During the New Year holiday, I traveled back to Ubon Ratchathani to visit my grandmother and flew back to Bangkok on December 31. This time, I didn’t drive my car to the airport, so I had to take a taxi home. Normally, the taxi queue isn’t too long, but this time was completely unexpected—the line was the longest I’ve ever seen! (Although, to be fair, I don’t often take taxis because I usually drive myself. 😅)
Since it was the New Year holiday, the crowd was understandable. However, seeing such a long queue made me think of other transportation options—how could I get home as quickly as possible?
There are 3 options
If you’re visiting Thailand for the first time or planning a trip, here are your options for traveling from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok’s city center:
- Public Taxi – Managed by the airport and available on the 1st floor.
- Airport Rail Link – Located on the basement floor (Level B) of the terminal.
- Grab Taxi – Accessible on the 1st floor.
Public Taxi
I usually rely on public taxis because they’re convenient. You just queue up, use the self-service kiosk to get a ticket, and then match the car registration on your ticket to your assigned taxi. It’s simple, safe, and straightforward. The taxi fare is charged based on the distance traveled, and there’s an additional 50-baht fee for the driver, as regulated by the Ministry of Transport.
However, on December 31, the situation was completely different. The crowd was overwhelming, and the taxi queue was so long that I estimated at least a two-hour wait. So, I decided to go with option two: the Airport Rail Link.
Airport Rail Link
But—surprise, surprise! When I got there, the line was also incredibly long. As I looked around, I noticed something interesting: there were two queues. The one on the left was significantly longer, while the one on the right seemed much shorter. Naturally, I joined the shorter queue and thought to myself, Why is everyone standing in the long line when there’s a shorter one right here?
After about 10 minutes of waiting, I realized why. My queue barely moved—only 2 or 3 people had been served in that time. There were still at least 30 people ahead of me. Meanwhile, the long queue on the left, despite being massive with over 100 people, was moving much faster.
The difference? The left queue had 4–5 ticket machines and also offered counter service, while the shorter line on the right had just a single self-service machine. And, let’s be honest, even for locals, these machines take a bit of time to navigate. For first-time tourists unfamiliar with the system, it’s even more time-consuming.
I eventually gave up on the Airport Rail Link. Even if I managed to get on the train, it wouldn’t take me close to home, and I’d still have to grab a taxi afterward. In the end, it felt like it would take even longer.
Grab Taxi
So, I walked back to the public taxi area on the 1st floor, resigned to the fact that I’d have to join the long queue. But then, I noticed the Grab Taxi pick-up point nearby. I decided to give it a try, opened the app, and booked a ride.
I waited anxiously for 5 minutes, and when a driver finally confirmed, it was like winning the lottery! The car arrived at the pick-up point within just 15 minutes. I was absolutely thrilled—no need to endure a public taxi queue that would’ve taken hours (and maybe even longer).
At the Grab Taxi pick-up point, there are staff members managing the queue and helping to organize everything. They call out the taxi queue in English, using the car registration number of the arriving vehicles. However, you can also keep track of your ride yourself by checking the app to see when your taxi has arrived.
I noticed not many tourists and locals were booking Grab rides, the majority didn’t seem aware of this option and were stuck in the long public taxi queue.
So here’s my tip
On days when the public taxi queue is insanely long, Grab Taxi can be a much better alternative. Just keep in mind that the fare is about 50% higher than a regular public taxi. But honestly, skipping a 2-hour wait is worth every baht!
