MRT Purple Line train T013
Photo by Rsa (CC BY-SA 3.0)

MRT Subway

Lines, how to buy tickets & fares

VIEW ALL WAYS TO GET AROUND BANGKOK

The MRT Mass Rapid Transit or Bangkok subway is a quick, comfortable and cheap way to get around Bangkok.

Use the MRT to get to places as Sukhumvit, Chatuchak weekend market, Chinatown, Grand Palace and Wat Pho.

The MRT connects to the BTS Sky Train at several stations and to the Airport Rail Link to Suvarnabhumi airport.

MRT Route Map

The Blue Line & Purple Line of the MRT Subway.

Map of the Blue Line and Purple Line of the MRT Subway in Bangkok

MRT Blue Line & Purple Line
Click on the map to see the full version
Photo by User Zeddlex (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)

MRT Lines

Currently four lines are in service.

Blue Line

The Blue Line is of most interest to tourists, as it runs through the downtown area. Use this line to get to attractions as the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Chinatown and Chatuchak weekend market.

The line starts at Lak Song, West of the Chao Phraya river. At Tha Phra station the line starts a circle route around downtown Bangkok and the Thonburi area on the other side of the river. The line covers a length of 48 kilometers. It serves nearly half a million passengers per day.

Tickets
You can buy a single journey token, prepaid fare card or use an EMV card. Prices vary from 17 to 43 Baht for a one way trip.

Timetable
Trains run from 6 am to midnight. There is a train every 4 minutes during rush hour, every 7 minutes during the rest of the day.

Connections to other public transport
The Blue Line connects to the MRT Purple Line, the MRT Yellow Line, the BTS Sky Train, the Airport Rail Link, the SRT Red Line and Bang Sue Grand Railway station.

MRT Purple Line at Tao Poon station in North West Bangkok
SRT Dark Red Line at Bang Sue
SRT Light Red Line at Bang Sue
Bang Sue Grand Train Station at Bang Sue
BTS Silom Line at Silom
BTS Sukhumvit Line at Sukhumvit
ARL Airport Rail Link at Petchaburi
MRT Yellow Line at Lat Phrao
BTS Sukhumvit Line at Phahon Yothin
BTS Sukhumvit Line at Chatuchak Park

View the MRT Subway route map

Purple Line

The Purple Line is mostly used by daily commuters. It runs over a length of 23 kilometers from Tao Poon in North West Bangkok to Khlong Bang Phai West of Bangkok across the Chao Phraya river in Nonthaburi province. About 75,000 people use the Purple Line trains per day.

Tickets
You can buy a single journey token, prepaid fare card or use an EMV card. Ticket price is 20 Baht, regardless of distance.

Timetable
Trains run from 6 am until midnight. There is a train every 6 minutes during rush hours, every 9 minutes during the rest of the day.

Connections to other public transport
The Purple Line connects to the MRT Blue Line, the MRT Pink Line and the SRT Red Line.

MRT Blue Line at Tao Poon
SRT Light Red Line at Bang Son
MRT Pink Line at Nonthaburi Civic Center

Yellow Line

A elevated monorail line that serves the Eastern suburbs of Bangkok. It runs from Samrong in the South to Lat Phrao North of the city center. The 30 kilometer line carries about 75,000 commuters per day.

Tickets
Passengers can buy a Yellow Line single journey ticket, use an EMV Card or a Rabbit Card, that can also be used on the BTS Sky Train system. One way prices vary from 18 to 45 Baht.

Timetable
Trains run from 6 am until midnight. There is a train every 5 minutes during rush hours, every 10 minutes during the rest of the day.

Connections to other public transport
The Yellow Line connects to the MRT Blue Line, the BTS Sky Train and the Airport Rail Link.

BTS Sukhumvit Line at Samrong station
MRT Blue Line at Lat Phrao
ARL Airport Rail Link at Hua Mak

Pink Line

The Pink Line serves commuters in North Bangkok. The line runs from Min Buri in the East of the city to Nonthaburi Civic Center in Nonthaburi, West of Bangkok. The elevated monorail runs over a length of 25 kilometer.

Tickets
Passengers can buy a Pink Line single journey ticket, use an EMV Card or a Rabbit Card, that is also valid for the Sky Train. Ticket prices vary from 15 to 45 Baht.

Timetable
Trains run from 6 am until midnight. There is a train every 5 minutes during rush hours, every 10 minutes during the rest of the day.

Connections to other public transport
The Pink Line connects to the BTS Sky Train, the SRT Red Line and the MRT Purple Line.

BTS Sukhumvit Line at Wat Phra Sri Mahathat
SRT Dark Red Line at Lak Si
MRT Purple Line at Nonthaburi Civic Center

Tickets

Several tickets and cards are available. You can buy a single journey token for a one-way trip or either a prepaid fare card or EMV card for multiple trips.

Single journey token

Use a single journey token to make a one-way trip. Fares vary from 15 to 49 Baht depending on the distance. Buy tokens at the ticketing machine or ticket office.

Prepaid fare card (MRT card)

Get an MRT card if you plan to take multiple trips on the MRT. The card costs 180 Baht (100 Baht travel value, 50 Baht deposit and 30 Baht fee). There is an elder card for people aged 60 or above and a child card for those under the age of 14 and height not over 120 cm. You will get a 50% discount on normal fares with these cards. An MRT card can be bought and topped up at the ticket office. Bring your passport.

Credit card & MRT EMV Card

EMV Cards are used to make contactless payments. EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard and Visa. If your credit card or debit card is enabled for contactless payments, you can use your own card to make payments on the MRT. Check if your card has the contactless symbol, an ellipse containing four vertical, curved lines increasing in size.

Instead, buy an MRT EMV card at any ticket office at a cost of 250 Baht including 100 Baht travel credit. If you are 60 years or older you can get an elder card, which provides a 50% discount on normal MRT fares.

Buying tickets

Tokens for a one-way trip can be bought at vending machine or the ticket office. Prepaid fare cards and EMV cards can only be bought at the ticket office.

Ticket vending machines

Buying single journey tokens from the ticket vending machines is very straight forward. First select English language. The screen displays a map with all the stations on the route. Press on the station where you want to go, the price is shown on the screen. The ticket machine accepts coins and bills. Take your token and your change.

Getting on the train

Walk towards the platforms and scan either a card or single journey token on the turnstile, opening the barrier. If you use a single journey token, do not throw it away, you will need it later.

The map on the train platform shows your current location. Find the station you are going on the map and check which side of the platform to wait for the train. Get off the train at your destination and walk towards the turnstiles. Insert the token into the slide of the turnstile or tap your card on top of the reader opening the barrier.