Airport-Makasan-Blue Line with Baggage

[OneZero]

I'll be taking airport bus from Jomtien to Suvannaphum Airport, getting on rail line to Makasan station and then transferring to Blue Line MRT to go to Lumpini area where my condo is located.  I will have a couple heavy backpack type bags, but No suitcases. 

 

I seem to remember at one time folks were complaining about the difficult walking transition / transfer between Makkasan station and the MRT blue line.

 

If anybody has experience, please comment on the difficulty of this transition.   Thank you.

 

 

[tomazbodner]

It is probably 400-500m walk down from platform to road level by escalators, u-turn and down another level to MRT. There will be security check and your bag will probably beep. It should not be as bad as getting off Maglev in Shanghai where they take everything out of your bag for inspection, but they could ask you to open it. Then it's another set of escalators down to ticket office level and one more to trains. I'd say you could do it in 5-10 minutes walking.

 

[Lemsta69]

Lumphini boys should be taking the AOT limo not the SkyTrain ????

[Lakegeneve]

A couple issues depend on how you can traverse this. The most important is your fitness for carrying your 2 heavy backpacks. It is about a 300m total transfer distance between the ARL & MRT via the pedestrian link and normally easy with a trolley bag.

 

The other main factor is the time of day when you will be travelling, ie peak hour or not? I'd avoid doing it at peak hour as the MRT is very full - if morning peak up until 9.30am then forget about it as pax are crammed and it is normal to wait 1-2 trains to board. It will be very tough with 2 large backpacks.

 

Another option is to alight at ARL Ratchprarop station and just take a taxi straight south down Ratchaprarop rd to Lumpini/Rama4 intersection if it is a quieter time of the day. (Private vehicles are not allowed to use the soutbound bus lane but taxis usuaully can and do)  Again, don't do this at peak times.

[tomazbodner]

15 minutes ago, Lakegeneve said:

Another option is to alight at ARL Ratchprarop station and just take a taxi straight south down Ratchaprarop rd to Lumpini/Rama4 intersection if it is a quieter time of the day. (Private vehicles are not allowed to use the soutbound bus lane but taxis usuaully can and do)  Again, don't do this at peak times.

Ratchaprarop is one way most of the time. So he should get off at Phyathai to go south, while Ratchaprarop is good going north. For taxi it's hard to make a right-turn so close to station.

 

17 minutes ago, Lakegeneve said:

The other main factor is the time of day when you will be travelling, ie peak hour or not?

Great point. Asoke and Petchaburi MRT stations are a mess during rush hour, especially north bound.

[blackcab]

Just to make it really clear, you previously had to descend to street level and walk to the MRT as there was no physical connection linking the two stations.

 

This has changed. Several years ago a direct covered link bridge/walkway was added to connect both stations.

 

If you are unsure of the route just follow everyone else, as most people take this route to get to the MRT.

[OneZero]

Everybody, thank you so much for your very helpful input.  I should have initially been more explicit by explaining that my "Lumpini Park View" condo on Rama IV has the Blue Line Soi Ngam Dupli entrance right at the condo front door.  So, I think my best option is to get off ARL at Phetchburi & walk to MRT.  

 

My final question concerns the times of the day to avoid peak hours MRT Phetchburi location many folks already crammed onboard.  My initial reaction to Tomazbodner comment ref 0930 hrs was not clear (ie, before or after).  I would guess that the biggest crowds would be when people go to work am, and when they return home pm.  Or is it busy all day long?

 

Thanks again everybody, for your helpful input.

 

 

[FritsSikkink]

You will be dripping with sweat as most of the walk is not airconditioned.

[OneZero]

2 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

You will be dripping with sweat as most of the walk is not airconditioned.

OK, I'll ditch the coat & tie and wear tank top & speedo.  Just kidding, thanks for your input.  But, I'll try it at least once to see how it works out. 

Again, unless I get further helpful input concerning crowded MRT times, I will assume the crowds are rush hour times weekdays before 0930 & then again probably 1600-1830.

[blackcab]

41 minutes ago, OneZero said:

So, I think my best option is to get off ARL at Phetchburi & walk to MRT.

 

You will be getting off at ARL station Makkasan and walking to MRT station Phetchaburi. The stations do not share the same name.

 

MRT busy times are in line with what you said above. MRT trains are frequent, so if one is absolutely packed and you have bags then perhaps just wait 3-4 minutes for the next train.

[OneZero]

Again, thank you all for the very helpful input.

[tomazbodner]

1 hour ago, OneZero said:

I would guess that the biggest crowds would be when people go to work am, and when they return home pm.  Or is it busy all day long?

Your direction (south towards Lumpini station) the biggest crowd would be 8 am to about 9.30 am, and northbound after about 5 pm to about 8 pm.

 

Going south you should be fine if you come anytime after 9.30 am, which would probably mean leaving Suvarnabhumi by ARL after 9 am.

[Crossy]

All good stuff above.

 

BUT

 

To be brutally honest, with anything other than hand-baggage, get a taxi from the airport and arrive refreshed (OK, a few beers poorer)

[Thailand J]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

To be brutally honest, get a taxi from the airport and arrive refreshed (OK, rather poorer)

or leave the luggage behind, buy everything new.

