Hotels launch the Bangkok jambuster

If you think reaching Heathrow or Gatwick is a bore, you should try Bangkok airport. So bad is congestion on the road between the Thai capital and Don Muang international airport, that the 20-mile journey can take three hours. Now three hotels have launched the Airport River Express Service, which takes a guaranteed 60 minutes. Guests of the Oriental, Sheraton and Shangri-La hotels can catch a minibus from the airport to the Chao Phraya river, where they transfer to what is said to be a 'jet-propelled' boat for the cruise to the city. The fare is about pounds 17, compared with 12p on the bus, but the trip is well worthwhile: the river is a magnificent way to arrive in Bangkok.