Airport Link A Failure Says Chuwit

[dobadoy]

Oh come on, jai yen yen, at least it chugs along from A to B.

You lot are so demanding.

Now, let's crack on with that nuclear power station, shall we? Anybody?

[on-on]

Get ready for more of this kind of disconnected nonsense as well. As one poster mentioned, it's a fantastic set of individual mass transit options and it's amazing (compared to most Western cities) how quickly it goes up, even with the delays. The problem is solely in the inability to think beyond fiefdoms. Still even when it's a single authority managing something, the problems are inexplicable. For example, the new subway extension from Bang Sue isn't (as planned now) going to connect to the existing Bang Sue station, which already has a second set of tunnels and access points built in underground - even though it's all being managed by MRTA. It's supposed to come up and terminate in its own station. Similarly, other extensions aren't planned to connect directly into existing stations. Then there's the issue of the 5 cards we'll all need to navigate the different systems. On balance all of this is incredibly positive, but it's a bit maddening to see Bangkok repeatedly take the ball all the way down field and then just kick it off the side of the field, sit down in the middle of the field and start arguing between teammates.

[atyclb]

Airport Link would become profitable if it were extended to Lord Palace Massage Cub (guess who the owner is?)

[phanu]

No down escalators on the Paris rail link to airport.

That's not true... There are 2 escalators on each platform...

[dobadoy]

Airport Link would become profitable if it were extended to Lord Palace Massage Cub (guess who the owner is?)

Yup, but prices (among other things) would be sure to rise...

[kokesaat]

"I thought maybe he was thinking of converting them into rolling "massage parlors"... Maybe the staff dressed in stewardess uniforms, etc etc... You get the idea. "

That'd be a happy ending to the story.

[Deeral]

MRT, BTS and the airport link serve no real purpose apart from giving Bangkok an air of modernity. They are way to small to serve any valid function other than that.

Edited May 23, 2011 by Deeral

[lrena]

Don't need Chuvit for someone to see that it's a failure.

[KeyserSoze01]

the period of payback would take over 634 years to break even

Is that with or without the usual skimming of profits off the top?

[tlansford]

used the airport link last time in BKK with lots of luggage and didn't have any problems at all. What's the beef?

[rubl]

MRT, BTS and the airport link serve no real purpose apart from giving Bangkok an air of modernity. They are way to small to serve any valid function other than that.

It's better than nothing, still serving 750,000+ people every day. It's also slowly (yes, oh so slowly) extended. I still remember 1997 with an office in BangNa Tower, BangNa-Trad 6.5k and customers in CBD, lucky if 'only' three hours in a taxi every day.

Edited May 23, 2011 by rubl

[whybother]

MRT, BTS and the airport link serve no real purpose apart from giving Bangkok an air of modernity. They are way to small to serve any valid function other than that.

They beat getting a taxi around Bangkok. I can get from Ratchada/TCC to Silom in less than 30 minutes any time of the day. If I tried that in a taxi, it would take 2 hours.

[pedro01]

I have to wonder if Animatic has ever actually ridden the Airport Link to the airport

Unlikely - he's posting here 24 x 7 - when would he get chance?

[mrdome]

It stops short of the actual airport, so you need change yet again to another form of transport. The escalators are not tuned to move people with baggage, typical usage for an airport.

Are you mixing up airports by any chance? Shall we make an appointment to show you (that it does go all the way to the airport).

[baboon]

Let us say the Government spends a fantastic sum improving the Airport link to a degree where it could be called far and away the best in the world [at the expense of other vital projects needed to benefit the poor and disadvantaged in society.] How long would it be before accusations are made of Thailand selling her unique character?Of Bangkok being a boring `just another city to land in?`

As stated earlier,it is at least a good step in the right direction.Give them a chance!

[baboon]

It stops short of the actual airport, so you need change yet again to another form of transport. The escalators are not tuned to move people with baggage, typical usage for an airport.

Care to clarify, how exactly it stops short of the airport? I thought basement of the terminal building is close enough, or did someone expect it to take you all the way to the gate?

Exactly.Heathrow express anyone?How much does that cost now,by the way?And what about the two Hammersmith tube stations not connected with each other?

[kuffki]

It stops short of the actual airport, so you need change yet again to another form of transport. The escalators are not tuned to move people with baggage, typical usage for an airport.

Care to clarify, how exactly it stops short of the airport? I thought basement of the terminal building is close enough, or did someone expect it to take you all the way to the gate?

