Taxi:
The best way to get around in Bangkok is to use a taxi. There are so many taxis in Bangkok that getting hold of one is extremely easy. Just stand on the side of the road and raise your arm. The taxis are metered, and the meter starts on 35 Bath and increases very slowly. From Banglamphoo to Patpong, which is almost across the whole city, costs around 70 Bath.

Occasionally, you may come across a taxi driver who doesn't want to use the meter, but instead quotes you a fixed price before leaving. If you ask him to use the meter instead, he'll either say you're getting a special deal since you're such a good friend, that the price will be the same anyway or that the meter is broken. In either case, he's lying. If this happens, just ignore the guy, walk away and get another taxi down the street.

Tuk-tuk:
Another option is to use a tuk-tuk. These are three-wheeled motorcycles, and the problem is not getting hold of them, but rather getting rid of annoying tuk-tuk drivers when you don't want to go anywhere. They have no meter, and you're supposed to negotiate the price before the journey. All of them will try to rip you off by quoting a much too high price, and it's up to you bargain. Our advice is to do as follows:

First take taxi a couple of times to get a feeling of how much a ride should cost. Then when a tuk-tuk approaches you (and you actually want to go somewhere), quote a price that is a somewhat lower than a taxi ride would cost. When they guy starts screaming about your destination being "very far" etc, just tell him "it's cheaper with taxi" and walk away. He'll come running after you, making a much better offer. However, don't accept until you feel that the offer is actually cheaper than a taxi ride would have been. Keep walking away until his offer is good enough. Remember, the ride is more important to him than to you. You have lots of other options, as there are virtually millions of taxis and other tuk-tuks around.

Bus:
It is also possible to take the bus. There are lots of buses going around, but you need a bus map as their destination is not written on the buses, only their number. A ride costs about 5 Bath and you just get on the bus and pay the conductor who comes around selling tickets. However, getting across town by bus will probably involve several interchanges and take several hours. If you're a group of people, forget about the bus, and take a taxi instead. It might even be cheaper.

Sky train:
Finally, it is possible to take the sky train. However, this won't probably be an option as it only covers a small area of the city, and if you're more than one person it will be more expensive than taking a taxi. The train is very nice, though.