Bangkok MRT Guide

The Five Lines

Bangkok’s MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) runs five lines, but only one matters for most visitors. The Blue Line is the main underground metro: 38 stations across a circuit linking Chatuchak Weekend Market in the north, Chinatown, the Grand Palace area, and the Silom business district. It connects to the BTS Skytrain at five points and to the Airport Rail Link for Suvarnabhumi.

The other four lines extend into the suburbs. The Purple Line runs north from Tao Poon (Blue Line interchange) into Nonthaburi, covering residential areas with little tourist draw. The Yellow Line is a monorail from Lat Phrao to Samrong in eastern Bangkok, useful if you are staying east of the BTS On Nut zone. The Pink Line crosses northern Bangkok from Nonthaburi to Min Buri. The Red Line, operated by SRT rather than the MRT authority, runs from Bang Sue Grand Station north to Don Mueang Airport.

How to Pay

The old stored-value MRT cards stopped working on June 1, 2026. Three options remain.

• Contactless bank card. Any Visa, Mastercard, or UnionPay card with the contactless symbol. Tap in at the entry gate, tap out at exit. The fare is charged automatically. Works on the Blue, Purple, Yellow, and Pink lines. No registration needed.
• Mangmoom card. The new dedicated MRT transit card. Pick one up at any station; the card is free until the end of 2026. Load a minimum of THB 100 and tap in and out like a contactless card. Useful if you prefer a separate transit card or do not have a contactless bank card.
• Single-journey token. A plastic disc bought at ticket machines using cash. The machine calculates the fare to your destination. Keep the token until you exit; you insert it into a slot in the exit gate rather than tapping. Tokens are being phased out from January 2027 but remain valid through the end of 2026.

No day pass exists on the MRT. The Rabbit Card used on the BTS does not work here. See the Bangkok Rabbit Card guide for BTS payment options.

Fares

Blue Line fares run THB 17 to THB 45 per trip, calculated by distance. The fare is deducted automatically when you tap out. Short hops of two or three stations cost around THB 17 to THB 25. End-to-end on the Blue Line costs THB 45.

Operating Hours

The Blue Line runs daily from 06:00 to midnight. First trains from terminus stations depart around 05:30, reaching central stations by 06:00. Last trains from central stations leave around 23:30. The Purple, Yellow, and Pink lines follow similar schedules. For exact departure times, check mrtbangkok.com.

Key Blue Line Stations and What’s Nearby

Northern end: Chatuchak to Phetchaburi

• Mo Chit and Chatuchak Park. Two adjacent stations serving the same area. Chatuchak Weekend Market, one of the largest outdoor markets in the world with around 15,000 stalls across 35 acres, is a short walk from either station, but only open Saturday and Sunday. Or Tor Kor Market, a premium fresh produce market, is directly behind Chatuchak Park station and open daily. Both stations also connect to BTS Mo Chit on the Sukhumvit Line.
• Lat Phrao. Yellow Line monorail interchange. Gateway to eastern Bangkok without a taxi.
• Ratchadaphisek and Huai Khwang. Train Night Bazaar Ratchada (Rot Fai Market 2) is a popular outdoor night market for vintage goods, street food, and local bar culture. Runs Thursday to Sunday from around 5pm. Both stations are around a 10-minute walk away.
• Phetchaburi. Transfer point for the Airport Rail Link. A covered passage connects to Makkasan station, the ARL stop for Suvarnabhumi. See Airport Connections below.

Central: Sukhumvit to Si Lom

• Sukhumvit. BTS Asok interchange via a covered walkway. Terminal 21 mall is at street level, and the surrounding area covers Bangkok’s densest tourist and expat zone along Sukhumvit Road. The busiest interchange on the network.
• Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. Benjasiri Park sits directly above the station, small but useful for a morning run or a break from the city. QSNCC hosts trade shows and large events.
• Khlong Toei. Bangkok’s largest wholesale fresh market is a short walk from the station, most active in the early morning. Worth a visit for food-focused travelers who want to see how the city eats.
• Lumphini. Lumphini Park, Bangkok’s largest central park, is directly above the station: 142 acres with a lake, running paths, and paddleboats. The Silom and Sathorn business districts are a 10-minute walk.
• Si Lom. BTS Sala Daeng interchange via a short covered walkway. Silom Road is Bangkok’s financial district by day. Patpong Night Market, a few minutes on foot, runs nightly from around 6pm.

