There will be four of us (2 adults, 2 kids) spending 4 nights in BKK at beginning of trip and 2 nights at end of trip. Just wondering if there are different options for buying skytrain tickets that I should know about (such as on the London tube, i.e. oyster card, etc.).

Two of our first four days in BKK will be spent with Tong outside of the city.

Thanks for your help.

There are a variety of options, including cards that are unlimited rides for one day (as much as I ride the skytrain, it doesn't pay for me), cards for individual trips, or (my recommendation) stored value cards. You do need one card per person. Guess how many rides you'll take and buy a card for about that value. I often have a bit left on my card, and I give it to hotel staff members.

Kathie is right. The one and three day passes are very expensive. You'd have to make close to 10 trips to make them worth it, when you're likely to only make 4.

The stored value card is the best option, even though there is a one-time fee of 50 Baht for the card itself.

Will the stored value card last for 2 weeks? We start out in BKK then return about two weeks later.

The stored value cards I buy are good for 30 days.

with four of you it will almost always be cheaper to take a taxi...

Whether or not you make use of the skytrain ticket depends on where you are staying, and what your priorities are in BKK. I was just in the city for 9 days a couple of weeks ago, and I used up a 500baht stored access ticket and had to add more baht to it. I ride the skytrain all the time... hardly ever take a taxi. It just doesn't make sense for the routes I travel each day. The hotel where I stayed was only two minutes from one of the BTS stations, so why not make use of that convenience!!! Taxis can so often get stuck, and I mean STUCK, in traffic!

I leave my used skytrain tickets, with rides left, with my dear Thai friend, who always enjoys using them up! If not her, then they are also good to leave the maid on check-out day. Most Thais do not ride the BTS. It is a special treat for them to be able to do this. A used but not empty BTS ticket makes a nice "tip" for service workers.

Bob is right, that you will need 4 tickets, as you cannot double up on a single one. The machines won't let you get by with that one... I'm sure. It is possible to buy your ticket each time you ride. There are vending machines aplenty. I do not know what the cost is, as I always buy my stored value BTS card and do not opt for single ride tickets. But this might be the way for you and your family to make the best use of your BTS money... and especially since you plan to tour with Tong for a couple of days. You won't be riding the BTS with her, no doubt.

Carol

Oops.. should have said that KATHIE (not Bob) is right about needing four tickets. Sorry, Kathie...

If you go to the following Skytrain site, it will give you lots of information as to ticket options, station to station fares and route map.
http://www.bts.co.th/en/index.asp

Carol, as you know, we use the Skytrain a lot. Sukhumvit can be gridlock any time of the day or night, so I always take the Skytrain when I'm going to someplace on Sukhumvit. Really, about the only time we use taxis is when we are going somewhere the Skytrain doesn't go.

Stored value tickets are good for TWO YEARS from the last use / refill. If you're splitting up your visits to Bangkok, then that really is the way to go.

Only the day passes and the multi-trip tickets have a limited time frame.

Michael, that reminds me that in 2006 we purchased multi-trip tickets (like 20 trips in 30 days) and those must have been the ones with a 30 day time limit. Do they still sell those? We opted for stored value cards in 2007.

Yes, they still have multi-trip tickets. These are aimed primarily at commuters and students who take the train every week-day.

FYI, they currently have a 'bonus' plan for the stored value cards. You get an extra 5% value when you top-up your card. For example, I added 200 Baht yesterday and got another 10 Baht added.

For frequent visitors like Kathie, it's probably worth holding on to the card, rather than buying a new one every time you're here.