{{Short description|Information about transit in Bangkok, Thailand.}} {{Lead rewrite|date=August 2019}} [[File:Makkasan Interchange at night by Mark Fischer.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Night photograph looking down at a large elevated road interchange; many billboards along the roads|Streetlamps and headlights illuminate the Makkasan Interchange of the [[Thai expressway system|expressway]]. The system sees a traffic of over 1.5 million vehicles per day.<ref>{{cite web|title=สรุปรายได้และปริมาณรถ: สิงหาคม 2555 (Revenue and traffic, August 2012)|work=EXAT website|date=4 September 2012|publisher=Expressway Authority of Thailand|url=http://www.exat.co.th/statistics/10/12/|access-date=11 September 2012|language=th|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923083010/http://www.exat.co.th/statistics/10/12/|archive-date=23 September 2012}}</ref>]]
[[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.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 August 2018 |title=PM misreported over 3-month solution to Bangkok traffic woes, says spokesman |work=The Nation |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/detail/politics/30352441 |access-date=19 August 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819182316/https://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30352441 |archive-date=2018-08-19}}</ref> And those numbers are increasing by 700 additional cars and 400 motorbikes every day.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Achakulwisut |first1=Atiya |title=Ending traffic woes just tip of iceberg |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1525546/ending-traffic-woes-just-tip-of-the-iceberg |access-date=21 August 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |date=21 August 2018 |department=Opinion}}</ref> [[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 [[Thai expressway system|expressway network]] and [[Don Mueang Tollway|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".<ref name="Sopranzetti-2013" />{{RP|33}} Although rail transport was introduced in 1893 and [[Trams in Bangkok|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 [[Water transport in Bangkok|boat services]] which still operate on the Chao Phraya river and Saen Saep canal. Taxis appear in the form of cars, motorcycles, and ''[[tuk-tuk]]s''.
Bangkok is connected to the rest of the country through the [[Thai highway network|national highway]] and [[Rail transport in Thailand|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]] (BMA) 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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dawson |first1=Alan |title=Promises, Promises |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1524258/promises-promises |access-date=19 August 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |date=19 August 2018 |department=Opinion}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 August 2018 |title=Prayut wants Bangkok traffic woes eased in three months |work=The Nation |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/detail/politics/30352241 |access-date=16 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rithdee |first1=Kong |date=18 August 2018 |title=PM's plan to end gridlock is pie in sky |work=Bangkok Post |department=Opinion |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1523918/pms-plan-to-end-gridlock-is-pie-in-sky |access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref> In 2022, incoming [[Governor of Bangkok]] [[Chadchart Sittipunt]] aimed to ease congestion "within one year".<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |title=Chadchart vows traffic fix in a year |language=en |work=Bangkok Post |date= 9 June 2022|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2322678/chadchart-vows-traffic-fix-in-a-year |access-date=2023-02-05|last1= Wancharoen|first1= Supoj}}</ref>
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 [[Bangkok Metropolitan Region|Greater Bangkok]].<ref name="Bangkok Post">{{Cite news |last= |first= |title=B40-50 congestion charge on inner-Bangkok streets |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2885441/b40-50-congestion-charge-to-subsidise-b20-rail-fares |access-date=2024-10-20 |work=Bangkok Post |date= 17 October 2024|language=en}}</ref> Governor Sittipunt announced his support for the plans.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |title=Congestion charge for Bangkok gets governor Chadchart's nod |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2886783/congestion-charge-for-bangkok-gets-governor-chadcharts-nod#:~:text=Bangkok%20governor%20Chadchart%20Sittipunt%20backs,for%20every%20electric%20train%20line. |access-date=2024-10-20 |work=Bangkok Post |date= 20 October 2024|language=en}}</ref>
==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 (''soi'') 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 (route 1), Sukhumvit (route 3), and [[Phetkasem Road|Phetkasem]] (route 4). The outer ring road, Kanchanaphisek ([[Thai motorway network|motorway]] route 9), runs through Bangkok's suburbs, linking with Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan, while the Bangkok–[[Chonburi (city)|Chonburi]] Motorway (route 7) runs to the [[Eastern seaboard of Thailand|eastern seaboard]] province, passing Suvarnabhumi Airport on the way.