Rattanakosin and Chinatown: Sam Yan to Sanam Chai

• Sam Yan. Sam Yan Mitrtown mall, Chulalongkorn University, and a food scene popular with students. A budget-friendly neighborhood compared to Silom and Sukhumvit.
• Hua Lamphong. Bangkok’s original central train station, now largely decommissioned for long-distance rail in favor of Bang Sue Grand Station to the north. The station building is a Bangkok landmark worth a brief look if you are in the area. Yaowarat Road (Chinatown) is around 700m north on foot, but Wat Mangkon is closer to the heart of it.
• Wat Mangkon. The MRT station for Chinatown. Exits open directly onto Yaowarat Road, Bangkok’s gold-traded main street running through the heart of the Chinese commercial district. The Blue Line is the only rail route to Chinatown; the nearest BTS station is Saphan Taksin, a 20-minute tuk-tuk ride from Yaowarat.
• Sam Yot. The edge of the Rattanakosin Island historic district. Pak Khlong Talat (Bangkok’s wholesale flower market) is a short walk south, most active from dusk through early morning. Mahakan Fort is at street level above the station.
• Sanam Chai. The closest MRT station to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and the Rattanakosin historic core. The Grand Palace entrance is around a 15-minute walk north along Sanam Luang. Chao Phraya River piers for the ferry to Wat Arun are a similar distance. Most Bangkok visitors arrive at the Grand Palace by taxi from Sukhumvit; few realise the MRT reaches this far south.

Transfers to the BTS Skytrain

Five stations connect the MRT and BTS networks. Each transfer requires exiting the MRT paid zone and entering the BTS as a new journey at the standard BTS fare. No single card covers both networks. For a station-by-station breakdown of the BTS, see the Bangkok BTS Skytrain guide.

• Sukhumvit to Asok (BTS Sukhumvit Line). Covered walkway, no outdoor exposure. The most-used interchange on the network.
• Si Lom to Sala Daeng (BTS Silom Line). Short covered walkway, under 5 minutes.
• Chatuchak Park to Mo Chit (BTS Sukhumvit Line). Ground-level walkway, around 5 minutes.
• Phahon Yothin to Mo Chit (BTS Sukhumvit Line). Longer walk, around 10 minutes.
• Bang Wa to Bang Wa (BTS Silom Line). Western Bangkok, less used by most visitors.

Airport Connections

• Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). Take the Blue Line to Phetchaburi station, then walk through the covered passage to Makkasan on the Airport Rail Link. The ARL reaches Suvarnabhumi in around 15 minutes. Total from Sukhumvit MRT is roughly 30 minutes.
• Don Mueang Airport (DMK). Take the Blue Line north to Bang Sue Grand Station, then transfer to the Red Line (SRT) heading north. Don Mueang station is one stop from Bang Sue. Total journey from central Bangkok takes 45 to 60 minutes. The Red Line runs less frequently than the MRT, so allow extra time.

Where the MRT Does Not Reach

• Khao San Road. Sanam Chai is the closest station, but Khao San is a 20-minute walk north through the Rattanakosin district. A short taxi or tuk-tuk from Sanam Chai is the practical option.
• Sukhumvit above Asok. Nana, Phrom Phong, Thong Lo, and On Nut are on the BTS Sukhumvit Line. Once north of the Asok interchange, the BTS is the right network.
• Pratunam and Platinum Mall. No MRT or BTS station is within easy walking distance. Taxi from the nearest station is the standard approach.
• Day-trip destinations. Sites like Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, and the floating markets are well beyond the rail network. Tours or a private car from Bangkok city center are the only practical options.

Tips for First-Time Riders

• Match your tap-out card to your tap-in card. If you entered on a contactless bank card, exit on the same card. Mixing cards triggers a gate error.
• Keep the token until exit. Single-journey tokens are plastic discs, not paper slips. Insert the disc into the exit gate slot rather than tapping it. The gate will not open if you discard the token early.
• Trains are cold. Carriages are air-conditioned to a low temperature. A light layer is useful on longer journeys.
• Priority seats are at the ends of each carriage. Marked for monks, the elderly, and pregnant women. Avoid these even when empty.
• Download an offline Bangkok map before entering the network. Signal inside stations is generally reliable, but having a map loaded avoids issues when transferring between lines.