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In this article, we share the easiest, cheapest, and quickest ways to get from Don Mueang International Airport to Bangkok city.
This article was updated in May 2022.
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Don Mueang Airport/Don Muang Airport/DMK
Don Mueang Airport, sometimes spelled Don Muang Airport, also known as ‘DMK’, is Bangkok’s hub for budget airlines like Air Asia, Nok Air, and Thai Lion. It’s where you’re likely to end up if you’re taking cheap flights within Thailand or to/from nearby countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, or Laos.
DMK Airport is located about 14km from Bangkok city center. So what are the best options for transportation from Don Mueang International Airport to Bangkok City?
Fastest Options for Transport from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok City
Metered Taxi from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok City
Once you’re out of baggage claim and through customs, follow the signs on that level that say ‘Taxi’ toward the metered taxi stand. These taxis are regulated by the airport and they must use the meter. Note that there is a 50 Baht surcharge on top of the fare.
Do not go with any companies or people who may offer you a taxi while you are walking toward the metered taxi stand. This is often a scam and much more expensive than the metered taxis!
Note: There are several ATMs and places to change money on the way to the metered taxi stand. Be sure you have smaller bills (lower than 500 Baht is ideal) to pay your taxi driver as they don’t always have enough change.
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Depending on what time you get in, the lines for the metered taxis can be long, but they move consistently. There is a ticketing system where you take a number and then sit and wait for your number to come up on the screen.
When your number comes up, you’ll go to the front and tell or show the person working at the taxi stand the address of your destination, which they will write down and relay to your driver.
Keep your taxi ticket in case of any issues that arise. You do not need to give the ticket to the driver at any time. Follow the driver to the taxi and off you go!
If you arrive during a peak traffic time, you’ll have the option to take the Toll Way/Express Way. This can save a lot of time. While in line, check Google Maps to see if the route to your destination is red or yellow to see if it’s necessary. There is free wifi that you can use while you are waiting in the metered taxi waiting area.
If you choose to take the Toll Way/Express Way the driver will ask you for Baht during the ride to pay the toll. As of November 2019, the Toll fees were 120 Baht total (70 for one toll, 50 for the other). It’s better if you have small bills for this, so change big bills in the airport before you get in line for the metered taxis if possible.
Metered Taxi Costs: 300 to 450 Baht on meter + 50 Baht airport surcharge + 120 Baht toll road fees.
Total Metered Taxi Cost: 350 to 620 Baht (depending on the distance to your destination and if you take the Toll Way/Express Way).
Alternate Option for Metered Taxi from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok City
One way to save a bit of time if the metered taxi line is long is to head upstairs to the Arrivals level and catch a metered taxi that is dropping someone off there. If you’re choosing this option, be sure that you have your destination written in Thai so that your driver clearly understands where to take you.
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Grab Taxi from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok City
Grab is essentially the Uber of Asia. In fact, they bought out Uber all throughout Asia in 2017. You can download the Grab App before your trip and start using it right away when you arrive in Bangkok.
Download Grab (Android) or Grab (Apple)
The nice thing about Grab is you can put in your exact destination so your driver will know where to take you, ideally without any confusion. You’ll also know how much your ride will cost upfront.
A Grab taxi from DMK to Bangkok city will cost anywhere from 350 to 700 Baht depending on how far your destination is.
Read: The Best FREE Apps for Travel in Asia
Airport Limo Bus Express
The Airport Limo Bus Express will take you to Lumpini Park in Silom. From there you can easily get on the BTS or MRT trains.
You can book the Airport Limo Bus Express online for a small fee or in person when you arrive at DMK for 150 Baht. The booking desk is between Gate 6-8 in Terminal 1 and Gate 14 in Terminal 2. The Airport Limo Bus Express has air conditioning and wifi.
Cheapest Options for Transport from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok City
Take the A1 Bus from DMK to Mo Chit, then the BTS or MRT from Mo Chit into Bangkok city
A majority of destinations in town are accessible by the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), also known as the Skytrain, or the Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT), which is the subway. You can find the nearest BTS or MRT station from your Bangkok accommodation on Google Maps.
To get to the nearest BTS or MRT station from Don Mueang Airport take the A1 bus to Mo Chit, which comes every 5 minutes. The bus stop is just outside once you exit Customs. It should take about 20 minutes from Don Mueang Airport to Mo Chit. At peak traffic times the bus will take the Toll Way/Express Way at no extra cost to you.
