How to get from Don Muang Airport (Bangkok) to the city centre

Why visit Bangkok?

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is one of the most visited cities in the world. There’s something about the constant buzz and energy floating through its streets at all hours of the day, giving it the name of the city that never sleeps!

Its main attractions include the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, and Wat Pho. But ancient temples aren’t the only reason people flock to this vibrant city. From jam-packed shopping areas to mouthwatering street food and the wild nightlife of Khao San Road, there are so many things you can do in Bangkok.

Don Muang Airport (DMK)

Don Muang Airport (DMK) is considered to be one of the oldest international airports in the world. It is one of the two international airports in Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok. DMK Airport is a very busy airport and is a hub for Nok Air, NokScoot, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X, and Thai Lion Air.

TIP: If you need to catch a connecting flight from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), there is an airport shuttle bus outside Gate 6 at Don Muang Airport. It’s free of charge if you show the staff your flight ticket and a valid ID. The bus trip between the two airports will take about 1 hour.

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There are 3 ways to travel the 25 kilometers (16 miles) from Don Muang Airport (Bangkok) to the city centre. You can choose between the bus, taxi and train. The journey takes 20 minutes - 1 hour and the quickest way is by train. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by train with tickets starting at 5 THB ($0.20).

Don Muang Airport is accessible from Bangkok by train. You can choose between the SRT Dark Red Line train (new commuter train) and the Northern or Northeastern Line train (old ordinary train).

If you’re staying on Khao San Road, you can take either train to Hua Lamphong Railway Station. From this station, it’s a 15-minute taxi or tuk-tuk ride to the backpacker district.

Both train stations are connected to the airport building, just a 5 to 10-minute walk. The walk involves sets of stairs, which is a hassle if you have luggage. But it definitely beats being stuck in Bangkok traffic, especially during peak hours.

The SRT Red Line is a new commuter train line in Bangkok. Its last stop is Bang Sue Station, the largest railway station in Southeast Asia. This station houses both the SRT line and the MRT line, which runs on a loop around Bangkok centre.

This train line is new and much faster than the ordinary train line. From Don Muang Airport, you can get to Bang Sue Station in just 20 minutes. Tickets start from 12 THB ($0.40).

Here’s the train schedule:

• Every 20 minutes from 05:30 to 24:00
• Every 12 minutes during peak hours (05:00-07:00 and 17:00-19:00)

Departure and arrival station

The airport is accessible from Don Mueang Train Station through the air-conditioned skywalk. It takes about 10 minutes by foot between the train station and Terminal 1.

This new train line operates between Bang Sue Station and Rangsit Station. The SRT line is on the 2nd floor of Bang Sue Station. You need to go to the underground level to take the MRT line that stops at Hua Lamphong station.

If you’re travelling from central Bangkok to Don Muang Airport, you can take the MRT to Bang Sue station first and then the SRT to the airport.

The trains on both the northern and northeastern lines make a stop at Don Muang Airport. Note that these lines use ordinary trains, so you can expect a very slow journey. They are available throughout the day, but some trains have a few hours intervals between them.

Between Bangkok and Don Muang Airport, the train ticket is extremely cheap at 5 THB ($0.20).

The train ride to Bangkok will take about 50 minutes, and you will likely need to take the MRT/BTS, a taxi, or a tuk-tuk to reach your accommodation.

Departure and arrival station

The Don Muang Train Station is connected to the airport building by a pedestrian bridge outside Terminal 1. Just follow the signs going to Amari Hotel or the Northern Line train station.

The northern train line runs between Hua Lamphong in Bangkok and Chiang Mai Railway Station in the north. Meanwhile, the northeastern line can get you to Nong Khai and Udon Ratchathani near the Laos border.

You can check the schedule between Hua Lamphong and Don Muang on 12GoAsia. Online booking is also available on the website.

When travelling from Don Muang Airport (DMK) to Bangkok Centre, you can take an airport bus. The orange buses are the older buses, and the blue buses are the newer shuttles for this route.

There are four airport shuttles with different routes. For travellers staying around Khao San Road, the airport bus A4 will take you directly to the backpacker district.