[[File:Bangkok traffic by g-hat.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A traffic jam|Traffic jams are common in Bangkok.]]
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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Developing Integrated Emission Strategies for Existing Land-transport|url=http://cleanairinitiative.org/portal/system/files/articles-72628_Ch3.pdf|publisher=Clean Air Initiative|access-date=15 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603110642/http://cleanairinitiative.org/portal/system/files/articles-72628_Ch3.pdf|archive-date=3 June 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=In Bangkok gridlock, Thai traffic police double as midwives|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jMfzhH0cMlYhkVxkytUzlBScCrDQ|agency=AFP|date=17 April 2008|access-date=22 September 2012}}</ref> While Bangkok's limited road surface area (eight percent, compared to 20–30 percent in most Western cities) 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.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Tanaboriboon|first=Yordphol|title=Bangkok traffic|journal=IATSS Research|year=1993|volume=7|issue=1|url=http://iatss.or.jp/english/research/17-1/pdf/17-1-02.pdf|access-date=15 September 2012}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=City traffic jams burn up B97m of fuel a day|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1075777/city-traffic-jams-burn-up-b97m-of-fuel-a-day|access-date=1 September 2016|work=Bangkok Post|date=1 September 2016}}</ref> Efforts to alleviate the problem have included the construction of intersection bypasses and an extensive system of elevated highways (including the expressway system and [[Don Mueang Tollway]]), 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fuller|first=Thomas|title=Bangkok's template for an air-quality turnaround|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/23/world/asia/23iht-bangkok.html|access-date=15 September 2012|newspaper=New York Times|date=23 February 2007}}</ref>
Although the BMA has created thirty signed bicycle routes along several roads totalling {{convert|230|km}},<ref>Traffic and Transportation Department, p. 154.</ref> 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]] [[wikt:bigwig|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."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nanuam |first1=Wassana |title=PM: VIPs must hurry through intersections|access-date=15 August 2018|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1521662/pm-vips-must-hurry-through-intersections |work=Bangkok Post |date=15 August 2018 |page=1}}</ref>
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.<ref name="Bangkok Post"/>
=={{anchor|Bus services}}Buses== [[File:Bonluck JXK6120L-NGV-01 20 5-70010.jpg|thumb|[[Bangkok Mass Transit Authority|BMTA]] Light Blue Air-conditioned Bus in Bangkok]] Bangkok has an extensive bus network providing local transit services within the Greater Bangkok area. The [[Bangkok Mass Transit Authority]] (BMTA) 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, ''[[songthaew]]s'' 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.<ref>Traffic and Transportation Department, pp. 110–112.</ref>
A separate [[bus rapid transit]] system owned by the BMA has been in operation since 2010. Known simply as the [[Bangkok BRT|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 [[Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal|Chatuchak (Mo Chit 2) Bus Terminal]], while eastbound and southbound buses leave from [[Ekkamai Bus Terminal|Ekkamai]] and [[New Southern Bus Terminal|South Bangkok terminal]]s, 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.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Thai PBS]]|language=thai|accessdate=2024-08-04|date=2024-07-25|title=เช็ก 107 เส้นทางใหม่ ตามแผนปฏิรูปรถเมล์ เริ่มบริการ 25 ก.ค.67|url=https://www.thaipbs.or.th/news/content/342371?utm_source=LINE&utm_medium=NEWS&utm_campaign=pushmsg&utm_content=content342371&fbclid=IwY2xjawEPn5RleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUTISSOXEaG956bH7EZffdg7CPKpRny7hfDTqib2dAUfjitcPgNXuzIuxw_aem_eITRnL_JieDOT_eLhifUIw}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|language=thai|title=ด่ายับกรมการขนส่งฯ-ขสมก.เละ ปฏิรูปรถเมล์วันแรก ประชาชนเดือดร้อนทุกหย่อมหญ้า|work=[[ASTV Manager]]|date=2024-07-25|accessdate=2024-08-04|url=https://mgronline.com/onlinesection/detail/9670000063225}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=[[BBTV Channel 7|Ch7HD]]|date=2024-01-20|accessdate=2024-08-04|title=ทำว้าวุ่น ปฏิรูปรถประจำทาง กทม.|url=https://www.ch7.com/sports/700354|language=thai}}</ref>
==Taxis== [[File:(THA-Bangkok) Taxi and tuk-tuks on Ratchadamri Road 2024-02-10 (1).jpg|thumb|right|A group of taxis and tuk-tuks along [[Ratchadamri Road]].]]
