Sky Train with luggage, family, baby

[wpcoe]

To possibly add to confusion about the non-operation of the Express Line, ARL was (still are?) using the Express Line trains as City Line trains. I *think* that was temporary while City Line trains were out of service for the above-mentioned overhaul maintenance, but not sure. Some people may think they were on the Express Line since the train they were on had baggage racks and 2 x 2 seating, but in fact it was the City Line, i.e. it stopped at every station between the airport and Phaya Thai and the fare was the City Line fare.

[ocejanic]

Ocejanic, please don't forget to post how your trip goes. Having traveled on it before with one large suitcase I have to say I would never do it again, let alone with a one year old in a stroller.

The Express Line train was suspended late last year.

Mission completed. We grabbed a taxi.

Details:

First I had the briliant idea of asking the lady at the information near the baggage claim belts if she could write our hotel adress in Thai on a piece of paper to give to a taxi driver. Proved to be a wise thought indeed. We Went up to the 4th level (departures). Crossed the first lane ( looked like some VIP lane, for all the black limos), to get to the outer lane, where we could see all the normal taxis arriving. got stopped by a police guy in the middle who tried to send us back to arrival level. "No taxi from here, must take taxi at arrival level." I pointed at our sleeping baby in my wife's arms, making a begging gesture. "Ah, ok, understand. go. So he let us pass, but we had to climb over the carousel barrier thing, for it didn't allow to pass through from our side. We made it.

Next task: finding one of the bigger taxis for stroller, 2 suitcases and us. So we approached all the arriving taxis dropping off passengers, and asked about meter or fixed fare, 5 taxis before we found a non-rip-off.

1st: "Bigger taxi no meter!" (Proved to be a lie)

2nd: " 500 Bht! No less."

3rd: " Meter yes, but 200 Bht surcharge!"

4th: "700 Bht!" (Drove off immediately after I took picture of license plate)

5th: "Meter of course." In we went.

So number five was very nice, we trusted him immediately. I' ll post his phone nr and name later. He even asked if we would like to take the express freeway, that it would cost 75Bht extra , 25 for the first port and 50 for the next section. We agreed. I mean, he really offered two alternative routes and was very clear about the additional costs, we found this very fair.

We got to our destination (Heritage Hotel near Siam Paragon Center) for 350 Bht alltogether. Though we got stuck in traffic for 45 min after getting down from the express way. Though traffic/ travel time still proved to be very unfavourable/ unpredictable, it was very convenient.

So that was that, thanks again everyone for help and recommendations!

Edited January 21, 2015 by ocejanic

[SoiBiker]

Sounds like it would have been easier just to go and get a taxi from the proper rank downstairs.

Why do people persist with this idea of getting one from departures? Are they really so tight they want to save the 50b fee? Or is it just some silly urge to somehow 'beat the system'?

[ocejanic]

I only can say that the arrival hall was packed, and everyone wanted to get a taxi. Up on level 4 we were the ONLY people getting on a taxi.

[Jay Sata]

The long lines for taxis are caused by the having just a couple of ticket machines for the thousands of arriving passengers.

These were supposed to be self service but have been taken over by the taxi girls.

A decent airport manager would see the long lines of waiting passengers as a symptom something is wrong with the system but not in Thailand.

[hawker9000]

The long lines for taxis are caused by the having just a couple of ticket machines for the thousands of arriving passengers.

These were supposed to be self service but have been taken over by the taxi girls.

A decent airport manager would see the long lines of waiting passengers as a symptom something is wrong with the system but not in Thailand.

Well, last time I went through (early JAN), there appeared to be more than enough ticket machines, but only a couple (literally) that were working! So a couple of guys (not girls) were trying to get the most out of these few machines by running relays to the head of the line, fetching destination info, and then running back & working the machines themselves to get the tickets and put them in the hands of those waiting. Probably much faster than foreigners dawdling over the machines themselves trying to make up their minds which buttons to push. Again, if all the machines had actually been working, I don't think the queue would've been nearly as long.

'Don't know why if the machines are now working the former taxi girls need to be working them. Maybe the interface is confusing or maybe the taxi girls just need a raison d'être.

[gk10002000]

I took the Airport Link after seeing the 50 metre queue for taxis at Suvarnabhumi. 25 baht to my stop at Hua Mark. Apart from myself I saw maybe 5 other foreigners on a train load of 100 passengers, probably mostly airport employees. No wonder this service is losing money as almost zero tourists use it despite the appalling taxi service.

I have used the rail link and the BTS. I hoof it as I travel very light with just my carry on. I don't have a timetable. The rail link was OK and it will connect you to where you can hop on the BTS lines. The time I took it, it did not have many passengers. It goes through a part of town that didn't seem to have a lot of reasons for stopping. I took the express from town to the airport. I would not judge it as being a convenient for everybody. For something different and a single person, it was an OK way to get to and fro

[Jay Sata]

The long lines for taxis are caused by the having just a couple of ticket machines for the thousands of arriving passengers.

These were supposed to be self service but have been taken over by the taxi girls.

A decent airport manager would see the long lines of waiting passengers as a symptom something is wrong with the system but not in Thailand.

Well, last time I went through (early JAN), there appeared to be more than enough ticket machines, but only a couple (literally) that were working! So a couple of guys (not girls) were trying to get the most out of these few machines by running relays to the head of the line, fetching destination info, and then running back & working the machines themselves to get the tickets and put them in the hands of those waiting. Probably much faster than foreigners dawdling over the machines themselves trying to make up their minds which buttons to push. Again, if all the machines had actually been working, I don't think the queue would've been nearly as long.

'Don't know why if the machines are now working the former taxi girls need to be working them. Maybe the interface is confusing or maybe the taxi girls just need a raison d'être.

I think you summed it up there in your last paragraph.

The machines are very easy to work as there is just one big button which spits out a ticket.

However the Thai thinking is that a passenger who has booked their own ticket and travelled half way across the world is incapable of using such a simple device.

We are lucky these sort of people do not run the London Underground which moves millions each day.

[theoldgit]

I think the girls that push these buttons also work in banks pushing the queue buttons, seems we are incapable of working those out either.

[rocketboybkk]

Don't be a cheap Charlie & get a taxi. You've got a wife & baby <deleted>.

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[teatree]

Don't be a cheap Charlie & get a taxi. You've got a wife & baby <deleted>.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The fact that he has a baby is a good reason NOT to take a taxi.

I don't want to be in a car driven by a Thai unless there is no other option.