Bangkok’s BTS becoming too expensive for Thai passengers

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, newnative said:

   It's slow and it's not really an airport link anymore. You wait forever for the train and when it finally comes it's packed because there are usually only 3 cars.  Forget sitting--feel lucky if you can find space for your suitcase. 

Trains are every 8.5 minutes, and more frequent at rush hours.  Yes, it is especially busy at peak times.

 

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Then it makes 4 or so stops on the way to the airport, while traveling at a not very fast pace.  

Four stops is an issue for you?  It's 25 minutes from end to end.  And it travels at 120kmh, how fast would you like it go?

 

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Finally you get to the airport, the last stop on what has become just another commuter line for all the Thais living along the line and the airport is not a 'link' but just the last stop on this commuter line.

This is a ridiculous statement.  The last stop is in the airport!  You take the lift or the escalators up and you are right in the middle of departures.  Perhaps you're another one of the whingers who doesn't actually use the thing you are whinging about.  

 

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 In regard to the OP, we're probably lucky the fares are high because all the trains in the system are packed due to having only 3 or 4 cars and infrequent intervals.  They've taken out the seats--not sure what is next.  And here's a shout out for ONE fare card that will work on all 3 systems! And that's one of the problems in a nutshell--3 systems and no coordination among them. 

The ARL has not removed any seats.  The MRT and BTS have some areas for standing only but this is very common.  SIngapore and Shanghai both have massive areas with no seats (and people hold both up to be the standard to aspire to).

Mass transit in a huge city gets busy.  Deal with it.  

 

The only point you make that has any validity is the fact there is not a shared ticketing system.  It is quite shameful that this has still not been implemented. 

[Geck0]

17 hours ago, Camillof said:

Airport Link is expensive too

45 baht from Phaya Thai To Swampy is not expensive IMO

[brewsterbudgen]

Way too overcrowded, it needs a more frequent service and or longer carriages. 
 
Price is too high for the lower income local workers in Bangkok. 
 
But it is extremely clean and generally does not have many delays. 
 
 

Thank goodness the price is too high for "lower income" Thais. It's almost impossibly overcrowded in rush hour now. It would be unusable if more people tried to use it.

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[brewsterbudgen]

Just about everything in BKK is soon more expensive than the international equivalents. And the quality of life is spiraling down at the same time. Can't fathom why any one would want to move there.

Most likely because of work or family.

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[mmushr00m]

I find the BTS to be expensive. If it's 2 or more, it is cheaper to take a taxi if going longer distances. Taxi has the added benefit of going door to door too.

 

[brewsterbudgen]

The ARL has not removed any seats.  The MRT and BTS have some areas for standing only but this is very common.  SIngapore and Shanghai both have massive areas with no seats (and people hold both up to be the standard to aspire to).

Mass transit in a huge city gets busy.  Deal with it.  
 
The only point you make that has any validity is the fact there is not a shared ticketing system.  It is quite shameful that this has still not been implemented. 

Good post. I think many people who comment hardly ever use the system they're commenting on!

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[GeorgeCross]

17 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Just about everything in BKK is soon more expensive than the international equivalents. And the quality of life is spiraling down at the same time. Can't fathom why any one would want to move there.

 

live there not so sure about but i can admit that even after being here for 18 years, on the rare occasions i do venture into Bangkok, my first thought on arrival is always the same..

 

"I'm in Bangkok man!!!"

 

 

 

[meand]

3 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Have you been on the BTS? How far do you get for 16 baht? 

Answer = 1 station about 1km. Mr. 300 baht per day will walk that?

 

It is still the last mile that is the killer as BTS just dumps one in a district.  

 

It is a difficult problem as punters will pay 20 baht on a mocy taxi to go 1.5 kms to the BTS. If BTS was cheap then the mocy guys would come under pressure.

That was probably referring to "trips" which are the more economical, commuter's way of purchasing bts monthly credits. 

 

You could potentially travel the entire line, save extensions, for one trip, which i presume is about 16 baht. 

Edited July 5, 2019 by meand

[yokat]

The BTS is expensive, and it's still not enough for them since they put ads EVERYWHERE. Station, outside the train, inside the train, with and without sound...

I hate paying to have my brain polluted with ad songs.

[NoshowJones]

13 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Airport link is expensive!??

 

It is many things but it is not expensive, neither is it slow.

The stations on the Airport link are far too dark and badly signposted, if the sign inside the carriage is not working (which it had not been for months) then it is very hard to find what station the train is at.

But I agree that it is not expensive or slow.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, mmushr00m said:

I find the BTS to be expensive. If it's 2 or more, it is cheaper to take a taxi if going longer distances. Taxi has the added benefit of going door to door too.

 

But what about some of the horrendous traffic jams from station to station, and the

meter still running? That's if it is on in the first place.