Taxis are ubiquitous in Bangkok, and are a popular form of transport. {{As of|2012|August}}, there are 106,050 cars, 58,276 motorcycles and 8,996 ''tuk-tuk'' motorized tricycles cumulatively registered for use as taxis.<ref>{{cite web|last=Transport Statistics Sub-division, Planning Division|title=Number of Vehicles Registered in Thailand as of 31 August 2012|url=http://apps.dlt.go.th/statistics_web/st1/bkk_Aug12.xls|work=Department of Land Transport website|publisher=Department of Land Transport|access-date=16 September 2012}}</ref> Meters have been required for car taxis since 1992, while ''tuk-tuk'' fares are usually bargained. [[Motorcycle taxi]]s 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sereemongkonpol|first=Pornchai|title=Bangkok's best taxi drivers|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/feature/people/312301/bangkok-s-best-taxi-drivers|access-date=16 September 2012|newspaper=Bangkok Post|date=14 September 2012}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite press release|title=กรมการขนส่งทางบก ระบุเพียง 11 วันของการเริ่มโครงการ "ยกเครื่อง แท็กซี่ไทย"... |url=http://www.dlt.go.th/th/attachments/plan48-51/3320_%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%88%20%2094%20%20%20%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%96%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%97%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%8B%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%88%201-12[1].pdf|publisher=Public Relations Subdivision, Department of Land Transport|issue=94|date=14 June 2012|access-date=16 September 2012}}</ref> 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 ({{langx|th|วิน}}; {{rtgs|''win''}}). The 100,000<ref>{{cite news |last1=Praiwan |first1=Yuthana |title=Motorcycle taxis in line for fuel discount |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1556570/motorcycle-taxis-in-line-for-fuel-discount |access-date=17 October 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |date=12 October 2018}}</ref><ref name=Nation-20181029>{{cite news |title=In the driving seat |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/detail/opinion/30357372 |access-date=29 October 2018 |work=The Nation |agency=Agence France-Press (AFP) |date=29 October 2018}}</ref> to 200,000 motorbike taxi drivers now wear distinctive numbered vests designating their district of registration and where they are allowed to accept passengers.<ref name="Sopranzetti-2013">{{cite book |last1=Sopranzetti |first1=Claudio |title=The Owners of the Map: Motorcycle Taxi Drivers, Mobility, and Politics in Bangkok |date=2013 |publisher=Harvard University |location=Cambridge |url=http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11169780 |access-date=15 August 2018 |format=Dissertation}}</ref>{{RP|15}} The president of the Motorcycle Taxi Association claims that women make up roughly 30 percent of Bangkok's registered motorbike taxi drivers.<ref name=Nation-20181029/>
Ride hailing services like [[Grab (company)|Grab]] and [[Bolt (company)|Bolt]] provide automobiles and motorbike taxis on-demand,<ref>{{Cite web |title={:en}Grab. The Everyday Everything App {:}{:th}Grab ทำทุกสิ่ง ได้ทุกวัน {:} |url=https://www.grab.com/th/en/ |access-date=2022-06-18 |website=Grab TH |language=en-US}}</ref> and startups like [[MuvMi]] offer electric tuk-tuk commuter services.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-15 |title=MuvMi |url=https://www.thailandmagazine.com/muvmi/?lang=en |access-date=2022-06-18 |website=ThailandMagazine.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Rail systems== {{main|Rail transport in Bangkok}} [[File:BTS Skytrain over Sala Daeng Intersection.jpg|thumb|alt=An elevated train, painted in blue, white and a red stripe and with advertisements with the name "acer", running above a road lined with many tall buildings and crossing an intersection with a flyover bridge with many cars|A BTS train passes over the busy Sala Daeng Intersection. The MRT also crosses below the street at this location.]]
