BKK Airport at midnight
 

We will arrive at BKK at 11:45 PM so it will be well after midnight after we get out past customs then we need to get a sim card in our cell phones and get a ride to The Nasa Vegas Hotel at 44 Sukhumvit 71-Ramkhamhaeng RoadSuanluang ( Airport Link - Ramkhamhaeng Station ), Ratchadaphisek, Bangkok, Thailand 10250.
I just copied all that from my hotel booking and I know it may not be the best hotel but will do for the first 2 nights because of other arrangements. So what I am wondering if after midnight what is the easiest way for a 71 year old couple who have never been to SE Asia to get to this hotel. I am guessing it is not the train so if it is taxi how will we do that. I will have Thai currency on me but would like to get my phone up and running before leaving the airport.
Any info would be appreciated.
Warrsher

The airport link train stops running at midnight, so the best way is to take a taxi. Once you leave immigration, there will be booths out in the main lobby for the prepaid taxi. It's a little more expensive than a regular taxi, but you pay in advance, so no surprises, and the driver will take you straight to your hotel. Just make sure you have the name, address and phone number for the hotel, and preferably in Thai as well as in English...just in case! As your hotel is across from one of the airport link stations, you can save money if you go back to the airport during the train operating hours (I think 6am to midnight)

I am a t-mobile customer, so don't buy SIM cards, but there are lots of little telephone SIM card sales booths after you exit immigration, and they are usually open when I arrive on the midnight flights. There are lots of ATMs and currency exchange booths, if you need one.

This might help: (You might want to contact one of them in advance to make sure they are open 24 hours)
How can I get a Thai SIM card and phone number? - MobileTopup.com Help

For me, the Airport Rail Link would be best but not available at your arrival time.

For meter taxis you will need Thai baht. You can change some money at the airport. Maybe just enough for a day or two. Get small bills when you change money. A taxi driver may claim to not have change for a 500 or 1000 baht note hoping you will be stupid enough to say "keep the change!"

A meter taxi ride to hotels in the city area usually run around 350 - 450 in total. This is meter fare, 50 baht surcharge and any toll charges. Tolls (if any) you pay during the ride and the fees are clearly posted. For a meter taxi meter is cheaper than a flat rate. I have never had a taxi ride to something this close to the airport. For me it has been train, bus or meter taxi all the way to the city area. The fare you pay for a meter taxi is the same for one person or full load of people. So, no extra charge for extra passengers or luggage. With luggage the trunk (boot) is a little cramped because of a natural gas cylinder.

Google search will give you hints for using a meter taxi. Sample below. (TripAdvisor has hundreds of posts for this too.)
https://www.travelfish.org/transport...kok/bangkok/56
10 Things you should know when taking a Taxi in Bangkok - Taxis in Bangkok

Account for all items before paying the driver. Don't forget anything in the trunk. Check to see if you have your wallet and passport before paying the driver. Verify you have your cell phone and any keys or other junk you keep in your pocket. (I like to keep small bills and coins in a pocket quickly available to pay for drivers and cheap things. Instead of pulling a wallet out advertising a fat wallet and where it is. At the airport if you forget to ask for small bills when you change money buy something at a Seven Eleven type store so you have small bills.)

I don't think there is any toll between airport and your hotel but I have never used a taxi for a short ride. (Even if you pay too much the fare will still probably be no worse than a similar distance back home.) DO NOT approach any taxi driver and ask "how much" for the ride because this shows you have done no research on how to use taxis. Then he or she asks for a higher price than just paying the meter.

If the driver becomes confused he can call the hotel. (Number copied from Nasa Vegas website.)

44 Sukhumvit 71 Ramkhamhaeng Rd. Suanluang, Khet Suan Luang, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, 10250, Thailand

Telephone Number

+66 2 719 9888

Email

[email protected]

It is easy enough to buy a SIM at the airport. Just go to any of the telecom providers at the airport which will be open. Get them tho insert and activate the SIM to make sure it is working.

Even if the rail link was working, I would not use it. It is just extra hassle that you don’t need at that time of night especially after a long flight. As lcuy suggests just go to the official taxi desks in the main concourse and get a taxi from there.

Icuy, Sir Halberd & Crellston
Thank you all very much for the info. Our whole trip will be easier thanks to all the advise we receive here on Fodors.
We are looking forward to 2 months in SE Asia.
Thanks again
Warrsher

I just take AOT transportation service. They have a desk right inside of the arrival terminal. I just go over to the counter and tell them that I want the least expensive car. I pay, they give me a receipt, I exit baggage claim and there’s a second AOT counter right there. I give my receipt to the person at that counter and the driver comes and takes my luggage to the car and off I go. And I realize that it costs more than taking a taxi, as I’ve also taken a taxi from the airport into the city and back. But, when I land into Bangkok I am tired and want fast and comfortable. I pay 2,400 baht (round trip). But, one-way is also available. I go into Bangkok central. Since your hotel seems to be closer to the airport, I don't know what the AOT fare would be. I’ve used AOT for many years and will be using them again soon. Just another option.

Happy Travels!

