BTS to replace single-trip magnetic cards with smart Thin Cards

[rooster59]

BTS to replace single-trip magnetic cards with smart Thin Cards

 

 

BTS Group Holdings Pcl will replace the single-trip magnetic cards with smart cards or Thin Cards to accommodate the expansion of skytrain services with the opening of the Green Line between Samrong and Samut Prakan tentatively scheduled this yearend, followed by the opening of the Green Line between Mor Chit and Khu Khot, the Pink Line between Kaerai and Min Buri and Yellow Line between Lat Phrao and Samrong.

BTS Group managing director Surapong Laoha-anya said Friday that the company would also replace the existing ticket selling machines with about 200 touch-screen ticket ticket selling machines and to add another 50 automatic ticket selling booths which accept banknotes at all BTS train stations.

 

This process will start this month starting at six stations, namely Siam, Chong Nonsee, Krung Thonburi, Wongwien Yai, Talad Plu, Bang Wa, Udomsuk and Baring and, later on, will cover all train stations in six months.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bts-replace-single-trip-magnetic-cards-smart-thin-cards/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-06-16

[rheinwiese]

Standing by for the announcement of next fare hike

[Crossy]

I strongly recommend anyone who is still using single-ride tickets to get a Rabbit card even if only an occasional user. Rabbit cards will still be able to use all gates.

 

During the changeover it will be confusing for passengers although there will be signage showing which gates accept the new cards and which use only the old cards. I've seen the draft signage, trust me you will be confused.

 

The job must be completed by December as that's when the line past Samrong is due to open, the new equipment does not accept magnetic cards.

 

Sadly, despite advice from the consultants, BTS will not be increasing the number of gates on the existing stations.

[mtls2005]

How will the new single-trip "thin" cards be retained, after the journey is completed?

 

If the new cards need to be inserted, please, please, please have one side bright red, with an X on it, and the other side, bright green with a large arrow on it.

 

Waiting behind folks to try the card three times before success leads to massive queues.

[flyingtlger]

I wish they'd make a card that you can use for the BTS as well as the MRT....

[sungod]

10 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Sadly, despite advice from the consultants, BTS will not be increasing the number of gates on the existing stations.

They need a away to limit people on the heavily crowded platforms at peak times, all trying to squeeze into a handful of 4 car trains. They increased the passenger numbers without increasing the capacity, but no doubt the consultants told them that too!!!!!

[Crossy]

7 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

If the new cards need to be inserted, please, please, please have one side bright red, with an X on it, and the other side, bright green with a large arrow on it.

 

Insert only on exit, entry is tap on the pad. No need for arrows, the new cards work in any orientation. 

 

4 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

I wish they'd make a card that you can use for the BTS as well as the MRT....

Rabbit came within an inch of working on the MRT a number of years back, technical work was complete it literally just needed switching on. Then the politics/mistrust got in the way.

 

Similar political wrangling (and government agency incompetence) is hobbling Mangmoom.

 

2 minutes ago, sungod said:

... but no doubt the consultants told them that too!!!!!

Consultants are there to be ignored, then blamed when things go wrong. It's what we do. Of course, fixing the foul-up afterwards attracts a premium rate 

 

[BKKBike09]

18 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

If the new cards need to be inserted, please, please, please have one side bright red, with an X on it, and the other side, bright green with a large arrow on it.

 

But then there'd be no room for advertising, so that's not going to work!

[NCC1701A]

photo caption:

 

"What is more important, how long you stand in line, or my vacation home in the South of France?"

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

Been in Bangkok two days.

After yesterdays experience it is really absurd to read what problems they deal with adding to the existing chaos.

Yesterday, 8 PM at Asok:

(and from what others say this is routine, took me 4 trains passing to get there)

Edited June 16, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[Crossy]

5 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Yesterday, 8 PM at Asok:

Asoke can get very busy even that late in the evening, I things were exacerbated last night by a "technical failure" of some kind, probably signaling, not clear at present.

[rhodie]

Just saw this announcement yesterday that Mangmoom cards will be usable on the MRT from June 23.