Bangkok is the location of [[Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal]] operated by the [[State Railway of Thailand]] (SRT) which acts as the terminal station for most long-distance trains in Thailand as of 2023. The former terminus of the national rail network was [[Hua Lamphong Railway Station]] which still operates trains on the Eastern Line and special trains. In addition to long-distance services, the SRT also operates a few daily commuter trains running from and to the outskirts of the city during the rush hour.
[[File:Bangkok Mass Rapid Transit Map.png|250px|thumbnail|left|The [[Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region|M-Map]] details plans for additional rapid transit lines in Bangkok and Metropolitan Region.]][[Trams in Bangkok]] operated from 1888 and closed in 1968, following increases in road traffic.
Bangkok is currently served by four rapid rail transit systems: the [[BTS Skytrain]], the [[MRT (Bangkok)|MRT]], the [[Airport Rail Link (Bangkok)|Airport Rail Link]] and the [[SRT Red Lines]]. Although proposals for the development of rapid transit in Bangkok had been made since 1975,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Bangkok transport system development: what went wrong?|first=Wiroj|last=Rujopakarn|journal=Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies|volume=5|date=October 2003|pages=3302–15}}</ref> it was only in 1999 that the BTS finally began operation.
Currently, the BTS consists of two lines, [[Sukhumvit Line|Sukhumvit]] and [[Silom Line|Silom]], with 64 stations along {{convert|70.05|km}} as well as the short [[Gold Line (Bangkok)|Gold Line]] people mover. The MRT opened for use in July 2004 and currently consists of four lines, the [[MRT Blue Line|Blue Line]], [[MRT Purple Line|Purple Line]], [[MRT Yellow Line|Yellow Line]] and [[MRT Pink Line|Pink Line]], with a total of 107 stations along {{convert|133.8|km||abbr=}}. The Airport Rail Link, opened in August 2010, connects the city centre to Suvarnabhumi Airport to the east. Its eight stations span a distance of {{convert|28|km}}. The [[SRT Red Lines]] opened in 2021 and add 41 km of track with commuter services connected to the new rail hub at [[Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal]].
Although initial passenger numbers were low, these systems have become indispensable to many commuters. The BTS reported an average weekday ridership of 720,155 trips in 2015-2016<ref name="BTS-2015/16">{{cite book|title=Annual Report 2015/16; Limitless Possibilities|date=2016|publisher=BTS Group Holdings PCL|location=Bangkok|url=http://bts.listedcompany.com/misc/ar/20160621-bts-ar201516-en-02.pdf|access-date=10 November 2016}}</ref>{{RP|42}} The MRT had 260,325 passenger trips per day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://investor.bemplc.co.th/misc/ar/ar2015/bem-ar2015-enc01-en.pdf|title=Financial Summary of The Consolidated Financial Statements of Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited and its Subsidiaries 2015|date=2015|access-date=2016-11-10}}</ref> Relatively high fares have kept these systems inaccessible to a portion of the population.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1686992/tickets-to-ride-too-expensive|title=Tickets to ride too expensive|department=Editorial|newspaper=Bangkok Post|date=31 May 2019 |access-date=2019-09-22}}</ref> A 20-baht fare cap on selected journeys was trialled in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-30 |title=Maximum 20 baht fare for Red, Purple line connection gets underway |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40033361 |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=nationthailand |language=en}}</ref>
The BTS and MRT have had several route extensions since their openings. {{As of|2023}}, the [[MRT Orange Line|Orange Line]] was under construction as well as extensions to the [[MRT Purple Line|Purple Line]] and [[Pink Line (Bangkok)|Pink Line]]. The entire [[Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region]] consists of eight main lines and four feeder lines totalling {{convert|508|km}} to be completed by 2029, a mixture of rapid transit, heavy rail and [[monorail]] systems.