I returned yesterday from Bangkok. by far the easiest and safest way to your hotel is by public taxi. the airport is very busy at midnight, so you won't be alone.

follow the overhead "taxi" signs, go to the ground floor and take a taxi. get thai cash from ATM's. cost to hotel, less than 500B ($15).

have a blast---75 y.o. man

" We are looking forward to 2 months in SE Asia. "

If you are planning on entering Thailand using the FREE 30 day Visa Exemption stamp you get at the airport this requires a verifiable flight out of the country within 30 days. In other words you need proof of a plane ride out of Thailand when you check in at your home airport. This is Proof Of Onward Travel. (POOT.) Any real problem could be at your first departure airport. Some airlines enforce this and some do not.
https://thailand971.wordpress.com/


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* I like using the Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi. (When I can!) Less than 100 baht for the rides for hotels I can walk to after switching to the Skytrain at Phayathai. But it does not run after midnight. I remember years ago when they were still building the Skytrain they were advertising 24 hour service. But never happened. I have arrivals from the US around midnight and always use the meter taxi to city hotels.

Good luck.

Thanks again for all the good info and yes I will have a copy of our flight out of Thailand in less than 30 days.
Warrsher

Merry Christmas. Have a good trip.

Thanks again and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You and everyone on Fodor's Forums.
We appreciate all the help and we will keep in touch.
Warrsher

IME, taxi drivers waiting at BKK have somewhat more knowledge of the city than those crusing around downtown.
But I would not count on it.
Addresses are mostly useless with Bangkok taxis, especially when you plan to travel longer distances.
Driving taxis is often the first job for newcomers from the poorer parts of Thailand, and most drivers don't know much more than the borough they usually drive in. They *may* know how to take you long distance from your hotel to, for example, Wat Po - some or many will be reluctant to accept such a long ride. When exploring the city, be prepared that cabbies will decline your trip, simply because they are not familiar with your destination, or would spend an hour in traffic to get there (with just a few cents more on the meter), etc.

In your case, I'd go to Google maps and print the section that shows your hotel, the nearby Ramkhamhaeng station, and the intersection of Sirat and Chalong Rat expressways (N/NE of your hotel). And mark the spot of your hotel.

Rip-off and meters.. well, yes, Bangkok taxi drivers should use the meter but are not stupid. They know pretty well that the official fare is just loose pocket money compared to any ride in New York, London or Tokyo. When you make a quick conversion from Thai Baht to US-$, the "rip-off fixed price" is usually in the vicinity of 50 cents to 1 dollar. The minimum wage in Thailand is somewhat around 8 dollars. Per day, not per hour.
So instead of hailing cab after cab to find one driver willing to switch on the meter, I admit that I simply did not care if I had to pay $2.80 instead of $2.20
Tuk-tuks on the other hand are totally different story.. and in most cases in more than one sense a rip-off

All very good advice.
Thanks Cowboy
Warrsher

warrsher.....We stayed at the inappropriately name Nasa Vegas about 4 years ago. Not a great experience.....

- Popular with youngsters

- Took ages to check-in

- Had to pay a refundable cash 1,500 baht breakages deposit.

- Took ages to check-out to get our deposit back.

- The ARL station next door[ish] had no working escalator or lift.....100+ steps.

- ARL trains stop at midnight[ish], but there's a mainline outside the hotel which has trains shunting all night long on very noisy tracks.

- The ARL station gets choked with rush hour passengers. We caught the 6th train after we arrived sat the station.

- There's nowhere decent to eat in the vicinity.

But it's very handy for the Airport.

I had also been a bit sceptical about that location. Mostly due to the distance to restaurants or eateries.
But much better to get first-hand experience from LancasterLad.

Nevertheless, I would probably not use the Airport Line to go downtown. But catch the khlong boat from Ram Naeng (directly at the Airport Line station) and go down the Saen Seap canal (khlong) to Pratu Nam, where the two sections of the line (West/East) meet and terminate.
It's a bit unusual mode of public transport, but unless you have mobility issues, you get used of the procedure to climb in and out very quickly.
You can see it here: The video actually starts at Ram Naeng, so you can see the whole trip in real time.

Cowboy....That looks like a great option.

I didn't know about that, and reckon it needs a certain degree of mobility. Plus you'd need to be aware of exactly where and when to alight, and then how to reach your accommodation.

Fun way to do it though....10/10.

It's actually pretty easy and part of the official mass transit system.
The stops are signposted and numbered like the BTS, e.g. E-11 or W-2 (for the 11th stop on the Eastern branch, or the second stop on the Western branch, respectively).
You just need to check the number of your stop, and count down (or up) as you speed along the canals.
The Western branch of the Saen Seap line terminates right next door to the Golden Mount.
Also Jim Thompson House has a stop on that line.
It's definetely fun! (for a maximum fare of 20b)

A fun option maybe, but a practical transport option for a first time visitor - maybe not!

It's a very practical transport option if OP decides to stay in that hotel at that specific location.
Aside from the crowded Airport Line, the other option would be to take a taxi to Sukhumvit and catch BTS from there.
I'd expect pretty heavy road traffic on Sukhumvit 71, so the overall travel time with taxi and BTS can easily be twice as long as by canal "bus".
The only real issue with the khlong boats is that you should have any mobility issues, i.e. feel comfortable to climb down into the boat, and up again on the pier.