Bangkok Airport Transfer: Every Way Out of BKK and DMK

Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang: check your ticket first

Suvarnabhumi (BKK) sits east of the city, beside the Bang Na-Trat road and the motorway. Most full-service airlines use it, and it is the easy starting point for Pattaya and the eastern coast. Don Mueang (DMK) is north of the city and busy with budget carriers. It has Terminal 1 for international flights and Terminal 2 for domestic ones.

Check the airport code before you book anything. People often say they are landing in Bangkok and then a driver waits at the wrong building, an expensive mistake when the two airports are around 50 km apart. If you are connecting between them, read our Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang guide before you buy the onward ticket.

Private airport transfer fares

These are starting prices per vehicle, not per person, with tolls and fuel included. The price stays the same however many of you ride, as long as you fit the car. A taxi or sedan takes 3 passengers, an SUV 6, a van 10 and the Alphard 5.

Meter taxis at the airport counters

At Suvarnabhumi, the public taxi area is on Level 1 between Gates 4 and 7, open 24 hours. Take a queue ticket from the machine and go to the numbered bay it shows. Keep that slip, because it identifies the car if you leave something behind or need to complain. At Don Mueang, the Terminal 1 counter is on the 1st floor at Gate 8, and the Terminal 2 counter is on the 1st floor next to Gate 15, under the 7-storey car park. Both run 24 hours.

The cost works like this: the meter starts at 35 or 40 baht and runs on distance and traffic time, you add a 50 baht airport service charge paid to the driver, and you pay any expressway tolls yourself. The driver will usually ask whether to take the expressway, so answer based on how much time you have. Baggage fees can also apply. Don Mueang's posted rules allow up to 21 baht for a bag over 26 inches and up to 100 baht for sports gear of 50 inches or more.

For one person with a single bag outside rush hour, the meter often comes out below the fares in the table above. That is simply how the numbers work. If a driver refuses the meter, get out, tell airport staff, or call the Department of Land Transport hotline on 1584. The details for each airport are in our Suvarnabhumi taxi guide and Don Mueang taxi guide.

Airport Rail Link and other trains

The Airport Rail Link leaves from Level B1 of the Suvarnabhumi terminal and runs from about 05:30 to midnight. Fares run about 15 to 45 baht depending on distance. It ends at Phaya Thai, where you can change to the BTS, and it stops at Makkasan, which connects to MRT Phetchaburi. It suits light travellers staying near a station, and anyone worried about evening traffic. With several suitcases and children, the station changes and escalators get tiring faster than you expect.

Check the latest details before you travel. The line is changing operators, with a State Railway of Thailand subsidiary due to take over from 1 February 2027, so hours or fares could move. Don Mueang has no Airport Rail Link. There you use the SRT Red Line instead, following the signs to Don Mueang station.

The free shuttle between the airports

If you really are connecting, a free shuttle runs between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang. At Suvarnabhumi it leaves from Level 2, Gate 3, between 05:00 and midnight, and the airport lists a bus every 30 minutes. You must show a flight ticket or proof of onward travel, plus a passport or ID card. It is not open to the general public.

It saves real money, but seats are limited and the bus sits in the same traffic as everyone else. Use it only when your connection has plenty of slack. If the gap is tight, take a car.

When booking ahead is worth it

To book, give us the airport, your flight number, the number of passengers and your bags. For city trips you can start from a route page such as Sukhumvit or Khao San Road. For getting around once you have checked in, see our Bangkok taxi guide.

• You are a family or group of four or more. One SUV or van beats splitting into two taxis, and everyone arrives together.
• You land late or after a long flight and do not want to queue or negotiate. The driver meets you in the arrivals hall.
• You are heading straight out of town, for example to Pattaya or Hua Hin, without going into the city first.
• You have an early morning departure and want a pickup time fixed in advance, rather than trying to find a car outside your hotel.
• You want to know the full cost before you leave, with no thought about tolls or traffic.

The short version

• Solo, light bag, staying near a train line: Airport Rail Link.
• Two people, no rush, happy to queue: meter taxi from the counter.
• Family, lots of luggage or a late arrival: private transfer booked ahead.
• Connecting with a ticket and plenty of time: the free shuttle.