Bangkok Airways Closes City Check-In Counter At Makkasan

[webfact]

Bangkok Airways closes city check-in counter at Makkasan

BANGKOK, June 25 - Thailand's domestic carrier Bangkok Airways closed its check-in service at Bangkok's City Air Terminal, also known as Makkasan Station.

Airline public relations director Nantika Worawan said the service is closed temporarily, as few passengers used the facility on average per day.

Bangkok Airways initially expected some 400 passengers would check in at the City Air Terminal, or about 20 per cent of approximately 2,000 travellers using the carrier at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The figure expected was later lowered to 20-50 passengers per day.

Ms Nantika said such low numbers were due to the fact that it was more practical and convenient for travellers to take a taxi directly to the airport.

She said the carrier will re-open its counter when the government attracts more riders to use the Makkasan Station service, which may be positively affected by providing added convenience in travelling, and building a department store within the compound.

Meanwhile, Thai Airways International (THAI) continues to offer its city check-in service, but the number of counters was reduced from four to one, for only some 15 passengers use the facility daily. The airline has not yet halted service as the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is not charging for use of the counter.

Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport Airport Link began full operation in January when its check-in service was opened for the first time.

The 28-km rail link connects Suvarnabhumi Airport in adjacent Samut Prakan province and the City Air Terminal in Bangkok’s Makkasan area. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-06-25

[kartman]

:):):)

[rotary]

Another surprise

[p_brownstone]

And so begins the long expected decline of the Services available.

I wonder how long it will be before the direct Airport Link - the Express Service - is terminated.

Does anyone have a Link to Passenger Statistics?

I looked at the official Site - http://www.bangkokairporttrain.com - but there is no data.

I was surprised to see the negative news posted in that Section of the Website however - http://www.bangkokairporttrain.com/news.html , seems rather strange to advertise ones own failures in such a way.

Patrick

[WhizBang]

 

She said the carrier will re-open its counter when the government attracts more riders to use the Makkasan Station service, which may be positively affected by providing added convenience in travelling, and building a department store within the compound.

Building a department store within the compound?  <deleted>...  how will this attract more travellers to use the AIRPORT RAIL LINK.  

When I am on my way to the airport, luggage in tow, the last thing I am thinking of doing is going to a department store to shop.

More stupid thinking from the Thai elite. 

Edited June 25, 2011 by WhizBang

[whybother]

She said the carrier will re-open its counter when the government attracts more riders to use the Makkasan Station service, which may be positively affected by providing added convenience in travelling, and building a department store within the compound.

Building a department store within the compound? <deleted>... how will this attract more travellers to use the AIRPORT RAIL LINK.

When I am on my way to the airport, luggage in tow, the last thing I am thinking of doing is going to a department store to shop.

More stupid thinking from the Thai elite.

The "compound" is the whole area around the station that is currently empty. There are plans for hotels, apartments, shops etc on this land.

What Makkasan station needs is better taxi access. At the moment, there is only access to Asoke/Ratchada Rd ... and only in one direction. If they had access to Petchaburi near Suk Soi 3, the station would be useful to a lot more people.

[jfchandler]

Urban planning, Thai-style, at its best on display...

[Japhrodisiac]

I haven't used the station yet, but from driving by several times by taxi, it seems that one would have to lug their luggage up themselves. Seems very inconvenient and poorly planned.

[LadyBytes]

What Makkasan station needs is better taxi access. At the moment, there is only access to Asoke/Ratchada Rd ... and only in one direction. If they had access to Petchaburi near Suk Soi 3, the station would be useful to a lot more people.

And the only taxi I have ever caught from Makkasan had a fake meter. Cost me 4 times what it should have, no use arguing, how could I prove it?

[whybother]

And the only taxi I have ever caught from Makkasan had a fake meter. Cost me 4 times what it should have, no use arguing, how could I prove it?

Pay a little over what you think the fair should be, and if he complains, tell him to call the police. Works for me.

[zappalot]

And the only taxi I have ever caught from Makkasan had a fake meter. Cost me 4 times what it should have, no use arguing, how could I prove it?

http://www.allsiam.n...es-in-2010.html

i always monitor the meter as i had a fake meter once as well. i learned my lesson. 4 km are about 50 baht. The fist km is free. knowing this helps a lot.