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The bus makes a few stops. The last stop is Mo Chit and everyone must get out there. When you get off the bus walk about 20 meters in the same direction as the bus is facing and you’ll see the BTS and MRT stations. Walk upstairs to get to the BTS station or downstairs to the MRT.
One great thing about going from Mo Chit on the BTS is it’s the last stop of the line, so you’re more likely to get a seat before the train gets crowded.
**Lazy Hack**: If you walk to the second set of stairs there is an escalator up to the BTS, which is clutch if you have heavy luggage.
Bus and BTS or MRT Costs: 30 baht for the bus from DMK to Mo Chit + 16 to 59 Baht for BTS or MRT depending on how far your stop is.
Total cost: 46 to 89 Baht
**Bonus Tip**: If you arrive on a weekend you can pop by the Chatuchak Weekend Market, the world’s largest weekend market. There are lockers about 30 meters from where the bus drops you at Mo Chit where you can store your luggage.
Do not leave anything valuable in the locker, like money, electronics or important documents. Walk across the street on the sky bridge and through or around the park. In five minutes you’ll reach the Chatuchak Weekend Market.
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Bus from Don Muang Airport to Khao San Road
If you are staying on Khao San Road then the cheapest way to get there from DMK airport is via the A4 bus, which is located at the same bus stop outside the airport as the A1 bus.
The A4 bus to Khao San Road costs 50 Baht and runs every 30 minutes.
Airport Limo Bus Express to Khao San Road
The Airport Limo Bus Express will take you directly to Khao San Road. You can book online with a small fee or in person when you arrive at DMK for 150 Baht. The booking desk is between Gate 6-8 in Terminal 1 and Gate 14 in Terminal 2. The Airport Limo Bus Express has air conditioning and wifi.
If you are flying into Don Muang International Airport (DMK) and need to transfer to Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK), there are a few options. The distance between the airports is almost 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) and can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over 2 hours depending on traffic.
Don Muang Airport Transfer to Suvarnabhumi Airport (DMK to BKK)
Free Option from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport (DMK to BKK)
There is a complimentary shuttle bus from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport (and vice versa). Once you clear customs at DMK, walk outside and you’ll find the free shuttle bus stand. Note that you will need to show your onward ticket out of BKK airport to be allowed on. The free shuttle runs from 5 am to midnight.
Metered Taxi from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport
A metered taxi from DMK to BKK should cost around 300-500 Baht depending on the time of day and whether you take the toll roads.
Grab Taxi
Another option is to book a Grab taxi from DMK to BKK. The good thing about this option is you will know the cost of the ride ahead of time.
Where are you heading next? Check out 12GoAsia to book transportation tickets to your next destination within Asia.
We hope you find this article helpful! These are the best ways we know of to get from Don Muang International Airport to Bangkok City, and from Don Muang International Airport to Suvarnabhumi International Airport. If you notice any errors or have any corrections, please leave them in the comments or email us directly at Jen (at) twocantravel (dot) com. Thank you!
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Hi,
thanks for the explanation. very helpful. Just wondering, because i will bring 3 elders people with me, i hope you can help me with these…
1. is there any seats to wait while queing for the taxi?
2. does the sedan type of taxis accept 4 passengers on it? I know there are other types of taxi, but while we ordering for taxi, can we mention to have a bigger taxi than sedan?
We’re glad it was helpful!
1. Yes, there are seats nearby the taxi queuing area.
2. Yes, you can fit four passengers in the taxi sedans. There are also larger taxi sizes available.
Thank you for this great read! Looking forward to many such articles in the future.
Thanks for reading, we’re glad it was helpful!
hey there . Im a second timer in bangkok this january . Last year I used local bus and skytrain to get to my hotel very close to the river / boat buses/ It was covenient enough and pretty cheap .
But the future is bright – they plan to build an hi speed train from BKK through the city with stop @ DMK going further down to pattaya airport – in a couple of years .
Iacually I am considering using the train into the city centre / crazy cheap but slow /
Hey Val, thanks for sharing. Yes, it will be great when the sky train out to DMK is finished! Sounds like it will still be a couple of years from now from what we have heard. If you do end up taking the train into the city please let us know how it goes. Is it really that much cheaper than taking the bus and the BTS or MRT?
