Subway Ticket Machines

[simon43]

This fact just hit me when I used the new subway a few days ago. Unless I'm completely stupid and can't see 'PRESS HERE FOR ENGLISH' buttons on the ticket machines, then the station names on the screen graphic are only written in Thai.

OK, this is Thailand, and Thai is the national language, but surely they must have provided an English menu for tourists??

I can read Thai, so it's no probs for me to use the machine, but I've seen lots of farang tourists completely stumped by these machines, and they have to buy their tickets from the manned office.

So are these machines only Thai language, or is the ENGLISH button well-hidden, or do I need to get my eyes tested?

[joebuzzard]

There's an English button at the top right of the touchscreen. I was having trouble getting it to work. A guard came over and pressed the button for me and wa-la, station names in English.

[simon43]

There's an English button at the top right of the touchscreen. I was having trouble getting it to work. A guard came over and pressed the button for me and wa-la, station names in English. 

OK, so where can I find a good optician?

[bkkmadness]

For man that's mastered the computer business, can't believe a Thai ticket machine stumped you!

[simon43]

I wasn't stumped by the machine cos I can read Thai, but obviously my eyes were so focused on reading the squiggles, I missed the English button

(This is a well-known condition amongst us geniuses...)

[jhj2000]

Mao mao

[simon43]

Who?? Me?? I have a medical condition that excludes drinking anything stronger than water

I have to remain sober if I am to interprete all the weird dots, dashes and curly lines that they use for letters here in LoS

As for those ticket machines, I enjoy holding up the queue whilst I practice my Thai reading...

[kenk3z]

My suggestion is for you to skip the token machines and go for the stored-value fare card. Then you don't have to stand in line for a token. I did have some difficulty at the first station I went to in asking for the fare card, as I couldn't make myself understood. But I now think I could have pointed to one they had on display.

There is a deposit of 50 baht to give you the card, and then you can store prepaid baht on the card. 200-300 baht is about right for the moderate traveler. Too much and the card becomes too valuable. When you need more value on the card, it only takes about one minute at the window. Hand over your cash and they place your card on a little read/write table to add the value desired.

Then when you come into the subway station you just hold the card over the same spot you hold the token, and you're through. There is a display when the card is read to show how much baht is left.

For only 50 baht you can feel like a dirty, rich farang - bypassing the 50 people standing in line to buy a 20 baht token.

kenk3z

[simon43]

Kenk3z, what a great idea! Gee, I just love this modern technology

[Axel]

Kenk3z, what a great idea! Gee, I just love this modern technology

For someone who is now over 35 years old, Simon43 is a pretty foggy nickname

Simon, I just updated your signature as above with lots of discount. With this one you learn how to use the subway.

Me too old, in Hong Kong they have the same and I always end up with a cheap student's ticket. albeit the same price as mine would be for a short distance