Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi
In short
Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi is about 50 km by road, under an hour on a good day in your van.
Every way there, side by side
- Time
- About 50 to 60 minutes, up to 2 hours
- How often
- Every 30 minutes, about 5am to midnight
- Booking
- Passengers with an onward ticket
Best by group size
Up to 4
- Best way:
- A luxury van for up to 4, arrivals to departures
Up to 10
- Best way:
- A party van for up to 10 with the bags, quoted
20 and more
- Best way:
- A coach for 20 and more, quoted for the transfer
The fastest way and the easiest way
A taxi or your own car is the fastest, under an hour on a good day. The easiest is your own van: met at arrivals, bags loaded once, straight to the departures floor.
The free shuttle suits a few travellers with time to spare. Ask Tanner which fits your connection.
Free airport shuttle
- Time:
- About 50 to 60 minutes, up to 2 hours
- Cost:
- Free
- Who can use it:
- Passengers with an onward ticket and passport
Metered taxi
- Time:
- Under an hour, up to 2 with traffic
- Cost:
- About ฿400 to ฿500 on the meter, plus tolls and surcharge
- Who can use it:
- Anyone
Red Line, MRT and Airport Rail Link
- Time:
- About 2 hours or more
- Cost:
- About ฿108
- Who can use it:
- Anyone, light bags
Our luxury van
- Time:
- Under an hour, up to 2 with traffic
- Cost:
- From ฿6,500 for 10 hours
- Who can use it:
- The easiest: up to 4, with bags
The Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi shuttle
The shuttle is free and runs every 30 minutes from about 5am to midnight. Suvarnabhumi Airport says it's for connecting passengers with an onward ticket and a passport or ID.
- Who: connecting passengers only, with an onward ticket and passport.
- The ride: about 49 km, usually 50 to 60 minutes, up to 2 hours in heavy traffic.
Insider tip: it's first come, first served with no booking, so a group of 8 can be split across two buses. Ask Tanner for the van and stay together.
AI- every 30 minutes, about 5am to midnight, with an onward ticket
- on the meter, plus tolls and the airport surcharge
- about 50 km, under an hour to 2 hours
- allow at least 5 hours
Where to catch the shuttle
At Don Mueang, the shuttle stops on the 1st floor, arrivals. Airports of Thailand's own pages give different gate numbers there, so follow the shuttle signs. At Suvarnabhumi it leaves from Level 2, Gate 3, Airports of Thailand's Suvarnabhumi page says. Ask Tanner to have the driver at the gate instead.
Don Mueang
- Pick-up:
- 1st floor, arrivals (follow the shuttle signs)
- Drops you:
- Suvarnabhumi departures, 4th floor
Suvarnabhumi
- Pick-up:
- Level 2, Gate 3
- Drops you:
- Don Mueang
Taking a taxi
A Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi taxi is about ฿400 to ฿500 on the meter, plus the expressway tolls and the airport surcharge, and takes under an hour in normal traffic.
Insider tip: insist on the meter at the rank. Ten people with bags still need several taxis, so ask Tanner for one van instead.
The train, with three changes
There's no direct Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi train. You take the SRT Red Line to Krung Thep Aphiwat, the MRT Blue Line to Phetchaburi, then the Airport Rail Link from Makkasan. The Red Line ride is about 17 minutes and the Airport Rail Link about 22, but with the changes it's 2 hours or more and about ฿108 in fares.
The S2 and 555 buses run too, to the Suvarnabhumi bus terminal, then the free airport shuttle to the terminal. With bags, ask Tanner for the car.
How long should you allow between flights?
We'd allow at least 5 hours: immigration, the bags, the drive and check-in all take time, and rush hour can double the drive.
Landing on an international flight? At Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang we offer a private meet-and-assist service, ฿2,400 a guest: our host meets you at the gate, using the priority lane where your ticket or status allows.
See Bangkok airport transfer, and ask Tanner to add the fast track to the van.
Our van between the airports
Your driver meets the group at arrivals with a name sign, loads the bags once and drives straight to departures at the other airport.
