The upcoming weekend (24/25 August) will see two high-profile music events taking place at Impact Muang Thong Thani.
GFest’s two-day Marathon Concert, featuring rock and pop acts, will take place alongside the highly-anticipated Summer Sonic Bangkok.
If you are in Bangkok for these music festivals, it would be best to plan your journey ahead, given its distance from downtown Bangkok.
Where is Impact?
Impact – full name Impact Arena, Exhibition and Convention Centre – is located in Nonthaburi province, which borders Bangkok, and sits on a sprawling plot of land that also comprises hotels, shopping and sporting facilities.
Getting to Impact
If you are here for the GFest Marathon Concert, it takes place at Impact Arena, while Summer Sonic Bangkok takes place at Impact Challenger Hall.
By train: Unfortunately there are no public train lines that reach Impact, but the nearest two stations are Si Rat and Mueang Thong Thani on the MRT Pink Line. While the Pink Line does not serve downtown Bangkok, it interchanges at Wat Phra Sri Mahathat station on the BTS Sukhumvit (green) Line.
From the MRT stations, take a public van/taxi/motorcycle to Impact. There are also truck taxis (songthaews) available.
By public van: There are public vans that operate from several downtown Bangkok spots into Impact and cost no more than 50 THB one way. These include from BTS Mo Chit station (near Chatuchak market), Victory Monument, as well as Sanam Luang (near the Grand Palace). Drop-off and pick-ups are either at Impact Challenger Hall 3 or at Aktiv Square.
(Do note that these buses run until 9 or 10pm, which means you might not be able to get them out of Impact.)
By public bus: There are also public bus services that operate to the vicinity, though they operate from a farther distance. Line 166 (2-21E) picks up from the Pak Kret Pier along the Chao Phraya river, while line 166 (2-31E) operates from Si Saman in the Pak Kret district. Line 210 operates from BTS Bang Wa station in south-west Bangkok.
By ride-hailing: Ride-hailing apps are aplenty in Bangkok, and you can make use of them to get to and from Impact. There are several pick-up points around the vicinity, including in front of the Impact Arena, as well as Impact Challenger Halls 1 and 3.
If you are headed for Summer Sonic, the show organisers have tied up with ride-hailing firm Bolt to provide discounts to festival-goers. (More details in the Instagram post below)
By road: Given that there will be two mega music festivals taking place, expect traffic to be busier than usual. If you are driving in, parking is available at various locations around Impact, including at the Challenger Hall, and opposite the Impact Exhibition Centre.
Hungry?
So you have time to spare – having planned ahead to come early – and you’re feeling peckish.
Impact is not short of dining options: at Impact Arena, one can find fast-food outlets like McDonalds and KFC, as well as known brands like S&P and Chester’s. There are more options at Impact Challenger Halls – apart from fast food and quick bites, there are also Thai, Chinese and Japanese restaurants.
There is also a 7-Eleven near Impact Arena, for those of us who prefer a small snack or drink.