[eastbaybob]

One time i went to Hong Kong. And when i was leaving Hong Kong I took a flight on an airline. And i checked into the flight a the rail station to the airport. And not only was Cathay there but all the airlines it seemed. And it was so convenient as you could check in and then visit the city for a while then go back to catch your flight out of Hing Kong.

I love Thailand very much, but sometimes I wish that before they built their airport and before they built their airport link they would have gone to Hong Kong and taken lots of pictures of the infrastructure there and maybe even bought black market blue prints and tried to replicate HKIA and the Airport Express as closely as possible.

[ratcatcher]

One time i went to Hong Kong. And when i was leaving Hong Kong I took a flight on an airline. And i checked into the flight a the rail station to the airport. And not only was Cathay there but all the airlines it seemed. And it was so convenient as you could check in and then visit the city for a while then go back to catch your flight out of Hing Kong.

I love Thailand very much, but sometimes I wish that before they built their airport and before they built their airport link they would have gone to Hong Kong and taken lots of pictures of the infrastructure there and maybe even bought black market blue prints and tried to replicate HKIA and the Airport Express as closely as possible.

But surely that good idea of yours would involve the Thais losing face; something which they are very reluctant to do, but successfully manage it time after time.

[Disinto]

Well if they removed the stupid rule that force people to checkin in Makkasan at least 3 hours in advance, I'm sure many more people would use the facility.

So basically, you cannot check-in in Makkasan if you arrive 2h30 before your scheduled flight departure time. Considering it takes at most 30 minutes to reach the airport, one can see the time wasted...

[WhizBang]

What Makkasan station needs is better taxi access.  At the moment, there is only access to Asoke/Ratchada Rd ... and only in one direction.  If they had access to Petchaburi near Suk Soi 3, the station would be useful to a lot more people.

And therein lies the crux of the whole problem with people not using Makkasan to checkin.  It has very poor access, including no direct tunnel/access to/from the MRT station, plus lack of escalators for travellers with luggage, and let's not even talk about taxis and traffic in the area.

I have taken the Rail link only one time, and then I took the City Line because 1: it was cheaper, and 2: went to the Phaya Thai BTS station, which has a great access ramp between the BTS and airport link stations.  I wonder if anyone has bothered to survey travellers on both the City Line and Airport Express lines to see what they like/dislike about the overall service.  Might be an eye opener... or not   

[Disinto]

What Makkasan station needs is better taxi access. At the moment, there is only access to Asoke/Ratchada Rd ... and only in one direction. If they had access to Petchaburi near Suk Soi 3, the station would be useful to a lot more people.

And therein lies the crux of the whole problem with people not using Makkasan to checkin. It has very poor access, including no direct tunnel/access to/from the MRT station, plus lack of escalators for travellers with luggage, and let's not even talk about taxis and traffic in the area.

I have taken the Rail link only one time, and then I took the City Line because 1: it was cheaper, and 2: went to the Phaya Thai BTS station, which has a great access ramp between the BTS and airport link stations. I wonder if anyone has bothered to survey travellers on both the City Line and Airport Express lines to see what they like/dislike about the overall service. Might be an eye opener... or not

A skybridge from Petchaburi MRT to Makksan will soon be built.

While I agree that Phaya Thai has a much better direct access (and is even more convenient since there's now a direct train from the airport), Makkasan makes great sense to serve the Asoke/Sukhumvit area. It's a definite time saver for me on Friday evening when I need to fly. I'll just hop on a motocycle from my office (near Sermit tower) and go to Makkasan thereby bypassing a sh**load of traffic jams.

[Bkkorupcountry]

What Makkasan station needs is better taxi access. At the moment, there is only access to Asoke/Ratchada Rd ... and only in one direction. If they had access to Petchaburi near Suk Soi 3, the station would be useful to a lot more people.

And therein lies the crux of the whole problem with people not using Makkasan to checkin. It has very poor access, including no direct tunnel/access to/from the MRT station, plus lack of escalators for travellers with luggage, and let's not even talk about taxis and traffic in the area.

I have taken the Rail link only one time, and then I took the City Line because 1: it was cheaper, and 2: went to the Phaya Thai BTS station, which has a great access ramp between the BTS and airport link stations. I wonder if anyone has bothered to survey travellers on both the City Line and Airport Express lines to see what they like/dislike about the overall service. Might be an eye opener... or not

A skybridge from Petchaburi MRT to Makksan will soon be built.