 

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, rhodie said:

Just saw this announcement yesterday that Mangmoom cards will be usable on the MRT from June 23.

 

Do you have a link?

 

My understanding is that it will only be the "low income" variant that goes live so the general public won't be able to obtain them, still won't work on the BTS mind.

[rhodie]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Do you have a link?

 

My understanding is that it will only be the "low income" variant that goes live so the general public won't be able to obtain them, still won't work on the BTS mind.

Just search Mangmoom card usable on MRT from June 23 on Google. Link to that publication is forbidden I think. It will initially only be on certain lines.

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, rhodie said:

Just search Mangmoom card usable on MRT from June 23 on Google.

Thanks for that. I will believe it when I can go and buy one, I suspect there's something been lost in the translation.

[rhodie]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

Thanks for that. I will believe it when I can go and buy one, I suspect there's something been lost in the translation.

Won't be the first time. ? But we should know either way in a week.

[Crossy]

5 minutes ago, rhodie said:

Won't be the first time. ? But we should know either way in a week.

Don't forget, the internals of the card are the same as the current MRT Plus, and without BTS it's going to work in the same places as MRT Plus.

 

Anyone spot an opportunity for face-saving and a chance to use up a bunch of cards printed "Mangmoom"?

 

Meanwhile MRTA are heading off down the contactless EMV route for a card useable on all modes. There's an announcement on the MRTA website somewhere (in Thai of course), I'll see if I can find it.

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

During the changeover it will be confusing for passengers although there will be signage showing which gates accept the new cards and which use only the old cards. I've seen the draft signage, trust me you will be confused.

Also, expect even longer queues and malfunctioning equipment. The other day they needed 10 minutes to close a train's doors at Siam. And what happened to the automatic doors on the platforms there; suddenly they had been removed?

[sungod]

40 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Asoke can get very busy even that late in the evening, I things were exacerbated last night by a "technical failure" of some kind, probably signaling, not clear at present.

I actually find Asoke one of the best stations to be able to get on a train due to the high volume of people getting off. Try getting on anywhere between Asoke and Siam that time of night, quicker to walk.

[shady86]

How about increasing the number of ticket gates at stations with only 4 to 5 gates? On weekdays, only one gate is opened for entrance to platform and first time users who don't know whether to tap or insert ticket hold up the entrance. All stations along sukhumvit line really needs at leat 8 to 10 gates each side to cope with passengers during rush hour.

[phetphet]

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

I strongly recommend anyone who is still using single-ride tickets to get a Rabbit card even if only an occasional user. Rabbit cards will still be able to use all gates.

 

During the changeover it will be confusing for passengers although there will be signage showing which gates accept the new cards and which use only the old cards. I've seen the draft signage, trust me you will be confused.

 

The job must be completed by December as that's when the line past Samrong is due to open, the new equipment does not accept magnetic cards.

 

Sadly, despite advice from the consultants, BTS will not be increasing the number of gates on the existing stations.

Plus, one can use those Rabbit cards in some food courts such as Siam Paragon and some Central to pay for food. Saves queueing for a food card. Also various other outlets. Very handy on my trips to BKK. 

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Plus, one can use those Rabbit cards in some food courts such as Siam Paragon and some Central to pay for food. Saves queueing for a food card. Also various other outlets. Very handy on my trips to BKK. 

Rabbit really have got the jump on any government-sponsored system particularly now it is active in Chiang Mai and Phuket. IMHO it was a mistake by BMCL (now BEM) not to go with Rabbit, but they had their reasons one assumes.

 

Rabbit will, of course, work on the Pink and Yellow lines and with the coming tie-in with Line Pay (no more queuing to top up your card) really is becoming a first-class player.

 

 

Some time ago I was working on a project for a national smart card in Thailand (it eventually morphed into Mangmoom), the project working title was "White Elephant" (from the Thai meaning, not the western one). Rabbit was, at the time, a mere kitten. In order to make best use of the paltry project budget I suggested that we should buy (or at least buy in to) Rabbit, I was lucky to get out of that meeting alive (and I kept my job too). It is still my opinion that we should have gone that way. But like I said earlier, consultants are employed to be ignored.