Exactly.Heathrow express anyone?How much does that cost now,by the way?And what about the two Hammersmith tube stations not connected with each other?

You can not possibly compare the 2.

One of the main reasons is because taxi from Suv to BKK City is 250-300 baht, while the train ride is 150 plus another 50 or so to change.

Taxi from Heathrow to London city is something like 3000-5000 baht, while the train ride is only around 300-500

So taking Thai airport link ends up costing just as much as just taking the taxi all the way, putting aside all the convenience problems

[baboon]

It stops short of the actual airport, so you need change yet again to another form of transport. The escalators are not tuned to move people with baggage, typical usage for an airport.

Care to clarify, how exactly it stops short of the airport? I thought basement of the terminal building is close enough, or did someone expect it to take you all the way to the gate?

Exactly.Heathrow express anyone?How much does that cost now,by the way?And what about the two Hammersmith tube stations not connected with each other?

You can not possibly compare the 2.

One of the main reasons is because taxi from Suv to BKK City is 250-300 baht, while the train ride is 150 plus another 50 or so to change.

Taxi from Heathrow to London city is something like 3000-5000 baht, while the train ride is only around 300-500

So taking Thai airport link ends up costing just as much as just taking the taxi all the way, putting aside all the convenience problems

The City line is 35 Baht.But if taxis are for you,fair play! It is up to the individual,but at least they have a choice now.

[tombkk]

so pay the 150 bht for the Express airport link and get plenty of luggage space

Hasn't the Express Line been discontinued?

[whybother]

so pay the 150 bht for the Express airport link and get plenty of luggage space

Hasn't the Express Line been discontinued?

No. It's still running.

[on-on]

MRT, BTS and the airport link serve no real purpose apart from giving Bangkok an air of modernity. They are way to small to serve any valid function other than that.

They beat getting a taxi around Bangkok. I can get from Ratchada/TCC to Silom in less than 30 minutes any time of the day. If I tried that in a taxi, it would take 2 hours.

Yes. Whatever complaints I have about execution, statements like the one you quoted are total lunacy. If you really think there's no effect to having these kinds of amenities, go try getting across Jakarta or Manila during rush hour and see what you think. Then come back and pillory Bangkok's infrastructural upgrade. The only valid complaint about them is how stupidly the last mile is handled on each effort, not the sum total of the efforts of the last decade or so - which includes multiple expressways, a subway, a skytrain, an airport train, a bus rapid transit program, multiple extensions to many of the above and several brand new lines underway as well as a monorail. When you have to sit in traffic for four hours just to get to the airport, as you used to have to in Bangkok many days and still have to in Manila on some days, you won't think the skytrain and subway are anything short of miraculous.

[dunkin2012]

then speed trains from BKK-Pattaya is not possible.

Sad....

Edited May 24, 2011 by dunkin2012

[bkk_mike]

It stops short of the actual airport, so you need change yet again to another form of transport. The escalators are not tuned to move people with baggage, typical usage for an airport.

Care to clarify, how exactly it stops short of the airport? I thought basement of the terminal building is close enough, or did someone expect it to take you all the way to the gate?

Exactly.Heathrow express anyone?How much does that cost now,by the way?And what about the two Hammersmith tube stations not connected with each other?

You can not possibly compare the 2.

One of the main reasons is because taxi from Suv to BKK City is 250-300 baht, while the train ride is 150 plus another 50 or so to change.

Taxi from Heathrow to London city is something like 3000-5000 baht, while the train ride is only around 300-500

So taking Thai airport link ends up costing just as much as just taking the taxi all the way, putting aside all the convenience problems

Personally, the Heathrow Express isn't a great service. It's not quite as bad as Makkasan, which isn't linked to anything at all, but Paddington isn't the train station that most people would want to arrive at. It's a Victorian station, so unsurprisingly, there's a distinct lack of escalators rather than stairs if you're changing to the tube. (I've had to lug bags up and down flights of stairs to get to the Hammersmith and City Line at Paddington before now. I'm sure they'd wanted to put in escalators but there will be some idiot at a planning office that will have decided that it wouldn't be 'consistent' with Paddington's listed building status...).

But even that will be fixed. They are building crossrail so that you will soon be able to catch a train to Heathrow from Canary Wharf, or from the City, which makes a lot more sense than Paddington from a passenger perspective.

However, from Heathrow, you can catch the Underground, which is a lot cheaper than the Heathrow Express, and can take you to most parts of London (except Hackney) and if you're careful on where you change, you can often do it without having to drag your bags up/down stairs - except at your destination station.