While I agree that Phaya Thai has a much better direct access (and is even more convenient since there's now a direct train from the airport), Makkasan makes great sense to serve the Asoke/Sukhumvit area. It's a definite time saver for me on Friday evening when I need to fly. I'll just hop on a motocycle from my office (near Sermit tower) and go to Makkasan thereby bypassing a sh**load of traffic jams.

I live next to soi Cowboi and work in 253 Asoke so Sermit Tower is practically in the middle. However, I can't get on a motorcycle and drag my cabin bag behind it - way too dangerous. Don't want to take the sukhumvit mrt either as I don't want to open my suitcase for all to see. From Makkasan, taxis can't turn right to go onto Rachadapisek / Asoke so have to take a long journey down to Sukhumvit and back up Asoke (and still no U-turn possible to get to my apartment).

So close, but yet so far............

[planr]

For Patrick -- As of the first week in June, the City Line was averaging 36,000-37,000 passengers per day. The Express Line was averaging 1,300-1,400. Interestingly (but not surprisingly), that figure was double from a month prior, as the new Express service from Phaya Thai has been very well received (comparatively speaking of course). These numbers come straight from the Director of the SRTET.

She said the carrier will re-open its counter when the government attracts more riders to use the Makkasan Station service, which may be positively affected by providing added convenience in travelling, and building a department store within the compound.

Building a department store within the compound? <deleted>... how will this attract more travellers to use the AIRPORT RAIL LINK.

When I am on my way to the airport, luggage in tow, the last thing I am thinking of doing is going to a department store to shop.

More stupid thinking from the Thai elite.

Actually, it is not stupid thinking. It is common practice around the world to include major retail and dining options either directly in a major transit hub (which Makkasan will eventually be) or immediately adjacent to it.

Urban planning, Thai-style, at its best on display...

The Thai's (well the BMA) actually have pretty good plans. The problem is implementation and enforcement. One of the biggest things holding Thailand (and Bangkok in particular) back when it comes to land use / transport planning is the sheer number of agencies and departments involved and how politically entrenched they are in different camps. With respect to Makkasan, I can tell you from first hand experience there is essentially ZERO communication between relevant agencies like the SRT, BMA, MRTA, and the BMTA (buses) because they all have different agendas and serve different masters.

And therein lies the crux of the whole problem with people not using Makkasan to checkin. It has very poor access, including no direct tunnel/access to/from the MRT station, plus lack of escalators for travellers with luggage, and let's not even talk about taxis and traffic in the area.

I have taken the Rail link only one time, and then I took the City Line because 1: it was cheaper, and 2: went to the Phaya Thai BTS station, which has a great access ramp between the BTS and airport link stations. I wonder if anyone has bothered to survey travellers on both the City Line and Airport Express lines to see what they like/dislike about the overall service. Might be an eye opener... or not

To your accessibility point, I don't think anyone can argue that Makkasan is accessible in the least! But as for the escalators / ground access for people coming from the MRT, you DO NOT need to lug baggage up any stairs, there are escalators and lifts that provide access from the ground level to the ticketing level. If you arrive by car / taxi, there is a ramp which leads directly up to the ticketing level where passengers can be picked up / dropped off.

To your survey point, I have been involved in a small-scale survey (~120 riders) getting on and off the City Line at Ramkhamhaeng, Hua Mak, and Lad Krabang. The biggest issues are access to the stations (for all modes of travel) and price... though not price in the absolute sense. Rather riders really want to see the integrated ticketing scheme come to fruition (e.g. Octopus Card in HK, Oystercard in London) as they hate paying for two and even three train services (BTS, SRT, MRT). At the suburban stations, the lack of parking is a big deal, but this is both a function of (a lack of) capacity and the fact that parking is currently free right now. Once supply and pricing are adjusted over the next few years, I doubt this well be a problem.

Edited June 25, 2011 by planr

[bkk_mike]

 

She said the carrier will re-open its counter when the government attracts more riders to use the Makkasan Station service, which may be positively affected by providing added convenience in travelling, and building a department store within the compound.

Building a department store within the compound?  <deleted>...  how will this attract more travellers to use the AIRPORT RAIL LINK.  

When I am on my way to the airport, luggage in tow, the last thing I am thinking of doing is going to a department store to shop.

More stupid thinking from the Thai elite. 

Actually, a mall, like IFC Mall in HK would be useful...

