3 Tips You Must Know To Not Get Ripped Off in Bangkok

There's nothing worse than landing at your dream destination and being ripped off by 1. the taxi driver 2. the data provider and 3. the hotel bellboy.

Bangkok is sometimes notorious for sending tourists for a ride. I call myself a "seasoned traveller" - but when I was in Bangkok, I was webbed into a couple of traps. One particularly helpful "policeman" recommended a tour guide (a tuk tuk driver) to us, who would take us to see The Grand Palace for cheap. Instead when we met the guide, he told us the Palace wasn't accessible because of rioting due to the coup (not true). He then proceeded to take us to "Black Buddah" - a temple where a lot of people were on their mobile phones inside? Anyway we told the guide to take us back to the city, he just drove off and left us in a very obscure location. It took us about one hour to get back to downtown.

I try not to be too distrusting when I travel and give people the benefit of the doubt, but I was particularly on guard from there on for the rest of the holiday. You can definitely avoid situations like this happening though in Bangkok if you're just a bit prepared to better navigate this crazy, always-on city. I've listed down the tips & tricks below so your Thai holiday can be as smooth as Buddha's head!

When arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport, or BKK for short, you can be quickly overwhelmed with the choices: taxi, transfer, airport train, rideshare etc. Let's say outright, avoid taxis if possible. If you have to go with taxi, make sure you ask them to turn the meter on (never take a flat fare), check the "special airport fare" (usually around 50 baht) and be prepared to pay for tolls (50-100 baht each).

All sounds a bit much, hey? The better option is to be slightly prepared and book an airport transfer instead. The transfer on Klook has over 20,000 reviews, is easy to find at the arrival hall and starts at only $31 AUD for a group of three.

There's no need for negotiating in the driver's non-native tongue; no need for dodgy meters, extra fees and no flat fares that are overpriced (a taxi will normally ask for 800 baht outright = ~$40 AUD).

If you're light on luggage and don't mind walking a bit, the alternative to the airport transfer is the Bangkok Skytrain (BTS). Bangkok Skytrain runs from 5:00 a.m. to midnight daily.

It's actually cheaper to pre-book on Klook than buying your Bangkok BTS Skytrain Rabbit Card directly at the station. All you need to do is show the voucher / QR code on your Klook app to the gate officer and they'll give you a ticket in exchange.

Besides connections to the airport, Bangkok has extremely good public transport within the city and it's super convenient to get around on the BTS and MRT. For a city that has the worst traffic in the world, you'll want to use these methods of transportation - trust me!

Many of the machines, however, only take 5 and 10 baht in cash, so it's worthwhile paying for passes or getting a top-up card to avoid having to wait in long lines to exchange your cash.

Tuk Tuks are fun to ride around and experience, but you may not want to use them as your main mode of transport as you'll be constantly bartering and risking your life!

If you're planning on being in Bangkok for one to a couple of days, this day pass gives you unlimited travel on the BTS for one day. It is ideal for zipping around and you'll save on buying multiple tickets (~70 cents per single trip). It is cheaper to buy on Klook than at the station and you can simply pick it up at the Klook counter at the airport or at the Central World.

On the other hand, if you intend to be in Bangkok a bit longer, you can purchase the Rabbit Card which gives you the option to load your card. It comes pre-loaded with 200 baht (~$10 AUD) and you get a discount of 1 baht for every trip. Again, can be easily picked up at the Klook counter in both Central World and Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).

Travel has gotten so much easier since data become really affordable. Buying within and outside the airport is much of a muchness in Bangkok, so it is recommended that you get it out of the way when you land.

The Klook SIM Card has 4G/5G coverage, lasts for 8 days, and is easy to pick up - just show your voucher at the Klook counter located on the fourth floor.