[peter14]

Raise min wage to 400 thb. Problem solved

[mike324]

Give this guy a knock....he padded his pocket with $2.5 billion as of 2019. I'm sure lowering the fair just 10 baht, he would still be filthy rich.

 

https://www.forbes.com/profile/keeree-kanjanapas/#324793c13359

 

There is on average 20,000,000 trips per year x 10 baht discount = 200,000,000 baht = around $6.45 million. That's chump change for a billionaire won't you say? But it would help a lot of folks, and actually bring in more riders if its cheaper.

 

[kkerry]

6 hours ago, newnative said:

we're probably lucky the fares are high because all the trains in the system are packed due to having only 3 or 4 cars and infrequent intervals.  They've taken out the seats--not sure what is next.

 

It wasn't easy but I've managed to access a top secret transport planning document proposing an innovative solution to the current overcrowding problem on the Airport Link. With fewer westerners and an increase in tourists from countries nearer to Thailand this may just work...

 

 

[Alan Michael]

The Bangkok Sky Train is If it is un affordable, then why are the trains so crowded with passengers?

The trains and service are cleaner, better and more on time than anything the UK has got.

[473geo]

3 minutes ago, Alan Michael said:

The Bangkok Sky Train is If it is un affordable, then why are the trains so crowded with passengers?

The trains and service are cleaner, better and more on time than anything the UK has got.

In general Trains and Tubes in the UK are not bad at all these days

 

Trains anywhere will be crowded if the alternative travel options are not so attractive

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

The stations on the Airport link are far too dark and badly signposted, if the sign inside the carriage is not working (which it had not been for months) then it is very hard to find what station the train is at.

But I agree that it is not expensive or slow.

I agree with you that the stations are very badly designed.  Why on earth they are fully closed on one side?  There is absolutely no airflow and they are very sweaty places.  They installed fans all the way along all the platforms a couple of years ago but they've never been turned on.

 

I use it every day but luckily I get on at Hua Mark which is open on all sides so there is always a breeze.  No idea why they couldn't open the other stations.

[Mel52]

But the other article said that Thai people are just spending money like crazy because now the baht is the strongest currency in the world or something [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] not sure where they’re getting their statistics from I mean according to Bloomberg their ranking like number 25 or something like that in all of Asia

 

 

 

 

 

[Mel52]

The baht is a little stronger but no where near as strong as they say it’s seriously over exaggerated

 

 

 

 

[hansnl]

23 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Technological development has vastly outpaced social development in Thailand.  The social and financial  divide is growing by the year and the government is doing very little to address this growing imbalance.  Fares in Bangkok, that only the middle class can afford, is just one more small but significant indicator or what could eventually pull this country apart; again. 

Any difference between Thailand and your own country?

[Pilotman]

12 minutes ago, hansnl said:

Any difference between Thailand and your own country?

oh a million things.  People are better educated, free health care, much higher minimum wage now a living wage, complete social mobility, higher average wage for all sectors of the work force, much higher old age pension, higher wages for low level jobs. a social security safety net for the poorest in the community; need I go on?  

[thrilled]

BTS might be more expensive but rush hour it’s not easy to get on.As long as it’s crowded the fares will stay the same or go up.

[StayinThailand2much]

 

Those are interesting comparisons.... I'm guessing part of the reason behind the divergence is Bangkok decided to operate its rail lines as for profit corporate ventures with the operators linked to real estate development and other related ventures...

 

Whereas I'm presuming, some of the other cities mentioned chose to build and develop their rail lines as government-run, public sector transit systems where the actual goal was to provide efficient, affordable transit for the public vs. making a lot of developers and corporate types even richer than they already were.

 

Can travel by subway from one end of Shenzhen/China (same in Guangzhou) to the other for 32 baht, add 9 baht to get to the airport. Very efficient, very extensive network (can get to almost any part of town), has lifts up to the platforms, and always punctual!

 

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[FritsSikkink]

12 hours ago, Prairieboy said:

A minimum wage earner (~300 baht/day) traveling twice daily at 16 baht each way spends 10% of his/her salary for transport on the BTS.

The minimum wage in Bangkok is higher than 300 THB

[diddygq]

On 7/4/2019 at 7:19 PM, trainman34014 said:

Wait until they see the fares on the new HST's; they will be running empty !    Mind you; if it ever gats built it will be some kind of miracle.

One line will be built for sure and that's because the Chinese are doing it. It's going to start in Kunming and run through Vientiane and then on to Bangkok. 

So, get ready for even more hoards of Chinese tourists in the years to come. 

[diddygq]

57 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

The minimum wage in Bangkok is higher than 300 THB

Tell that to all the Burmese construction workers making 120 baht for 10 hours work. 

[justin case]

the shareholders are happy...the rest can take the bus