Scenic Train and Tram Rides in Bangkok
A visual guide from the Bangkok travel guide — see all posters in Visual Guides.
Bangkok's answer to a scenic railway isn't a mountain funicular — it's the city's own elevated transit network. Ride the BTS Skytrain above the traffic and you get a moving window onto glass towers, rooftop bars, and the Chao Phraya River glinting between skyscrapers. Pair it with the driverless Gold Line and a river ferry, and a single transit day becomes one of the most efficient, photogenic ways to experience modern Bangkok.
BTS Skytrain: The City's Best Moving Viewpoint
The BTS Skytrain runs on elevated tracks through the heart of Bangkok, and the Sukhumvit and Silom lines deliver some of the best free views in the city. Between stations like Asok, Chit Lom, and Saphan Taksin, you'll glide past towering condos, mall facades, and glimpses of the river, all from an air-conditioned carriage. It's especially striking at dusk, when the skyline lights up and the trains themselves seem to float above the gridlock below. For visitors, it's also simply the fastest way to reach shopping and nightlife districts.
The Gold Line and a Riverside Connection
The short, automated Gold Line (opened 2020) links the BTS network at Krung Thon Buri to the riverside, stopping at ICONSIAM on driverless, elevated cars. It's only three stations, and ICONSIAM's pier links to the river boats, so you can hop straight from train to ferry. Combining the Gold Line with a Chao Phraya express boat ride is one of the easiest ways to see both Bangkok's modern skyline and its working river life in a single afternoon.
MRT, Monorails and Airport Rail Link
Not every Bangkok train ride is about scenery — the central MRT Blue Line is underground, but its Thonburi loop runs elevated and crosses the Chao Phraya on a viaduct near Bang O. The newer Yellow and Pink monorail lines (opened 2023–24) also run high above the eastern and northern suburbs. The Airport Rail Link, meanwhile, runs elevated for most of its route between Suvarnabhumi Airport and Phaya Thai, giving arriving travelers an early, effortless preview of Bangkok's expressways, mid-rise neighborhoods, and skyline as it comes into view.
Tips for Riding Like a Local
Rides are inexpensive, frequent, and simple to navigate. The BTS uses its own Rabbit card or single tickets; the MRT also takes contactless bank cards. Aim for a late-afternoon or early-evening ride on the Sukhumvit Line for golden-hour skyline views, and consider window-side seats near the front or back cars for the clearest sightlines. Trains get crowded at rush hour, so midday or evening trips are more comfortable for sightseeing. Riding the rails is also simply the least stressful way to reach Bangkok's rooftop bars, mega-malls, and riverside piers without sitting in traffic.