Do I need a ticket for every subway ride?
Short answer
No. One rechargeable transit card covers subway, buses and taxis, and any convenience store sells and tops one up.
One card, every mode
A rechargeable transit card covers subway, city buses, intercity buses in many regions, and taxis. Any convenience store sells one and tops it up, and the same card pays for things in the shop.
Buying one is worth doing on the first day even for a short trip. The single-journey alternative costs more per ride and adds a step at both ends.
Tap out — on the bus as well
Tapping when you board is obvious. Tapping again when you get off is the part visitors miss, and on buses it matters more than on the subway.
The tap-out is what tells the system your journey ended. Without it, the next leg is charged as a brand-new fare instead of a discounted transfer, and on some routes you are charged the maximum distance by default.
Transfers
Moving between bus and subway, or between buses, inside a set window is treated as one journey with a small additional charge rather than two full fares.
The window is generous enough to cover a normal walk between stops. It only fails if you forgot to tap out, which brings it back to the same rule.
If you skip the card
Single-journey subway tickets exist and are bought from a machine at the station. They carry a deposit, which you get back by feeding the ticket into a separate refund machine near the exit gates at the far end.
People routinely forget the refund step and walk out with the deposit unclaimed. It is small, but it is yours.
Good to know
- Single-journey tickets exist, but they carry a deposit you claim back from a machine at the far end
- Transfers inside a set window are discounted — but only if you tapped out
No. One rechargeable IC card taps you through almost every train, subway and bus in the country.
No. A QR code in a payment app covers every line, and contactless bank cards work at the gates too.
On the BTS, a Rabbit card ends the queueing. But Bangkok's rail is two separate systems, and the underground MRT is not covered by it.
No. One EasyCard from any convenience store covers the metro, buses, trains and even the high speed rail — and pays at the shops in between.