The bad news is that it can be quite expensive flying to Bangkok, depending on your point of departure; the good news is that once you're there you can shop around for an inexpensive return ticket. A host of international carriers land at Don Muang, Bangkok's major airport terminal. Flights in and out of Thailand are often overbooked so it's imperative that you reconfirm ongoing flights as soon as you arrive. The departure tax on international flights is around US$13 but this is waived if you're in the country for less than 12 hours. Overland travel from Malaysia is also popular and there are four border crossings between Thailand and Malaysia, two on the west coast, one in the centre and one on the east coast. It's not possible to buy through-fare tickets for rail journeys between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, but the trip can be made on express trains via the Thai-Malaysia border at Pedang Besar. The journey usually requires an overnight stop in Butterworth (Malaysia) in order to comfortably make train connections. The opulent Eastern & Oriental Express does run directly between Bangkok and Singapore, but expect to pay well over US$1000 for the privelege. There are plenty of crossing points between Thailand and Myanmar, Laos or Cambodia, but very few border crossings are made - officially, at least. It's legal for non-Thai foreigners to cross the Mekong River by ferry between Thailand and Laos at several points along the river. Thai International has a useful domestic flight network, although as of June 2000 that network decreased by one when Angel Airlines Co, Thailand's second national carrier, pulled all their planes off the airways while undergoing major company restructuring. Travellers tend to prefer Thailand's good bus and train transport anyway. Buses are phenomenally (read hair-raisingly) fast, and they're also well serviced and air-conditioned. Trains are comfortable, frequent, punctual, moderately priced and rather slow. Cars, jeeps or vans can be rented in Bangkok and large provincial capitals. Motorcycles can be rented in major towns and tourist centres. Local transport includes taxis, tuk-tuks (motorised rickshaws), samlors (bicycle rickshaws) and songthaews (small pick-ups). Taxis are (mostly) metered in Bangkok and songthaews tend to run regular routes, but samlors, tuk-tuks and taxis outside Bangkok require bargaining and agreement on a fare before departure. A unique feature of Thai public transport is the women-only buses that revived up in June 2000 - an attempt by the government to protect female passengers from crime and sexual harrasment.