==Water transport== [[File:Watertaxi on the Khlong Saen Saeb.JPG|thumb|right|alt=A boat, about ten metres long, travelling along a canal, the dark water breaking up in foam as it passes|The Khlong Saen Saep water bus serves over 50,000 passengers daily.]]
Bangkok in former times was sometimes referred to as "Venice of the East".<ref name="BP-20181115">{{cite news |last1=Wattanasukchai |first1=Sirinya |title=Pipe dreams of Venice in a sodden city |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1576082/pipe-dreams-of-venice-in-a-sodden-city |access-date=15 November 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |date=15 November 2018 |department=Opinion}}</ref> Canals were the main transport option for goods and people. Although many were filled in to construct roads and infrastructure, in 2018 there still remain 1,161 canals with a total length of 2,272 km.<ref name="BP-20181111">{{cite news |last1=Jotikasthira |first1=Om |last2=Bangprapa |first2=Mongkol |title=City to revive 'Venice of the East' through new boat lines |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/1573950/city-to-revive-venice-of-the-east-through-new-boat-lines#cxrecs_s |access-date=11 November 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |date=11 November 2018}}</ref>
Although much diminished from their past prominence, water-based transport still plays an important role in Bangkok and the immediate upstream and downstream provinces. {{As of|2025}}, two routes offer regularly scheduled for canal and river transportation: [[Khlong Saen Saep]] and the [[Chao Phraya River]].<ref name="BP-20181111"/> Several [[water bus]]es serve commuters daily. The [[Chao Phraya Express Boat]] carries passengers along the river, regularly serving thirty-four stops from Rat Burana to Nonthaburi and carrying an average of 35,586 passengers per day in 2010. The smaller [[Khlong Saen Saep boat service]] serves twenty-seven stops from Wat Si Bun Rueang to Phan Fa Lilat on [[Saen Saep Canal]], and another service serves thirteen stops on Khlong Phra Khanong. They served a daily average of 57,557 and 721 passengers, respectively. [[Long-tail boat]]s operate on fifteen regular routes on the Chao Phraya, with an average of 2,889 passengers per day. Passenger ferries at thirty-two river crossings served an average of 136,927 daily passengers in 2010.<ref>Traffic and Transportation Department, pp. 113–122.</ref> The [[Khlong Phasi Charoen boat service]] operated until 2022. Seven new routes are planned as part of a "W-Map"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-10 |title=Seven new boat routes planned for Bangkok to ease traffic woes |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40040454 |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=nationthailand |language=en-US}}</ref>
Bangkok Port, popularly known by its location as [[Khlong Toei Port]], was Thailand's main international port from its opening in 1947 until it was superseded by the deep-sea [[Laem Chabang Port]] in 1991. It is primarily a cargo port, though its inland location limits access to ships of 12,000 deadweight tonnes or less. The port handled {{convert|11936855|tonne}} of cargo in the first eight months of the 2010 fiscal year, about 22 percent the total of the country's international ports.<ref>{{cite web|title=ท่าเรือกรุงเทพ|first=Sumalee|last=Sukdanont|date=July 2011|publisher=Transportation Institute, Chulalongkorn University|access-date=19 September 2012| url=http://www.tri.chula.ac.th/triresearch/bangkokport/bangkokport.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=สรุปผลการดำเนินงานของกทท. 8 เดือน ปีงบประมาณ 2553 (ต.ค.52-พ.ค.53)|work=PAT website|publisher=Port Authority of Thailand|url=http://www.port.co.th/pat/topic7/stat_012.pdf|access-date=19 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120152600/http://www.port.co.th/pat/topic7/stat_012.pdf|archive-date=20 November 2012}}</ref>
==Utility cycling==
[[File:Wat_Pho_-_Bangkok%27lib.JPG|thumb|Pun Pun Bike Station]]