[virtualtraveller]

This was never going to work in a country where a taxi ride across Bangkok for an hour costs less than $10. Most people who can afford to fly can afford to pay an extra 150 baht for the convenience of a taxi. Unless you severely levy the price of a taxi from the airport (which will be strongly resisted by taxi drivers) who significantly improve the convenience of the service (ie professional ticketing staff, frequent fast trains all the way to Phya Thai station) it's never going to attract paying customers. Another white elephant associated with Suvarnabhumi!

[ALFREDO]

I tried the airport link once from the airport without luggage to the Skytrainstation and on to Nana Station.

First, I had to wait a long time, until the train came, 15-20 minutes and all together the trip was slowly, including waiting times, walking and train changes to Skytrain more than an hour, I think 1:30 hours.

With a lot luggage I would nog like to make that trip.

With Taxi I usualy need 30 minutes to Sukhumvit Soi 11.

I just used the Airportlink in Singapore, cheap, about 60 Baht to city center, fast train changes easy and short and everywhere escalators.

A big difference to Bangkok.

[cutter007]

And the biggest travesty of them all......where's my Thailand Elite private lounge at the stations??

They were originally marketed as moving lounges, but after the Elite card failed, they were

renamed elevators.

Anyone remember that Elite lounge in Don Muang, that was the funniest thing I ever saw.

A 3 meter by 3 meter glass walled room, in the middle of the terminal walkway, with a computer

sitting at it, and a big sign on top that said Thai Elite.

I can only imagine what kind of giant tool someone felt like sitting there like a fish

in a bowl, for a million baht, while all the other non-Elites hung out in the huge and well stocked

airline lounges.

[Sydebolle]

Well, I think the present Airport Link is the culmination of experience and bakshish earned with the forerunning airport link to Don Muang, Meuang, Möüäng "*ç%&!

Does nobody get it? Infrastructure projects are here to improve the financial private infrastructures; should it happen that something really works at the end, the better. The nonstop throughfare is x-times more expensive than the milk run stopping at every station. Thais are Thais, basta!

[4.real]

Wow, 5 posts in and the usual suspects are blaming Thaksin!

Well since it was under his initiative and approval, who else should be blamed? The president of South Africa?

no surely Mr T cannot do any wrong it is no good because he is not in charge and what would have been a wonderful project has been spoilt by current government If only he was back in charge all would be well he will

Make all rich within 6 months how can anyone complain about that

Totally solve drug problem immediately he lands their will be no drugs and surely that is a good thing

Give evert student not only a free computer but free car to go to collage

Walk on water

And if you dont believe any of that please take it up with your local red leader who will be happy to educate you

And wasn't this the same 'mr traffic buster' Taksin who would solve the traffic woes of Bangkok in 6 months...?

His dream plan...'Leave traffic lights on green for much longer periods'....

[tombkk]

And wasn't this the same 'mr traffic buster' Taksin who would solve the traffic woes of Bangkok in 6 months...?

His dream plan...'Leave traffic lights on green for much longer periods'....

This was one of 129 suggestions he tried. I was recently trying to find a list of those 129 suggestion, I know I saw it in a certain English-language newspaper at the time. I googled and searched but couldn't find it.

Does anybody have the list or any details pertaining to the 129 ways of trying to fix the traffic problems in Bangkok?

[tombkk]

MRT, BTS and the airport link serve no real purpose apart from giving Bangkok an air of modernity. They are way to small to serve any valid function other than that.

They beat getting a taxi around Bangkok. I can get from Ratchada/TCC to Silom in less than 30 minutes any time of the day. If I tried that in a taxi, it would take 2 hours.

Yes. Whatever complaints I have about execution, statements like the one you quoted are total lunacy. If you really think there's no effect to having these kinds of amenities, go try getting across Jakarta or Manila during rush hour and see what you think. Then come back and pillory Bangkok's infrastructural upgrade. The only valid complaint about them is how stupidly the last mile is handled on each effort, not the sum total of the efforts of the last decade or so - which includes multiple expressways, a subway, a skytrain, an airport train, a bus rapid transit program, multiple extensions to many of the above and several brand new lines underway as well as a monorail. When you have to sit in traffic for four hours just to get to the airport, as you used to have to in Bangkok many days and still have to in Manila on some days, you won't think the skytrain and subway are anything short of miraculous.

Well said.