It’s hardly breaking news, yet it slips under the radar for so many travellers. A quiet little perk that’s been here all along. There is, in fact, a free Airport Shuttle Bus between Don Mueang (DMK) and Suvarnabhumi (BKK) – the catch, if you can even call it that, is you must have a flight ticket for that day.
The journey takes somewhere between one and two hours, the precise figure dictated by Bangkok’s ever-theatrical traffic. You’re spared the roadside taxi hunt, the bargaining, the navigation of car park staircases with luggage in tow. Instead, you’re herded into an air-conditioned bus that leaves with the frequency of a metronome and waits just long enough for the stragglers. How I’ve lived here this long without knowing is frankly embarrassing.
It’s worth noting: buses depart every 30 minutes and will linger for 15 minutes at the pick-up, in case you’re running from one gate to another like a late-stage romcom protagonist.
Here’s what the route actually looks like:
Don Mueang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport
- Pick-up location: International Terminal, Terminal 1, 1/F, Gate 6, Don Mueang Airport
- Drop-off location: Passenger Terminal, 4/F, Gate 5, Suvarnabhumi Airport
- Operating hours: : 5am-midnight
Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Mueang Airport
- Pick-up location: Passenger Terminal, 2/F, Gate 3, Suvarnabhumi Airport
- Drop-off location: International Terminal, Terminal 1, 3/F, Gates 7-8, Don Mueang Airport
- Operating hours: 5am-midnight
You’ll need to flash either your ticket or boarding pass for a same-day flight from the airport you’re heading towards. Without it, you’ll be politely turned away – this isn’t a service for the general public, nor a free ride into town.
For the sceptics, the AOT Contact Centre at 1722 can confirm all of this. But trust me, it’s real. The hardest part is remembering it exists before you’ve already climbed into the back of a taxi.