The Thai state has failed at promoting [[utility cycling]] as a mode of transport.<ref name="BP-20180603">{{cite news |title=Time for BMA to get on its bike |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1477773/time-for-bma-to-get-on-its-bike |access-date=3 June 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |date=3 June 2018 |department=Editorial}}</ref> Officials regard bicycles as toys, and cycling as a leisure activity, not as a means of transport that could help solve traffic and environmental problems. Their attitude was on display at Bangkok's celebration of [[World Car-Free Day]] 2018, celebrated on 22 September. Bangkok's Deputy Governor, Sakoltee Phattiyakul, who presided over the event, arrived in his official automobile, as did his entourage. He then mounted a bicycle for a ceremonial ride.<ref name="BP-20180924">{{cite news |last1=Atthakor |first1=Ploenpote |title=Bangkok's car-free day is mere lip service |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1545438/bangkoks-car-free-day-is-mere-lip-service |access-date=27 September 2018 |work=Bangkok Post|date=24 September 2018 |department=Opinion}}</ref> Prior to the event, which encouraged the non-use of cars, the [[Bangkok Metropolitan Administration|BMA]] announced there would be extensive free automobile parking spaces available for participants who were to ride bicycles in the parade.<ref name="BP-20180927">{{cite news |last1=Wattanasukchai |first1=Sirinya |title=City adopts old ruse to take over arts centre|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1547466/city-adopts-old-ruse-to-take-over-arts-centre |access-date=27 September 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |date=27 September 2018 |department=Opinion}}</ref>
In his first year in office, Prime Minister [[Prayut Chan-o-cha]] launched a cycling initiative, encouraging members of the public to cycle. But state investment in cycling lanes ended up a being a waste as they quickly devolved into parking lanes for motorists.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Owen |first1=Ulysses N |title=Bicycle lane projects in Bangkok have wasted 28 million baht in 9 years |url=https://bicyclethailand.com/bicycle-lane-projects-in-bangkok-have-wasted-28-million-baht-in-9-years/ |website=Bicycle Thailand |access-date=3 June 2018 |date=2017-11-01}}</ref> All Thai rail companies, whether commuter or long distance, make on-board transport of bicycles difficult or impractical.<ref name="BP-20180924"/> Without state intervention, direction, and education, the public lacks the impetus to adopt a mode of transport that remains ignored by urban development projects.<ref name="BP-20180603"/>
==Airports== Bangkok is one of Asia's busiest [[Airline hub|air transport hubs]]. Two commercial airports serve the city, the older [[Don Mueang International Airport]] and the newer [[Suvarnabhumi Airport]]. Suvarnabhumi, which replaced Don Mueang as Bangkok's main airport at its opening in 2006, served 47,910,744 passengers in 2011, making it the world's sixteenth-busiest airport by passenger volume and the fifth-busiest in the Asia Pacific region.<ref>{{cite news|title=The world's top 100 airports: listed, ranked and mapped|first=Simon|last=Rogers|date=4 May 2012|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/may/04/world-top-100-airports |access-date=22 May 2014}}</ref> This amount of traffic was already over its designed capacity of 45 million passengers. By 2019, passenger numbers had risen to 65,425,879.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AOT 2019 Air Traffic Report |url=https://www.airportthai.co.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Report-2019.pdf}}</ref> Multiple under-construction and planned expansions could take the airport's capacity to as high as 120 million.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last= |first= |title=Govt expedites airport expansion projects |language=en |work=Bangkok Post |date= 26 September 2022|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2400168/govt-expedites-airport-expansion-projects |access-date=2023-02-05}}</ref>
Don Mueang reopened for domestic flights in 2007,<ref name="awst_20070101">"In With the Old", ''[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]'', 1 January 2007.</ref> and resumed international services focusing on low-cost carriers in October 2012.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mahitthirook|first=Amornrat |title=Don Mueang airport reopens |url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/314973/don-mueang-airport-reopens|access-date=11 October 2012|newspaper=Bangkok Post|date=1 October 2012}}</ref> A third terminal is planned to increase its capacity from 30 million to 48 million.<ref name=":0" />
==See also== * [[Transport in Thailand]]
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Transport in Bangkok}} * {{cite web|url= https://www.transitbangkok.com/ |title= Bangkok bus, MRT, BTS - All in one Guide |website= transitbangkok.com |access-date= 22 January 2018 }}
{{Bangkok}} {{Public transport in Bangkok}} {{Airports in Thailand}}
[[Category:Transport in Bangkok| ]]