[Jonmarleesco]

BTS and smart. There's an oxymoron for you; at least where service is concerned. 

 

While he's at it, perhaps the big cheese could look at staff training, which he may rest assured - even if he doesn't want to - is sadly lacking. Desk staff apart - and it's certainly lacking there - one driver (likely the same one) managed to all but catapult passengers from the train with the worst departure driving I've witnessed. Not content with doing it once, on the Thursday afternoon, he likely managed to replicate the feat on the Friday afternoon; same time, 4.15, same station, Phrom Phong. 

 

'... Surapong Laoha-anya said ... the company would also replace the existing ticket selling machines ...'

 

Let's trust they can facilitate payment with all the coins and notes, something they can't at present.

[Jonmarleesco]

'Sadly, despite advice from theconsultants, BTS will not ...'

 

Now there's a surprise.

[Jonmarleesco]

10 hours ago, Crossy said:

I've seen the draft signage, trust me you will be confused.

I trust your opinion implicitly, Crossy. I am also all too aware of the Thais' inbuilt ability to cock up the simplest thing, so I have no doubt that I'll be confused.

[Crossy]

11 minutes ago, Jonmarleesco said:

Let's trust they can facilitate payment with all the coins and notes, something they can't at present.

Ah!

[arithai12]

21 hours ago, Crossy said:

Some time ago I was working on a project .....

consultants are employed to be ignored.

So true. In my experience, foreign consultants are hired just so that the Thai manager can show that he listened to some expert. In practice, he will do what he thinks is right regardless of any recommendation.

 

[phetphet]

On 6/16/2018 at 12:51 PM, Crossy said:

Rabbit really have got the jump on any government-sponsored system particularly now it is active in Chiang Mai and Phuket. IMHO it was a mistake by BMCL (now BEM) not to go with Rabbit, but they had their reasons one assumes.

 

Rabbit will, of course, work on the Pink and Yellow lines and with the coming tie-in with Line Pay (no more queuing to top up your card) really is becoming a first-class player.

 

 

Some time ago I was working on a project for a national smart card in Thailand (it eventually morphed into Mangmoom), the project working title was "White Elephant" (from the Thai meaning, not the western one). Rabbit was, at the time, a mere kitten. In order to make best use of the paltry project budget I suggested that we should buy (or at least buy in to) Rabbit, I was lucky to get out of that meeting alive (and I kept my job too). It is still my opinion that we should have gone that way. But like I said earlier, consultants are employed to be ignored.

It's creeping into Samui as well now, as I have noticed they accept it at Dairy Queen in Central Festival here.

[InMyShadow]

On Saturday, June 16, 2018 at 8:30 AM, sungod said:

They need a away to limit people on the heavily crowded platforms at peak times, all trying to squeeze into a handful of 4 car trains. They increased the passenger numbers without increasing the capacity, but no doubt the consultants told them that too!!!!!

Doesn't bother me. If I need to use the BTS I just don't go on peak hour. 

[dddave]

On 6/16/2018 at 10:09 AM, shady86 said:

How about increasing the number of ticket gates at stations with only 4 to 5 gates? On weekdays, only one gate is opened for entrance to platform and first time users who don't know whether to tap or insert ticket hold up the entrance. All stations along sukhumvit line really needs at leat 8 to 10 gates each side to cope with passengers during rush hour.

When the BTS first opened, this was the case; ample gates: entering & exiting.  Then, as the BTS added new stations, rather than invest in new gates, they continually cannibalized gates from existing stations.  My home station: Phra Khanong has gone from 10 gates to 4. Even major, hi-traffic stations such as Asok and Siam lost gates though they actually needed more. 

Platform congestion at peak hours, especially at Siam and Asok is becoming a real problem, poor traffic flow with people criss-crossing at critical choke points.

I can't imagine what it will be like when the new stations are added to both ends of the Green Line, especially at mid-point stations where people often have to wait for 2 or 3 trains before boarding at peak times.

 

Edited June 17, 2018 by dddave