Long layover? The van can stop in the city for dinner on the way. See our Bangkok nightlife guide, and plan it with Tanner.
AIDon Mueang to Suvarnabhumi in short
- What it is: the trip between Bangkok's two airports, Don Mueang (DMK) and Suvarnabhumi (BKK), linked by a free shuttle.
- Distance: about 50 km, under an hour to 2 hours with the traffic.
- Free shuttle: every 30 minutes, about 5am to midnight, onward ticket and passport.
- Shuttle stops: Don Mueang 1st floor, arrivals; Suvarnabhumi Level 2, Gate 3; it drops at Suvarnabhumi departures, 4th floor.
- Taxi: on the meter, under an hour in normal traffic, plus tolls and the airport surcharge.
- No direct train: the Red Line, the MRT and the Airport Rail Link, about 2 hours.
- Between flights: allow at least 5 hours.
- Which airport: Suvarnabhumi for full-service and long-haul airlines, Don Mueang for low-cost ones.
Checked October 2026. Tanner's pick for 5 or more with bags: one van, not two taxis. Ask him to have it at arrivals.
Before you travel
Allow at least 5 hours between flights
Shuttle: onward ticket and passport needed; no booking
Shuttle every 30 minutes, about 5am to midnight
At Don Mueang the shuttle stops on the 1st floor, arrivals
At Suvarnabhumi it leaves from Level 2, Gate 3
Taxis: insist on the meter at the rank
Checked Nov 2026
Tanner's offer
Arrivals to departures, in one van
Met at one airport, the bags loaded once, and dropped at departures at the other.
See the private option →
Written by Tanner Altman · Updated 7 November 2026
Questions
Questions about Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi
Is there a free shuttle from Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi Airport?
Yes. It runs every 30 minutes from about 5am to midnight, for connecting passengers with an onward ticket and a passport or ID, and takes about 50 to 60 minutes in normal traffic.
Is Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi better?
They do different jobs. Suvarnabhumi takes the full-service and long-haul airlines, and Don Mueang is the low-cost hub for Thai AirAsia and Nok Air, AeroCorner says. Your ticket decides where you land.
Is there a bus service from Don Mueang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport?
Yes: the free airport shuttle for connecting passengers, and the S2 and 555 public buses for everyone, which end at the Suvarnabhumi bus terminal, a short free shuttle from the terminal.
Is there a shuttle between DMK and BKK?
Yes, the free airport shuttle, every 30 minutes, Airports of Thailand's Suvarnabhumi page says. It leaves Level 2, Gate 3 at Suvarnabhumi and the 1st-floor arrivals area at Don Mueang.
How do I get from Don Muang Airport to BKK?
By the free shuttle with an onward ticket, by metered taxi plus tolls, by train with three changes, or by our van, which meets the group at arrivals with the bags.
How long does the shuttle take?
Usually 50 to 60 minutes on the 49 km route, and up to 2 hours in heavy traffic. Allow for the queue too, since it's first come, first served.
Can we book a van between the airports in advance?
Yes, and that's the point: book it with your flights. Our luxury van for up to 4 is ฿6,500 for 10 hours, and a party van for up to 10 is quoted. The driver waits at arrivals.
How far is Don Mueang from Suvarnabhumi?
About 40 to 50 km across Bangkok, depending on the route: under an hour by road on a good day, up to 2 hours in traffic.
How much time do I need between flights at the two Bangkok airports?
We'd allow at least 5 hours, for immigration, the bags, the drive and check-in. Rush hour can double the drive, so add more on a weekday evening.
How much is a taxi from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi?
About ฿400 to ฿500 on the meter, plus the expressway tolls and the airport surcharge. A group with bags needs more than one car, so Tanner sends one van.
Is there a train from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi?
Not a direct one. The SRT Red Line, the MRT Blue Line and the Airport Rail Link connect the two airports, with three changes and about 2 hours or more on the way.
Plan it
Plan it with Tanner
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Last checked 2 November 2026
Sources
Credits: top photo by Photo: Grendelkhan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.