BTS fares increase 5 Baht for outlying stations

By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

 

  

Photo: BTS Skytrain / Facebook

 

BANGKOK — Starting on Saturday, commuters must pay another 5 baht to get to the newest stations at the end of the BTS Skytrain’s two lines.

 

The flat fares charged to reach the last five eastern stations along the Sukhumvit Line (Bangchak to Bearing) and four western stations of the Silom Line (Pho Nimit to Bang Wa) will increase by 5 baht starting tomorrow.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/transpo/2017/03/31/bts-fares-increase-5-baht-outlying-stations/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-03-31

It's actually a 50% increase from 10 to 15 Baht for the BMA flat-fare sections. Not to be sneezed at

 

And I've removed an off topic troll post.

 

For the Thai people this is a substantial incease, forTourists and Foreignors, this is still a very cheap way to get around Bangkok in

Air conditioned comfort. I have always enjoyed taking BTS  and especially the airport link, what an improvement from having

to depend on taxis, to get from the airport to the hotels. Too bad the BTS does not go past Don Mueng airport.

Geezer

The BTS is a great way to get around  ....  I consider it one of the best value for money forms of public transport,  I think a 5 baht increase is not over the top.

Rarely ever get a seat and usually packed in like a sardine can. Still a great way to get around rapidly, though taxis can be cheaper if 2 or more passengers traveling together.

Good idea. I hate to be packed like a sardin when I take the BTS, so hopefully it'll clear up the place a bit.

On 4/1/2017 at 6:33 AM, steven100 said:

The BTS is a great way to get around  ....  I consider it one of the best value for money forms of public transport,  I think a 5 baht increase is not over the top.

BTS is overpriced for the market (Bangkok), but then when you have to pay "extra" to cover incidental costs.... your market price goes up.  It costs me 43 baht to go from the Changi Airport to Orchard downtown in Singapore.

1 minute ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

BTS is overpriced for the market (Bangkok), but then when you have to pay "extra" to cover incidental costs.... your market price goes up.  It costs me 43 baht to go from the Changi Airport to Orchard downtown in Singapore.

BTS is good and cheap.  stay in singapore then.

9 minutes ago, steven100 said:

BTS is good and cheap.  stay in singapore then.

A bit harsh on the reply for someone just making a comparison. A fitting and accurate one, IMO. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I love The Skytrain and consider it and MRT the 2 best improvements ever made here, but as I stated a bit further up...taxis can be cheaper on many occasions if 2 or more people riding together. And getting "door to door" service at that. 

 

12 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

BTS is overpriced for the market (Bangkok), but then when you have to pay "extra" to cover incidental costs.... your market price goes up.  It costs me 43 baht to go from the Changi Airport to Orchard downtown in Singapore.

 

BTS is a good service and a lot of workers who live way out, depend on it and has improved their lives. I don't think they should be paying extra.

Just now, steven100 said:

ok,  i agree ....  i still think the BTS is a good service ....  heck ... in australia i caught the bus recently on the GC and it was 280 bath for a 10 klm trip, the driver drove like a maniac ....   around every corner the bags were sliding all over the place. No thanks ... F**ck Australia.

It is not that it is not a good service.... Or that foreigners and well-healed Thais would have no problem affording the fares.... it is that the system as a whole should be designed to take some of the pressure / congestion off of the road system and transfer it to a public transport system.   The cost of building and running a public transit system should be much lower in a developing world nation like Thailand than western or first world countries -- so comparing it to countries like Australia is not really that good of comparison.  As such the fare structure should be in line with the average working class to be able to regularly take the subway/skytrain system.  The BTS system itself should be running packed on full length trains during rush hour right now, not packed on short trains.  Eventually there should be enough traffic to warrant to start building out a regional express system which would take some of the traffic off the local transportation system and have maybe a couple stops at transfer points along the existing line but extend further out.

 

If they want to price the service for foreigners -- then they should really be offering a working class fare card to locals through other channels to make sure the system is for the general public and not just for foreigners and middle or upper-class Thais to use on a regular basis.

1 minute ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

It is not that it is not a good service.... Or that foreigners and well-healed Thais would have no problem affording the fares.... it is that the system as a whole should be designed to take some of the pressure / congestion off of the road

As a public transport system ,  it provides far better service than many other more developed countries.  I like the service and consider it adequate. It's primary goal is to shift passengers, second is to alleviate traffic congestion.

Had to pay for that promotional freebie Bearing-to-Samrong somehow!   Would have been a clever move except for the perfect timing.