Bts Asoke

[petedk]

There have been several comments in the newspapers about overcrowded skytrains, especially after the extension to Bering has opened but I have never seen any comments about the stations.

Today I arrived at BTS Asoke from the MRT at about 18.45 and met a huge wall of people outside near the new entrance to Terminal 21 building. I thought these people were queuing up to buy tickets but no, they were the queues to go through the turnstiles. I happened to look at my watch as I was in a hurry and I noticed it talk four minutes to go through the entrance. There were only two gates open and with so many people having problems with cards or not knowing how to use the chips it took so long to go through.

I sincerely hope that at sometime in the future BTS will look at the design of some of the stations because as passenger numbers increase so will the long queues.

[farang000999]

dont be so melodramatic it is not rocket science. it is simply x people x trains. perhaps a train had a mechanical failure and caused a delay.

[petedk]

dont be so melodramatic it is not rocket science. it is simply x people x trains. perhaps a train had a mechanical failure and caused a delay.

The trains were running normally. It wasn't there that the build up was. It was the fact that only two gates were open for so many people going through.

[thaihome]

They only had two gates entering because they have to have the rest for people getting out.

There is generally a big jam at the MRT junction side of the Asok BTS station for about 2 hours on week days. Usually from about 5 to 7:00PM. Going through the turnstiles is made much worse by the confusion of people buying tickets (on the turnstile side of the ticket kiosk) mixing in with people trying to get through the turnstiles. Smart folks don’t come straight up from the MRT station but walk the 100 meters up Sukhumvit and enter from that side. Never a jam there.

TH

[khaan]

dont be so melodramatic it is not rocket science. it is simply x people x trains. perhaps a train had a mechanical failure and caused a delay.

The trains were running normally. It wasn't there that the build up was. It was the fact that only two gates were open for so many people going through.

don't hold your breath because that would need planning and foresight

[Payboy]

There's too many people using the Terminal 21 gates. Wait till next month, its going to get worse around Xmas.

[richard_smith237]

It used to take me 1 hr 30 mins to drive to my old office in Ratchada (near the Cultural Centre)...

I only managed it a couple of times before relying on the BTS / MRT...

This was fine in the mornings as I was always ahead of the rush.

However, the return in the evenings was hell passing through Asoke. It took so long to get through the 'Jam' of people when attempting to transit from the MRT to the BTS...

I always gave up and walked down to Emporium where my wife could pick me up...

The BTS and stations appear over crowded at the end of the day...

The system is in dire need of more frequent trains to reduced the over crowding both on the trains and at the stations. Its only a matter of time before the over crowding on the stations become dangerous.

[StreetCowboy]

dont be so melodramatic it is not rocket science. it is simply x people x trains. perhaps a train had a mechanical failure and caused a delay.

The trains were running normally. It wasn't there that the build up was. It was the fact that only two gates were open for so many people going through.

don't hold your breath because that would need planning and foresight

Maybe they deliberately put the bottleneck at the station entrance, to avoid over-crowding on the platform... I guess the trains are already quite full by the time they get to Asoke, and not a lot of people can get on each train there (though there are a lot alight at Asoke for the MRT, as well...)

I hope they stopped the escalator up from the MRT as well?

SC

[JohnnyFeelIt]

dont be so melodramatic it is not rocket science. it is simply x people x trains. perhaps a train had a mechanical failure and caused a delay.

The trains were running normally. It wasn't there that the build up was. It was the fact that only two gates were open for so many people going through.

don't hold your breath because that would need planning and foresight

I was in a 7/11 a few days ago, in which 1 counter was open. There was a que of about 8 people waiting to pay for items. Another staff member actually had the common sense to open another counter and split the que. Perhaps he's the man for the job @ Asoke BTS? PM me for location and description of said mastermind!

[khaan]

dont be so melodramatic it is not rocket science. it is simply x people x trains. perhaps a train had a mechanical failure and caused a delay.

The trains were running normally. It wasn't there that the build up was. It was the fact that only two gates were open for so many people going through.

don't hold your breath because that would need planning and foresight

I was in a 7/11 a few days ago, in which 1 counter was open. There was a que of about 8 people waiting to pay for items. Another staff member actually had the common sense to open another counter and split the que. Perhaps he's the man for the job @ Asoke BTS? PM me for location and description of said mastermind!

But it does test me when three other staff members in that situation keep mulling around doing " administrative stuff " with one register open.

It reminds me so much of Basil Fawlty- " you people ponse in here expecting to be waited on while I'm trying to run a hotel " !!

[ukrules]

It is mayhem around that area in the rush hours.