A Mall would mean parking spaces, some place to eat after check-in because you've had to check-in 3 hours before your flight, but before you take your train, and would almost certainly require road improvements. The obvious one being a direct link from the expressway, and stairs-free (and air-conditioned) access to the MRT.

i.e. All the stuff that they should have done for the airport link in the first place, rather than siting it in the middle of an area which regularly had traffic jams before the link was built so that, literally, it's quicker to get to the airport than it is to get to the train station in a taxi from most of Bangkok.

[AleG]

"Build it and they will come"...

... unless its such an epic cock-up that they'll just point and laugh as they pass by.

[jfchandler]

Urban planning, Thai-style, at its best on display...

The Thai's (well the BMA) actually have pretty good plans. The problem is implementation and enforcement. One of the biggest things holding Thailand (and Bangkok in particular) back when it comes to land use / transport planning is the sheer number of agencies and departments involved and how politically entrenched they are in different camps. With respect to Makkasan, I can tell you from first hand experience there is essentially ZERO communication between relevant agencies like the SRT, BMA, MRTA, and the BMTA (buses) because they all have different agendas and serve different masters.

Urban planning doesn't mean just making plans... It means coordinating and executing them as well... I think your comments above demonstrate my point.

[edwardandtubs]

The fact is this airport link is never going to get off the ground because most people travel with at least one other person, making it much cheaper to take a taxi. Even travelling alone the cost of a taxi is almost the same (sometimes cheaper) than transport to Makkasan + 150 baht. To make it competitive they'd have to reduce the price to 50 baht.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

^ That applies to the Express line, which almost nobody uses.

The city line is really not much slower, but considerably more affordable.

[Ajaan]

She said the carrier will re-open its counter when the government attracts more riders to use the Makkasan Station service, which may be positively affected by providing added convenience in travelling, and building a department store within the compound.

Building a department store within the compound? <deleted>... how will this attract more travellers to use the AIRPORT RAIL LINK.

When I am on my way to the airport, luggage in tow, the last thing I am thinking of doing is going to a department store to shop.

More stupid thinking from the Thai elite.

The "compound" is the whole area around the station that is currently empty. There are plans for hotels, apartments, shops etc on this land.

What Makkasan station needs is better taxi access. At the moment, there is only access to Asoke/Ratchada Rd ... and only in one direction. If they had access to Petchaburi near Suk Soi 3, the station would be useful to a lot more people.

It also needs better PEDESTRIAN access...or how about an actual link (underground, preferably) with Petchburi subway station?!

[Nisa]

And so begins the long expected decline of the Services available.

I wonder how long it will be before the direct Airport Link - the Express Service - is terminated.

Does anyone have a Link to Passenger Statistics?

I looked at the official Site - http://www.bangkokairporttrain.com - but there is no data.

I was surprised to see the negative news posted in that Section of the Website however - http://www.bangkokai...n.com/news.html , seems rather strange to advertise ones own failures in such a way.

Patrick

I'd be interested to know how many people fly out of BKK daily on short business trips. I always thought the Airport Link was not a good idea because of the luggage aspect. Most everyone who has luggage is either going to need to take a taxi to the link or wheel their luggage down the sidewalk. It is good in the sense it does open up the possibility for more business and commuters along the link but I always thought it was not a good option for most air passenger travelers.

I'd also be interested to know where (if) such airport links in other countries have been successful. I know the subway in NY connects to the airport, and has good ridership, but I also know there are tons of people traveling in and out of NY on short business trips who don't have cars and don't want to pay the very high taxi prices to sit in gridlock traffic. On the other hand Taxi's are cheap in Thailand and traffic, except during rush hour, is usually not to bad going to the airport .... and I am just not sure how many people are using BKK for short travel and only require a carry on bag.

[SantiSuk]

How is it that a bunch of <deleted> like us on TV can spot a white elephant at 1,000 kilometers but Thailand's finest cannot. Oh I forgot - the whole project was presumably a contract skimming exercise for the rich and powerful. Up against the wall mother-f*ckers when Pheu-Thai get in.

Oh - I forgot - in my dreams. PT will just take the average skim rate up from (reputedly) 35% to 50%. Look out for son of Makkasan at Phayatai.

[Oberkommando]

Singapore and Hong Kong both have successful and busy airport link services in the region.

Thailand's problem is lack of critical planning and the abundance of cheap and available taxis. I travel frequently and only with hand luggage and will not bother with the airport link; it's much more convenient for me to get a taxi.

I hate to say it but I told you so.