarding and drop-off points, date and seat type

Thailand uses the baht (currency code THB). Exchange money with banks or licensed money changers; you can check a licence through the Bank of Thailand. [M1]

When you change foreign cash such as USD or EUR into baht, look at the “Buying” rate for the currency you hold, because the money changer is buying those notes from you. Compare the net amount of baht you'll receive for the same amount, including any fees or conditions on note types, not just the advertising. [M2]

Bring your original, valid passport and check the provider's requirements. For example, SuperRich1965 asks for an original, valid ID card or passport. Rates can change during the day, so confirm with the branch before you exchange. [M3]

Before leaving the counter, count your money, check the amount on the receipt and keep the receipt. Keep cash and a backup card in separate places in case something gets lost.

Sourced examples

• The Bank of Thailand's Cross-border Payment page (details as of May 2026) gives the example of Malaysian visitors using the Public Bank app to scan Thai QR codes from participating Thai banks. This doesn't mean every Malaysian app or every QR code in Thailand. [M5]
• The Bank of Thailand announced the Thailand–China QR link on 30 October 2025: users from China can use Alipay, UnionPay and WeChat Pay with merchant QR codes from participating Thai banks. The banks listed at launch were Bangkok Bank, Krungthai Bank, Kasikornbank, ICBC (Thai), Siam Commercial Bank and BAAC. This doesn't guarantee that personal QR codes or every type of QR will work; check in your app and with the shop before paying. [M6]

These examples were collected from the online menus of the shops and branches listed; sources were checked on 6 October 2026. Most are delivery pages, so prices may differ from walk-in prices and don't include delivery or platform fees. Some sources don't show when the shop last changed its prices. Please check the menu or ask the shop before ordering.

Notes

1. “Shops/branches” is the number of shops or branches with a menu item in that cell. It isn't the number of times prices were checked, and it isn't the number of shops in the city.
2. Several items from the same shop in one cell count as one shop, for example boiled and fried chicken rice at ข้าวมันไก่เยาวราช, or clear and nam tok noodle soup at โกเด้งแม่กรณ์.
3. The Chiang Rai café coffee in this set is a 22 oz cup, while the Bangkok and Chiang Mai café examples are 16 oz, so this isn't a like-for-like size comparison. Don't work out a price per ml: ice and liquid volume weren't checked. This table doesn't rank which city is cheapest.
4. KFC โลตัสเชียงใหม่ is an example of takeaway coffee from a counter in a fast-food restaurant, not an independent café.
5. The Chiang Mai item [F6] comes from a Wongnai menu page that doesn't confirm walk-in prices (online menu price; in-store channel not confirmed). [F1–F5, F7–F14] use delivery-page prices.
6. These sample prices don't tell you whether a shop is open or an item is available on your travel day.

Use these prices as a planning guide based on the sources and shops listed. They aren't fixed prices or a statistical average for the city. Real prices depend on location, portion size, ingredients, type of shop and how you order. Please check the menu before ordering.

Local shops, cafés, mall restaurants, hotels and airports may price differently. Extras such as egg, extra meat, an extra coffee shot or a larger cup may cost more. Also check whether the price shown includes tax and service charge.

For one person: 2 one-plate rice meals + 1 bowl of noodles + 1 iced Americano (16 oz) from the drinks shop / takeaway counter category.

• Bangkok235 baht

  (60 × 2) + 60 + 55

• Chiang Mai219 baht

  (60 × 2) + 60 + 39

• Chiang Rai215–245 baht

  Low (60 × 2) + 50 + 45
  High (70 × 2) + 60 + 45

This simply adds up the sample menu items. It isn't an average daily food cost, and it doesn't guarantee you'll find these prices in every area. Each city's example may use different shops and items. It doesn't include drinking water, snacks, delivery or platform fees, accommodation, transport, entrance fees or shopping.

There's no need to travel far to find these exact prices, and this small total doesn't show which city is cheaper.

If you drink café coffee instead, use the café row in the table above in place of the coffee in the same calculation (one coffee a day).

• Save the name and address of your accommodation in Thai
• Arrange mobile data for maps and staying in touch
• Bring small notes and a backup way to pay
• Check that your card works overseas and the terms of any payment app you'll use
• Check how you'll get back, the pickup point and the last departure
• Check the price and what's included before booking a service
• Save your booking details so you can open them offline

• See all tours
• Chiang Rai day trips
• Elephant sanctuaries
• Doi Inthanon & nature
• Temples & culture
• Travel guides

Online sources checked on 6 October 2026

“Checked” is the date the sources were viewed, not the date the provider or shop updated their content.

Published 6 October 2026 · Last updated 6 October 2026