The Bangkok Train Challenge
Welcome to The Bangkok Train Challenge. Ride all the lines (242.34 km) and visit all the stations (160 stations) on electric trains in Greater Bangkok in the quickest time. You don’t need to get on or off at every station. You just need to be on a train that stops at every station. If some stations don’t have connections to other lines then you can either backtrack to a station with a nearby connection or you can walk or run to the next station. You cannot take private transportation such as taxis, Tuk Tuk’s or motorcycle taxis. However, you can take a public transportation service such as buses or Songtaews.
TIME TO BEAT: I was the first person to complete the challenge in 11 hours and 4 minutes on 1st July 2023. This should be an easy time to beat as I made a few mistakes and missed a few trains. You can see my live blog of the attempt here. My notes are down below.
There are 160 stations in Greater Bangkok. This doesn’t include the stations used by the State Railway of Thailand for their upcountry trains. Siam Station (Light Green and Dark Green lines) and Bang Sue Station (Dark Red and Light Red lines) are counted twice as they are interchange stations for different lines.
(1) LIGHT GREEN LINE (Sukhumwit Line): Kheha to Khu Khot
Number of Stations: 47 stations from Kheha in Samut Prakan to Khu Khot in Pathum Thani
Length of Line: 54.25 kilometres
Quickest possible time: 88 minutes
NOTES:
- BTS Khu Khot Station, at the northern end of the line, is 12km away from SRT Rangsit Station. If you were allowed to go by taxi, it would take you 30 minutes. Buses would take double that time and so best to backtrack.
- BTS Lat Phrao Intersection Station to MRT Phahonyothin Station is 400 metres apart and about a 5 minute walk.
- BTS Mochit Station to MRT Chatuchak is only 60 metres apart. Make sure you take the exit from the park side as the entrance to the MRT is closer.
- You can be in the system for up to 120 minutes. After that you must pay the maximum ticket price.
- You can use a Rabbit Card on this line.
- Ticket price is 62 Baht though please note that the Samut Prakan extension is still free.
- Interval time between trains on weekdays is 3-8 minutes
- Interval time between trains on weekends is 5.55-8 minutes.
(2) DARK GREEN LINE (Silom Line): National Stadium to Bang Wa
Number of Stations: 14 stations from National Stadium to Bang Wa
Length of Line: 14 kilometres
Quickest possible time: 27 minutes
(3) BLUE LINE:
Number of Stations: 38 stations from Tha Phra > Tao Poon > Lak Song
Length of Line: xx kilometres
Quickest possible time: xx minutes
(4) AIRPORT RAIL LINK: Phayathai to Suvaranabhumi Airport
Number of Stations: 7 stations from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi
Length of Line: 28.6 kilometres
Quickest possible time: 27 minutes
(5) DARK RED LINE: Bang Sue to Rangsit
Number of Stations: 10 stations
Length of Line: 21.6 kilometres
Quickest possible time: xx minutes
NOTES:
- Click here for route map and timetable
(6) LIGHT RED LINE: Bang Sue to Taling Chan
Number of Stations: 4 stations
Length of Line: 15 kilometres
Quickest possible time: xx minutes
NOTES:
- Click here for route map and timetable
(7) GOLD LINE:
Number of Stations: 3 stations
Length of Line: 1.72 kilometres
Quickest possible time: 5 minutes
NOTES:
- Easy same level connection from BTS Krung Thonburi Station on the Dark Green Line.
- Platform to platform it took only three minutes.
- The Gold Line accepts the Rabbit Card the same as the Green Line.
- Ticket price is a fixed 16 Baht for entire line.
- 6:00am-11:00am and 10:00pm-midnight, trains leave every 20 minutes
- 11:00am-10:00pm trains leave every 15 minutes
(8) PURPLE LINE:
Number of Stations: 15 stations from Khlong Bang Phai in Nonthaburi to Tao Poon in Bangkok
Length of Line: 23 kilometres
Quickest possible time: 29 minutes
NOTES:
(9) YELLOW LINE: Samrong to Lat Phrao
Number of Stations: 23 stations
Length of Line: 30.5 kilometres
Quickest possible time:
Source: Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region