[Lakegeneve]

2 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Ratchaprarop is one way most of the time. So he should get off at Phyathai to go south, while Ratchaprarop is good going north. For taxi it's hard to make a right-turn so close to station.

2 hours ago, Lakegeneve said:

(Private vehicles are not allowed to use the soutbound bus lane but taxis usuaully can and do)  Again, don't do this at peak times.

Ratchaprarop has a single bus southbound lane 24/7. However, taxis are also allowedto use it though it is no uncommon for private vehicles to sneak allow as well - they are allowed late at night. And there is no right turn, you simply exit the ARL station at the east exit which is on the east side of Ratchprarop rd and walk 30m south across the SRT eastern line and Makkasan rd. Grab a taxi there outside Verve condo or a little further along at the corner of soi 8 (one way, west) as taxis tend to exit from there.

 

The reason why you don't want to do this at peak is that buses back up at Pratunam intersection (Petchaburi rd) along the single lane and you could literally spend 20-25 mins travelling the 1km south to Ratchaprasong intersection- the literal center of Thailand.

[Lakegeneve]

2 hours ago, blackcab said:

Just to make it really clear, you previously had to descend to street level and walk to the MRT as there was no physical connection linking the two stations.

 

This has changed. Several years ago a direct covered link bridge/walkway was added to connect both stations.

The pedestrian link cost US$3m to build and opened in mid 2013,some 3 years after the ARL opened! It has been a very, long time since anyone had to cross at street level to the MRT.

 

These links used to be an after thought,eg. BTS to MRT at Asoke opened 1 yr after and BTS to MRT at Silom 2 yrs later. Thankfully, these days they are being built when new lines are bult.

[Thailand J]

I have done it.. Just follow the elevated walkway from Makkasan. Blue line MRT entrance is marked X in the pic:

[tomazbodner]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

All good stuff above.

 

BUT

 

To be brutally honest, with anything other than hand-baggage, get a taxi from the airport and arrive refreshed (OK, a few beers poorer)

Just heard from my friend arriving that it was 700 baht one time, and 1200 baht the second time for taxi from Swampy. They didn't even want to hear about using a meter. That's the official taxi counter on ground floor. Before COVID going to about the same area I'd have about 200-250 baht on the meter, plus the 50 baht fee. 700/1200 baht seems like a rip off, to the point I'd rather recommend anyone arriving to take ARL to Ratchaprarop or Phyathai and taxi from there to save both time and money.

[tomazbodner]

1 hour ago, Lakegeneve said:

Ratchaprarop has a single bus southbound lane 24/7. However, taxis are also allowedto use it though it is no uncommon for private vehicles to sneak allow as well - they are allowed late at night. And there is no right turn, you simply exit the ARL station at the east exit which is on the east side of Ratchprarop rd and walk 30m south across the SRT eastern line and Makkasan rd. Grab a taxi there outside Verve condo or a little further along at the corner of soi 8 (one way, west) as taxis tend to exit from there.

 

The reason why you don't want to do this at peak is that buses back up at Pratunam intersection (Petchaburi rd) along the single lane and you could literally spend 20-25 mins travelling the 1km south to Ratchaprasong intersection- the literal center of Thailand.

You're right. Lived there for 15 years but just moved out of there close to 2 years back (all that shooting that happened years earlier and looked like it would happen again), so I forgot the other exit to Ideo Verve, although I took it sooooo many times when stopping at MaxValu... before it closed, like most stuff around there.

 

Thanks for reminding me of the area ????

Edited November 29, 2022 by tomazbodner

[steven100]

get a taxi right through to your condo ..... if you can afford a condo in Lumpini Mansion Park View or what every the heck it's called then you can afford a taxi.

Why mess around lugging backpacks etc to save a few hundred baht .... geeeze.

Edited November 29, 2022 by steven100

[FritsSikkink]

18 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Just heard from my friend arriving that it was 700 baht one time, and 1200 baht the second time for taxi from Swampy. They didn't even want to hear about using a meter. That's the official taxi counter on ground floor. Before COVID going to about the same area I'd have about 200-250 baht on the meter, plus the 50 baht fee. 700/1200 baht seems like a rip off, to the point I'd rather recommend anyone arriving to take ARL to Ratchaprarop or Phyathai and taxi from there to save both time and money.

If you take a taxi from the counter (not a limousine service), they have to use the meter and you will be nowhere near 700 thb.

[tomazbodner]

58 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

If you take a taxi from the counter (not a limousine service), they have to use the meter and you will be nowhere near 700 thb.

I claimed the same, taxi drivers proved me wrong.

[josephbloggs]

On 11/29/2022 at 8:07 PM, steven100 said:

get a taxi right through to your condo ..... if you can afford a condo in Lumpini Mansion Park View or what every the heck it's called then you can afford a taxi.

Why mess around lugging backpacks etc to save a few hundred baht .... geeeze.

Who said he's trying to save money?

[FritsSikkink]

8 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

I claimed the same, taxi drivers proved me wrong.

Only have been to Don Muang multiple times the last years and don't have an issue there at all, Suv could have changed.