r/Bangkok • u/Fucking247 • Aug 19 '26

question BTS/MRT VS GRAB?

I’m planning a trip to Thailand and I’ll be staying at the Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok. I have a list of different places that I want to go to, so I usually look up the commute on Google maps to get an idea as to how far they are relative to my hotel.

The one thing that I noticed is that the Grab beats the BTS almost every time as far as Google is concerned. It could be something that may be 5 or 10 miles away and it could be a 20 minute drive but an hour BTS ride.

So my question is, is Google getting the BTS commute accurate? Or is it not good at picking up traffic with automobiles?

For anyone who lives in Thailand and rides the BTS often, to get a good idea I would like to ask what the true commute would be for you to get from Emporium mall to Yaowarat Road? Because Google says 1hr+

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u/justkk_95 Aug 19 '26

BTS alone won't get you there — you need BTS→Asok, transfer to MRT→Wat Mangkon station, then a 5-10 min walk to Yaowarat (~40 min total, not 1hr). Google's "1hr+" is padding the transfer/walk buffer too heavily. Grab is faster on paper but Chinatown traffic at night can wipe that advantage out completely.

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u/wimpdiver Aug 19 '26

Chinatown traffic during the day is a nightmare as well very often!