BTS or MRT in Bangkok: which to choose, cards, interchanges

You are searching "BTS or MRT" because your Bangkok map shows two networks and nobody tells you which one to take. The short answer: the BTS, the elevated Skytrain, serves Siam, Sukhumvit and Silom; the MRT, the metro, serves Chinatown, Wat Pho, Chatuchak and Hua Lamphong station. The two networks have different operators, fares and payment methods, but they meet at several stations. This guide tells you which to choose for your journey, how to pay, and where to change trains. Fares are those seen in October 2026; for the other ways of getting around, see our guide to transport in Bangkok.

In short: which train for which trip

Siam, shopping malls, Sukhumvit, Thong Lo, Silom, Saphan Taksin: take the BTS.
Chinatown, Wat Pho, Hua Lamphong, Chatuchak market, Thailand Cultural Centre (Jodd Fairs): take the MRT (Blue Line).
Suvarnabhumi Airport: neither directly, but the Airport Rail Link, which connects to the network (see Bangkok airports).
Iconsiam: the BTS to Krung Thon Buri, then the Gold Line (see the Iconsiam page).

Two BTS Skytrain trains at the platform

The BTS Skytrain

The BTS runs on a viaduct above the main avenues, which gives you a view of the city and skips the traffic jams. It has two lines, which cross at Siam:

Sukhumvit Line (light green), from Khu Khot in the north to Kheha in the south-east: Mo Chit, Victory Monument, Siam, Chit Lom, Nana, Asok, Thong Lo, Ekkamai.
Silom Line (dark green), from National Stadium to Bang Wa: Siam, Sala Daeng, Chong Nonsi, Saphan Taksin (Sathorn pier, for the river).

The first trains leave around 05:15 on the Sukhumvit Line and 05:30 on the Silom Line, and the last trains run around midnight. On the central section a trip costs 17 to 47 baht; the one-day pass is 150 baht. The BTS does not yet accept contactless bank cards at the gates: you need a ticket from a machine, or a Rabbit card.

Pros: views, frequent trains, stations at the foot of shopping malls and hotels. Cons: packed trains at rush hour, queues at the ticket machines, no station near the old town.

The MRT

The MRT groups several lines run by different operators, but the most useful for a visitor is the Blue Line, an underground loop of 38 stations. It serves Hua Lamphong, Wat Mangkon for Chinatown, Sanam Chai for Wat Pho, and Kamphaeng Phet or Chatuchak Park for the Chatuchak market. Since 3 July 2026, a trip costs 17 to 44 baht. The Purple, Yellow and Pink Lines are suburban lines, rarely useful for a stay of a few days.

On the Blue Line and the Purple Line, you tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card at the gate on entry and again on exit; the fare is charged to the card. Always use the same card, one per person. The old MRT cards have not been accepted since 1 June 2026.

Pros: payment by bank card (no ticket to buy), air conditioning, access to the old neighbourhoods. Cons: fewer stations in the shopping districts than the BTS, sometimes long stairs down to the platform.

Where to change between the BTS and the MRT

The two networks cross in several places, but the interchange is not always direct: you sometimes leave one network to enter the other, and you must go through the gates again.

Interchange	BTS station	MRT station	Note
Sukhumvit	Asok	Sukhumvit	Walking link, go through the gates again
Silom	Sala Daeng	Silom	Near Patpong and Lumphini Park
Chatuchak	Mo Chit	Chatuchak Park	Next to the park and the market
Bang Wa	Bang Wa	Bang Wa	For the south-west of the city

Siam is a BTS-only station: there is no MRT interchange there. To go from Siam to Chinatown, the simplest way is the BTS to Sala Daeng, then the MRT from Silom to Wat Mangkon or Hua Lamphong.

Paying: Rabbit card, ticket or bank card

Single ticket (BTS): valid for a specific destination; buy it before passing the gate.
Rabbit card (BTS): 200 baht to buy, of which 100 baht is the card fee and 100 baht is credit. It can be topped up at the ticket offices and saves you the machines. It does not make the trip cheaper, but it saves time.
Contactless bank card (MRT): the simplest solution on the Blue Line, with nothing to buy beforehand. Check that your card is contactless and what your bank charges abroad.
MRT tokens: still sold at the machines; the operator plans to replace them with QR-code tickets on 1 January 2027.

No common ticket covers the BTS and the MRT at the moment: the single 20-baht fare promised in 2025 has not been rolled out, as our transport guide explains.

Our pick for your stay

One day in the centre: a one-day BTS pass if you make more than three or four trips between Siam, Silom and Sukhumvit, otherwise single tickets. See Bangkok in one day.
Old town, Chinatown, Chatuchak: the MRT, paid by bank card.
Hotel: choose one within 5 minutes' walk of a station, whichever network (see where to stay in Bangkok).
Rush hours (weekday mornings and late afternoons): full trains, allow some extra time, especially with luggage.

Going further

For boats, buses, taxis and tuk-tuks, read our transport in Bangkok guide; to compare taxis and apps, see Grab or taxi in Bangkok. And to avoid nasty surprises on the way, our guide to scams in Bangkok.