Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Station, or Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, is the largest railway station in Bangkok and Southeast Asia. And it’s Bangkok’s gleaming new railway hub.
Travelers heading to destinations including Chiang Mai, Udon Thani or Surat Thani will now travel from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. So, if you’re planning to travel by rail to or from Bangkok, you’ll probably need to know this station.
The first thing we need to understand is that this station has two names. But, why is that?
The new station was originally called Bang Sue Grand Station, but in September 2022 the Thai king bestowed a royal name on the station, and that name is Krung Thep Aphiwat. The name translates to “prosperity of Bangkok”.
However, as of May 2023 the original name of Bang Sue Grand Station is still writ large on the terminal building. The reason being that the contract to change the signage has faced some issues.
Although the official name of the station is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, it’s likely that many people (including taxi drivers) may take a while to get used to the new name and will still know it by the original name of Bang Sue Grand Station..
We’ll use the new official name throughout this article
.Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal
The first long-distance route ticket sales in November 2022 formalized the opening of Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. This opening was the first step in restructuring the Thai rail network, with the simple aim of making the new station the transport hub of the capital and Thailand.
The direct consequence of the restructuring is the gradual closure of the old Hua Lamphong Station, which means that the railway lines to the south and north will all leave from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.
Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is a mammoth of a structure. Its cold and austere architecture is reminiscent of the stations that are part of the Chinese-funded Pan-Asian railway network. This isn’t a coincidence and a stark contrast to the classic architecture of the old station at Hua Lamphong.
Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal has 26 platforms spread across 4 levels. The MRT metro line is in the basement, which makes sense. On the ground floor you’ll find ticketing, air-conditioned waiting areas, services such as luggage lockers and a food court. Floor 1 has four platforms for the purple and blue lines that serve greater Bangkok and twelve platforms for mainline trains. The top floor has ten platforms for trains servicing the airports and future high-speed lines, such as the upcoming Don Mueang-Suvrnabhumi-U-Tapao-Pattaya route and other high-speed rail links to Nong Khai, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai.
The station is huge and the corridors are long, which will undoubtedly exasperate passengers in a hurry. However, the size is due to the expectation that Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal will eventually welcome significantly more than Hua Lamphong’s 60.000 passengers per day. Plus, everything is planned with an attached urban transport network.
how can you reach Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal?
MRT
The MRT Blue Line connects to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal via Bang Sue MRT Station. Use Exit 3 to access Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.
The Blue Line connects Tao Poon to Tha Phra, stretching over 21 km and 19 stations and it’s a central line for travel in Bangkok.
BTS SKYTRAIN
The BTS doesn’t provide direct access.
The nearest BTS stations are Mo Chit Station and Ladprao. From these stations you need to take a bus, taxi, motorbike taxi, or transfer to the MRT.
SRT RED LINE
The SRT Red Line connects Rangsit Station and Taling Chan Station. This line is very convenient, as it connects Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport.
If you’re wondering about this airport route, the transfer from the airport to the station takes 25 minutes. The Red Line Station is located a few minutes’ walk directly opposite the airport.
It’s the cheapest and fastest way to access the city transport network.
BUSES
There are many BMTA buses servicing Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.
TAXIS
There is a taxi queue at the station. Don’t negotiate, ask for the meter and if the driver is unwilling, change taxis.
If taking a taxi to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, remember that there’s a chance that the taxi drivers might be more familiar with the name Bang Sue Grand Station.
NORTHERN BUS TERMINAL
Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is not far from the Northern Bus Terminal. There’s a development plan underway to facilitate the transfer of passengers, but for the time being, it’s best to just take a taxi.