Hi there! Thank you for the useful post! Would like to ask if there is a specific spot I’ll have to wait at in the airport if I opt for using grab? Thanks!
Hi Ashley, good question! I’m pretty sure it’s at the same level where the taxis are.
Worth mentioning that there is a railway station at the airport, which would suit the more independent traveler with a smaller amount of luggage. Fare to Bangkok main station, Hualamphong averages around 6 baht, and takes around 50 minutes. No frills but an interesting experience. At Hualamphong there is onward travel by MRT. The Chao Phraya river is less than fifteen minutes walk from the Hualamphong railway station with frequent river express boats. I often use this method ( I have lived in Don Muang for over 12 years).
Thanks so much for sharing this! We haven’t tried going to the railway station from the airport before. Seems like an adventurous option for sure!
Nic, THANK YOU so much for the mention of the Don Muang Railway station and the cost. That was Exactly what I was Googling for. Will need to get from BTS/MRT up to Don Muang. So, via Hua Lamphong will be a great option… 6 BAHT!!!!?? how awesome is that!!? 🙂
After spending some time around Don Mueang area, we’ll head down to Cha-Am/Hua Hin, again, using the SRT system so Don Muang Railway station back to Hua Lamphong, then switch to Southern Line train and down to Cha-Am beach.
Thank you State Railways of Thailand.
Chop Mak Mak 🙂
~mikes
Sounds like you’ve got the trains figured out!! Hope you have an awesome trip 🙂
Probably this may help for local travellers. We all know that Bangkok is super famous for its traffic during office leaving hours, especially Friday evening. A couple of years ago I was on my way to Don Muaeng by taxi and it was heavy traffic like not moving at all. I thought I might miss my flight because I was waiting, waiting and waiting for a long time in the traffic jam. Finally, I got down from the taxi somewhere in the midway and took a motorbike. Finally, I reached DMK airport just before my check-in counter closed. Taking a motorbike will work out only if you don’t have any big pieces of luggage.
Oh my goodness, thanks for sharing your story and glad you made it to the airport in time! Riding a motorbike on the highway must have been an adventure! If you’re taking a taxi to DMK you definitely need to give yourself extra time in case of traffic, especially on weekday afternoons.
That’s a pretty useful post because whenever I have to travel to a new city, it’s overwhelming to find the best way from the airport to the hotel and having some prior info would help! In most countries, the taxi drivers try to fool the tourists and make money off them and it’s good to know that Don Mueang provides organised metered taxis to one’s destination!
Thanks for your comment, Medha! That’s exactly why we wrote this post 😀 It can be quite confusing knowing what transportation to use to get into town in a new place. We hope this makes it a bit easier for people flying into DMK.
I remembered the day we landed in Don Muang airport a couple of years ago on our visit to Bangkok. I guess we opted for the metered cab to take us to our hotel in downtown Bangkok. We had a nice experience and though cannot remember the exact fare, it was quite reasonable. One of the things which are very important whenever you arrive at an airport is getting to the city. It is always good to do your research when you get there the first time. Your post will be helpful to many who are landing at Don Mueang airport for the first time.
Thanks Sandy! Glad to hear your experience with the metered cabs was easy. If you are 2-4 people then they are a great and affordable way to go for sure. Especially if you take the toll roads!
Thanks for writing this super helpful post. We traveled through the private taxi from Don Mueang and he actually charged us a good amount. Your tips and suggestions can help one decide and take a wise decision.
Glad you had a good experience! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is such a helpful post! Getting out of airports can be intimidating especially for first timers AND especially if it’s abroad. 🙂 Great to know that there are a lot of options to get to Bangkok City from the airport. I’m all for the most convenient way to arrive at my hotel but the cheapest can be cool too!
Thanks Marvi! So glad you found it helpful! After traveling in and out of DMK for the past 7 years and getting so many questions about how to get into Bangkok city, we decided to finally just share it in a post 😀
As DMK Airport is 14km from Bangkok’s city centre, that’s pretty close. It makes it a good option if you’re on a budget and choose to fly on a budget airline. It’s good to know that the transfers won’t blow the budget either.
Now that we’ve figured out taking local transport, it’s really cheap and easy to get into the city. We never would have tried that on our first visit to Bangkok. Hopefully, with this guide, other travelers can feel more confident on how to do it 🙂