You can walk down the newly built Terminal 21 bridge/entrance straight past the new mall and get into the BTS from the other side, it joins up with the BTS station at both ends. There's no need to go down to the street level at all.

[JohnnyFeelIt]

But it does test me when three other staff members in that situation keep mulling around doing " administrative stuff " with one register open.

It reminds me so much of Basil Fawlty- " you people ponse in here expecting to be waited on while I'm trying to run a hotel " !!

The most I've counted is x7 staff members in store with 1x counter open and a que of 5+

[thaibeachlovers]

It used to take me 1 hr 30 mins to drive to my old office in Ratchada (near the Cultural Centre)...

I only managed it a couple of times before relying on the BTS / MRT...

This was fine in the mornings as I was always ahead of the rush.

However, the return in the evenings was hell passing through Asoke. It took so long to get through the 'Jam' of people when attempting to transit from the MRT to the BTS...

I always gave up and walked down to Emporium where my wife could pick me up...

The BTS and stations appear over crowded at the end of the day...

The system is in dire need of more frequent trains to reduced the over crowding both on the trains and at the stations. Its only a matter of time before the over crowding on the stations become dangerous.

Not just more trains. It's long past time that they added 2 more carriages to bring them up to the maximum length the platforms can handle.

Either the designers never thought the numbers would reach those that they have, or they were incompetent. The whole system is poorly designed and inadequate for the numbers travelling at peak times. However TIT.

[StreetCowboy]

...Not just more trains. It's long past time that they added 2 more carriages to bring them up to the maximum length the platforms can handle.

Either the designers never thought the numbers would reach those that they have, or they were incompetent. The whole system is poorly designed and inadequate for the numbers travelling at peak times. However TIT.

Let's face it. Everyone else is donkeys, except you and me. Maybe only except you, THe rest of them have had to design toheir works according to funding constraints, political interference and all-knows-god-what-else. Anyway, I'm sure sponsors for this multi-million-dollar project appointed incompetent buffoons, rather than the best they could get, because that is the principle on which they accumulated the wealth to do so. [sARCASM ALERT: FIGURE OUT FOR YOURSELF HOW FAR IT GOES BACK] (probably beyond my post...)

SC

[theblether]

Shock news, BTS stations are busy at rush hour.............next topic please

[jackdawson]

FYI. Cal told me those lines at the Asoke station are GREAT for girl watching.

[travelmann]

<deleted> me I dont often use the BTS but dumped the car at Udom Suk Honda this morning at 7 am for a service and decided to jump on the Bts as its free to On Nut, Sheeeeeeeeeesh couldnt get in the door of 2 carriages just managed to squeeze in the 3rd at a push. I almost decided to walk as I like to see the neighbourhood..............next time I will, its shockingly overcrowded, should be good in a crash/fire.

[Heng]

At least now you can't complain that there aren't enough customers.

[Lakegeneve]

It used to take me 1 hr 30 mins to drive to my old office in Ratchada (near the Cultural Centre)...

I only managed it a couple of times before relying on the BTS / MRT...

This was fine in the mornings as I was always ahead of the rush.

However, the return in the evenings was hell passing through Asoke. It took so long to get through the 'Jam' of people when attempting to transit from the MRT to the BTS...

I always gave up and walked down to Emporium where my wife could pick me up...

The BTS and stations appear over crowded at the end of the day...

The system is in dire need of more frequent trains to reduced the over crowding both on the trains and at the stations. Its only a matter of time before the over crowding on the stations become dangerous.

Not just more trains. It's long past time that they added 2 more carriages to bring them up to the maximum length the platforms can handle.

Either the designers never thought the numbers would reach those that they have, or they were incompetent. The whole system is poorly designed and inadequate for the numbers travelling at peak times. However TIT.

Not everything is TIT, that is an ignorant thing to say. As the OP clearly stated it is about the ticket barriers, not so much about rolling stock - though that is part of the overall equation. The BTS system is designed for expansion. You are neglecting to consider the most obvious issue.

Why not consider the fact that a private company - in this case the BTSC which runs the BTS - doesn't have enough funds to purchase extra carriages in the timeline originally planned (in this case 2006-7) for due to debt repayment issues. Further, the same said company doesn't want to install extra gates at the east entrance of Asoke station as it generates income from renting out the space (now a proftiable a lingerie shop). This means 3 extra gates cannot be installed.

Further, said company doesn't want to have an MRT or multi-system compatible ticketing system (though it has been promised every year for the last 5yrs) which would reduce wait and entry times as it mistakenly thinks such a system will detract from its profits. Even more obvious, having two private operators without a common ticketing system means you cannot install a ticket barrier free interchange between BTS Asoke and MRT Sukhumvit stations.