Bus fares start from 30 THB ($0.90). There are several trips every hour from morning to late at night.

Departure at Don Muang Airport

The airport and shuttle buses are on the first level of Don Muang Airport, outside Gates 6 and 12. If you want to take a city bus, you need to go outside the airport grounds and wait along the main road.

There is no online booking or ticket station for these buses, and you can just pay your fare on board.

Bus stops of airport buses

To make it easy to find which bus stops near your accommodation, we created this map with all bus stops from each bus in different colours: Bus A1 (grey), A2 (red), A3 (green), and A4 (blue).

Prefer to have an overview with all stops in a list? Here you go:

• A1 – Central Lat Phrao Mall, BTS Mochit/MRT Chatuchak, Chatuchak Bus Terminal

• A2 – Kasetsart University, Central Lat Phrao Mall, BTS Mochit/MRT Chatuchak, Saphan Kwai, Ari, Sanam Pao, Victory Monument

• A3 – Din Daeng, Pratunam, Ratchaprasong, Ratchadamri, Lumphini Park

• A4 – Khao San Road, the Democracy Monument, Phanfa Bridge, Lan Luang Yommarat, Tha Prachan, Tha Chang

How to get from Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi Airport

Don Muang Airport also offers free shuttle rides to Suvarnabhumi Airport daily. You just need to show the airport staff your flight ticket and a valid ID. Here’s an overview of the schedule:

• 05:00 – 08:00 (every 30 minutes)
• 08:00 – 11:00 (every 12 minutes)
• 11:00 – 00:00 (every 30 minutes)

Total travel time is about 1 hour. These shuttle buses can be found at the first level of the passenger terminal.

Bangkok city buses

There are also local buses going to the city that stop at Don Mueang Airport. They can be found outside along the main road.

• Route 29: Don Mueang Airport – Mochit BTS
• Route 59: Don Mueang Airport – Bang Khae

Both Routes 29 and 59 have a 24-hour service. Bus fares range between 0 THB ($0) and 0 THB ($0), depending on the distance.

Keep in mind these buses tend to be extremely crowded and rarely offer air conditioning. For more comfort, we suggest taking the buses from inside the airport area.

Travelling between Don Muang Airport and Bangkok city centre by taxi is the easiest way to go. Taxi fares start from 200 THB ($6) to Bangkok city centre (Siam Area).

We recommend that you check private transfers that you can book online in advance. You can find 3-passenger cars with rates from 585 THB ($17.60) on BookAway.

Check Private Transfers on BookAway

You can also book a Grab taxi for 230 THB ($6.90). Travel time takes 30 minutes - 1 hour, depending on the traffic. Another convenient airport taxi service is offered by Klook with rates from 750 THB ($22.50).

Departure at Don Muang Airport

You can easily find taxis outside Gate 5 of Terminal 1 and Gate 12 of Terminal 2.

Note that during peak times, it will take a while to get a taxi due to long queues.

City’s peak hours

If you need to catch a flight, it’s important to bear in mind the city’s peak hours. These hours are between 06:00-09:00 in the morning and between 16:00-20:00 in the evening.

Expect heavy traffic during these hours, and you may be charged more and have a longer travel time. It is not uncommon that you will be stuck in traffic for one hour during these peak hours!

To avoid a large part of the busy traffic, drivers will give you the option of taking the expressway for a small additional payment of 70 THB ($2.10). This charge is not included in the metered price, and you will have to shoulder the toll fee.

If you’re travelling during peak hours, we definitely suggest using the expressway to save 1-2 hours in traffic.

Additional airport surcharge

It is also important to know that there is a 50 THB ($1.50) surcharge when taking a taxi from the airport. This amount will be added to the metre rate at the end of your trip, so don’t be surprised when the driver asks for an amount higher than what the metre indicates.

Some taxi drivers may want to negotiate a flat rate, even though this is officially not allowed at the airports. To avoid being overcharged, make sure that the metre is running as soon as you leave the airport.

PRO TIP: Always make sure the metre is running to avoid paying more. You can find the metre in the front of the car, usually mounted on the dashboard.