How far is Ayutthaya from Bangkok? It is about 85 km, which is roughly 52 miles. Given the distance from Bangkok to Ayutthaya some form of transport is required. There are a few options available.
You can get from Bangkok to Ayutthaya by bus, minivan, boat, car, motorbike, or train. We chose the train because there is more leg room, you can walk around, there are often snacks available and there is usually a toilet that you can use at any time. Trains in Thailand are generally a great way to get around.
We will cover the train and a some other options in detail below.
The Bangkok Ayutthaya Train
All trains leaving Bangkok for the rest of Thailand leave from the Hua Lamphong Station. It is ideal to get to the station in the morning at about 9am so that you miss the peak hour frenzy of people coming and going from this very busy train station.
The Bangkok to Ayutthaya train leaves very regularly from Hua Lamphong so there really is no need to rush unless you are only going for a day trip. Click here to get detailed information on the train schedule. Make sure you are looking at the Bangkok > Chiang Mai timetable. Be aware that delays are reasonably common so do not plan your schedule too tightly.
The easiest way to get to Hua Lamphong Station is via the MRT (the Bangkok subway). The Hua Lampong train station is right at the MRT station. You can catch the sky train and then transfer to the subway if necessary. The sky train and the subway systems are connected at multiple places so its easy to switch.
Once you are at Hua Lampong go straight past anyone that tries to help you in any way. Many of these apparently friendly helpful people are, sadly, scammers. There are often a few of these people at Bangkok train station and its almost impossible to work out who legitimately works for the railway and who does not. Take anything said to you by anyone not behind the information or ticket counter with a grain of salt even if they are wearing an official looking train station uniform or name badge.
Walk in and go straight to the train ticket counter. There are two counters. One for purchasing train tickets in advance which means two or more days in advance. The other counter is for buying tickets for today.
There was a time, not too long ago, when the Thai Railway were not selling any tickets below second class to foreign tourists. Luckily for us, this has changed. Our third class tickets from Bangkok to Ayutthaya cost us a whole 15 Baht each. The journey would take just under two hours in total. Fine with us. Two hours of looking out the window at the scenery. Nice!
For a longer trip like the overnight journey to Chiang Mai you will want a second class sleeper but for the short journey to Ayutthaya third class is fine.
The Bangkok to Ayutthaya Bus
We have not personally caught the bus from bus from Bangkok to Ayutthaya but here is some information if you want to consider it.
Public buses ply the route very regularly. They leave from the Northern Bus Terminal which is near but not at the Moh Chit BTS station. Expect the trip to take 1-2 hours.
You can also get a minivan near Victory Monument. A minivan should be faster as there will be less stopping to pick up and drop off people. Minivans typically leave when they are full rather than on any sort of schedule so some patience can be required. Victory Monument is however a popular spot for people looking to catch minivans so you usually do not have to wait too long.
Getting From Ayutthaya to Bangkok
A few thoughts about doing this trip in the other direction.
The southbound Ayutthaya to Bangkok train is just as easy to catch as the train heading north. Go to the Ayutthaya train station to purchase your ticket(s). Ideally do this a day or two in advance to avoid disappointment. For such a short journey however you won’t be getting a sleeper so advance booking is unlikely to be critically important.
Bangkok Airport to Ayutthaya
What if you want to go straight from one of Bangkok’s two airports to Ayutthaya? Private cars and taxis are always an option. Unfortunately we do not have a recommendation for a company. There are always companies with counters at the airport who will be able to help you. This should be convenient but it will certainly not be the cheapest option.
Suvarnabhumi Airport To Ayutthaya
To get from Suvarnabhumi airport to Ayutthaya you can use Bangkok’s fantastic skytrain/subway system to reach Hua Lamphong station where you will catch the train out of Bangkok. Although this is not complicated it does involve some fiddling around to get to Hua Lamphong.
There is a spot to catch the BTS (the sky train) inside Suvarnabhumi airport. You will need to change lines twice from memory but the system is fairly simple. You want to get from Suvarnabhumi to Hua Lamphong MRT. Hua Lamphong MRT is a subway station right next to Hua Lamphong station where you will catch the train to Ayutthaya.
Don Mueang Airport To Ayutthaya
To get from Don Mueang airport to Ayutthaya you can actually catch the train headed north out of Bangkok without needing to ever go to Hua Lamphong station. It is only a short walk from Don Mueang airport to Don Mueang train station and northbound trains departing from Bangkok pass through there. Click here for a train timetable Make sure you are looking at the Bangkok > Chiang Mai section.
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