In short, the design of the system if fine and allows for expansion as ridership increases assuming there is the capital to do it. The fact that it is run by a private company seeking to maximise profits whilst being financially constrained in expanding the system creates these problems. It is a good example of why an unintergrated, private model is flawed. If there is a TIT in this issue, then that is it. That goes towards the governing authorities and policy makers (who are of course also motivated by profit into their pockets).

(You can read a little in another thread as to why the purchase of new rolling stock as been delayed (post 148) and also lots of good info from others, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/495699-longer-trains-desperately-needed-on-the-bts-sukhumvit-line/page__st__125 )

[thaibeachlovers]

It used to take me 1 hr 30 mins to drive to my old office in Ratchada (near the Cultural Centre)...

I only managed it a couple of times before relying on the BTS / MRT...

This was fine in the mornings as I was always ahead of the rush.

However, the return in the evenings was hell passing through Asoke. It took so long to get through the 'Jam' of people when attempting to transit from the MRT to the BTS...

I always gave up and walked down to Emporium where my wife could pick me up...

The BTS and stations appear over crowded at the end of the day...

The system is in dire need of more frequent trains to reduced the over crowding both on the trains and at the stations. Its only a matter of time before the over crowding on the stations become dangerous.

Not just more trains. It's long past time that they added 2 more carriages to bring them up to the maximum length the platforms can handle.

Either the designers never thought the numbers would reach those that they have, or they were incompetent. The whole system is poorly designed and inadequate for the numbers travelling at peak times. However TIT.

Not everything is TIT, that is an ignorant thing to say. As the OP clearly stated it is about the ticket barriers, not so much about rolling stock - though that is part of the overall equation. The BTS system is designed for expansion. You are neglecting to consider the most obvious issue.

Why not consider the fact that a private company - in this case the BTSC which runs the BTS - doesn't have enough funds to purchase extra carriages in the timeline originally planned (in this case 2006-7) for due to debt repayment issues. Further, the same said company doesn't want to install extra gates at the east entrance of Asoke station as it generates income from renting out the space (now a proftiable a lingerie shop). This means 3 extra gates cannot be installed.

Further, said company doesn't want to have an MRT or multi-system compatible ticketing system (though it has been promised every year for the last 5yrs) which would reduce wait and entry times as it mistakenly thinks such a system will detract from its profits. Even more obvious, having two private operators without a common ticketing system means you cannot install a ticket barrier free interchange between BTS Asoke and MRT Sukhumvit stations.

In short, the design of the system if fine and allows for expansion as ridership increases assuming there is the capital to do it. The fact that it is run by a private company seeking to maximise profits whilst being financially constrained in expanding the system creates these problems. It is a good example of why an unintergrated, private model is flawed. If there is a TIT in this issue, then that is it. That goes towards the governing authorities and policy makers (who are of course also motivated by profit into their pockets).

(You can read a little in another thread as to why the purchase of new rolling stock as been delayed (post 148) and also lots of good info from others, http://www.thaivisa....e/page__st__125 )

LOL. Even I could have designed a better flowpath for travellers, and most of us know why the capital isn't being put into more rolling stock. TIT indeed.

[petedk]

It used to take me 1 hr 30 mins to drive to my old office in Ratchada (near the Cultural Centre)...

I only managed it a couple of times before relying on the BTS / MRT...

This was fine in the mornings as I was always ahead of the rush.

However, the return in the evenings was hell passing through Asoke. It took so long to get through the 'Jam' of people when attempting to transit from the MRT to the BTS...

I always gave up and walked down to Emporium where my wife could pick me up...

The BTS and stations appear over crowded at the end of the day...

The system is in dire need of more frequent trains to reduced the over crowding both on the trains and at the stations. Its only a matter of time before the over crowding on the stations become dangerous.

Not just more trains. It's long past time that they added 2 more carriages to bring them up to the maximum length the platforms can handle.

Either the designers never thought the numbers would reach those that they have, or they were incompetent. The whole system is poorly designed and inadequate for the numbers travelling at peak times. However TIT.

Not everything is TIT, that is an ignorant thing to say. As the OP clearly stated it is about the ticket barriers, not so much about rolling stock - though that is part of the overall equation. The BTS system is designed for expansion. You are neglecting to consider the most obvious issue.

Why not consider the fact that a private company - in this case the BTSC which runs the BTS - doesn't have enough funds to purchase extra carriages in the timeline originally planned (in this case 2006-7) for due to debt repayment issues. Further, the same said company doesn't want to install extra gates at the east entrance of Asoke station as it generates income from renting out the space (now a proftiable a lingerie shop). This means 3 extra gates cannot be installed.

