Other than taking the taxi, there are many ways to get around Bangkok. It would be hard for a non-Thai speaker to do that, though, especially that most buses and public transportation signs are in Thai script. Thankfully for me, after almost a year in Bangkok, I had the opportunity to learn how to read and write. You can imagine the joy I felt when I finally was able to ride those vans, buses, song tews without asking anybody! But of course you could always ask. Someone in a crowded bus stop would be able to talk with you and answer you in English.
This is what we call “song tew”– it has tones which I could not describe in writing 
but it literally means “two lines”, referring to the two long seats at the back for passengers to sit on. When this thing gets filled with people, many passengers would be standing on the aisle and even at the rear, holding on tightly to the bars. Song tew fare normally would be 8 THB/ person.
Vans– they would travel from one part of the city to another. The fare would range from 20 to 25 THB/ person.
Believe it or not, in our part of the city, THIS IS OUR SONG TEW. 40 people? No problem! The fare would be the same as the regular song tew.
Buses. There are red buses all over the city that would not charge you anything. All you have to do is to look for a red bus, with a blue sticker on the wind shield that has a government logo. You can get down on any bus stop, get on another one, to any part of the city without having to pay anything. Be prepared to stand up for the ladies, the elderly and those with kids– that is very important in Thai culture. Ordinary bus fares would be 11 THB/person, air conditioned buses would be 20THB to 25 THB/person.
Tuktuk. This is a motorcycle with seats, and they are mostly found in the heart of Bangkok where the tourists are. If you want a speedy tour around the shopping centers of Bangkok, the tuktuk is the ride for you. No aircon, though… so you can enjoy both Bangkok heat, traffic, sights and sounds on this ride you will never find someplace else.
Enjoy getting around Bangkok! See you around…