Is bike-sharing the secret to beating Bangkok traffic?

So how do most people get around Bangkok? Private cars, buses, motorcycle taxis, sky trains or just walking. But, have you ever considered hopping on a bicycle?

The idea of cycling in Bangkok sounds a bit mad to most people. Even for regular city explorers who love wandering the streets on foot, the thought of pedalling through Bangkok traffic can feel pretty intimidating. The fear of accidents and not knowing how to navigate these roads safely puts most people off.

But here's the thing. Bangkok has quietly rolled out a bike-sharing scheme that's actually pretty decent. Right now there are 350 docking points scattered across the city with over 1,500 bicycles ready to go, which you can check here. You'll find them in key areas like Rattanakosin Island, along Sathorn Road and Silom Road, over on the Thonburi side following the riverside road from Sathorn Bridge up to Rama eight Bridge, plus at various train stations including MRT Sam Yot, BTS Chong Nonsi, BTS Sala Daeng and BTS Asok.

Bike sharing isn't exactly new to Bangkok. Services have been floating around for more than a decade. The city brought the scheme back last year and now there are three or four main providers you'll spot around town including Leo, Anywheel, GCOO and HelloRide.

Getting set up takes about five minutes. Download whichever app looks good to you, punch in your details and sort out how you want to pay. If you reckon you'll use it regularly, linking a credit card makes life easier. Not keen on that? True Money works fine, or you can just top up credit in the system as you go.

Here's something worth knowing. Every citizen gets one free hour every single day. The exact setup varies between providers but right now Anywheel, Punpun and Pundai all do this. As for pricing, it breaks down roughly like this. One day costs about B50t, seven days around B100, 30 days approximately B200, 150 days about B750 and a full year sits at roughly B1,000.

Now about actually cycling around the city. The trickiest moments come when you need to cross major roads. If there's a zebra crossing and traffic looks heavy, just get off and walk the bike alongside other pedestrians. Same goes for narrow spots with motorcycle barriers where you're not sure if you can squeeze through. Getting off and walking the bicycle takes barely any extra time, cuts down the stress massively and honestly feels safer. Either way you'll still get where you're going faster than walking.

 

The whole setup works better than you might expect. Those docking points pop up in genuinely useful locations and having multiple providers means you've usually got options nearby. Whether you're commuting or just exploring different neighbourhoods, it's worth giving it a go.