Further, said company doesn't want to have an MRT or multi-system compatible ticketing system (though it has been promised every year for the last 5yrs) which would reduce wait and entry times as it mistakenly thinks such a system will detract from its profits. Even more obvious, having two private operators without a common ticketing system means you cannot install a ticket barrier free interchange between BTS Asoke and MRT Sukhumvit stations.

In short, the design of the system if fine and allows for expansion as ridership increases assuming there is the capital to do it. The fact that it is run by a private company seeking to maximise profits whilst being financially constrained in expanding the system creates these problems. It is a good example of why an unintergrated, private model is flawed. If there is a TIT in this issue, then that is it. That goes towards the governing authorities and policy makers (who are of course also motivated by profit into their pockets).

(You can read a little in another thread as to why the purchase of new rolling stock as been delayed (post 148) and also lots of good info from others, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/495699-longer-trains-desperately-needed-on-the-bts-sukhumvit-line/page__st__125 )

Yes, my posting was more about the ticket barriers. I understand the problem about the rolling stock.

As I mentioned only two barriers allowing people in were open. I didn't really see masses of people coming out of the station so I just wondered why only two barriers were open when the crowd of people trying to get in went right back to the entrance to Terminal 21.

Today I went through at about 6 pm and noticed that three gates were open and the queue was much much smaller.

We have seen that the government are not good at water management and it seems that the people at BTS are not good at crowd management.

[StreetCowboy]

It used to take me 1 hr 30 mins to drive to my old office in Ratchada (near the Cultural Centre)...

I only managed it a couple of times before relying on the BTS / MRT...

This was fine in the mornings as I was always ahead of the rush.

However, the return in the evenings was hell passing through Asoke. It took so long to get through the 'Jam' of people when attempting to transit from the MRT to the BTS...

I always gave up and walked down to Emporium where my wife could pick me up...

The BTS and stations appear over crowded at the end of the day...

The system is in dire need of more frequent trains to reduced the over crowding both on the trains and at the stations. Its only a matter of time before the over crowding on the stations become dangerous.

Not just more trains. It's long past time that they added 2 more carriages to bring them up to the maximum length the platforms can handle.

Either the designers never thought the numbers would reach those that they have, or they were incompetent. The whole system is poorly designed and inadequate for the numbers travelling at peak times. However TIT.

Not everything is TIT, that is an ignorant thing to say. As the OP clearly stated it is about the ticket barriers, not so much about rolling stock - though that is part of the overall equation. The BTS system is designed for expansion. You are neglecting to consider the most obvious issue.

Why not consider the fact that a private company - in this case the BTSC which runs the BTS - doesn't have enough funds to purchase extra carriages in the timeline originally planned (in this case 2006-7) for due to debt repayment issues. Further, the same said company doesn't want to install extra gates at the east entrance of Asoke station as it generates income from renting out the space (now a proftiable a lingerie shop). This means 3 extra gates cannot be installed.

Further, said company doesn't want to have an MRT or multi-system compatible ticketing system (though it has been promised every year for the last 5yrs) which would reduce wait and entry times as it mistakenly thinks such a system will detract from its profits. Even more obvious, having two private operators without a common ticketing system means you cannot install a ticket barrier free interchange between BTS Asoke and MRT Sukhumvit stations.

In short, the design of the system if fine and allows for expansion as ridership increases assuming there is the capital to do it. The fact that it is run by a private company seeking to maximise profits whilst being financially constrained in expanding the system creates these problems. It is a good example of why an unintergrated, private model is flawed. If there is a TIT in this issue, then that is it. That goes towards the governing authorities and policy makers (who are of course also motivated by profit into their pockets).

(You can read a little in another thread as to why the purchase of new rolling stock as been delayed (post 148) and also lots of good info from others, http://www.thaivisa....e/page__st__125 )

Yes, my posting was more about the ticket barriers. I understand the problem about the rolling stock.

As I mentioned only two barriers allowing people in were open. I didn't really see masses of people coming out of the station so I just wondered why only two barriers were open when the crowd of people trying to get in went right back to the entrance to Terminal 21.

Today I went through at about 6 pm and noticed that three gates were open and the queue was much much smaller.

We have seen that the government are not good at water management and it seems that the people at BTS are not good at crowd management.

I thought you said you went back on a later day and things were much better. That's control, that is: when you take measures to successfully improve the situation. Maybe on the day that the queues were bad one of the ticket barriers was failed. As more people use contactless cards, the reliability of the gates will improve; ticket jams are the biggest problem, though quickly sorted.

SC