Spider tickets expected in October to allow commuters to travel by bus, train and boat with just one ticket

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Spider tickets expected in October to allow commuters to travel by bus, train and boat with just one ticket

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Transport has assigned the Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning Office to speed up the issuance of “spider” tickets which will enable commuters to travel by electric train, bus and boat with just one ticket.

 

The “spider” tickets can also be used in lieu of cash to buy products for low income-earners.

 

Transport Ministry spokesman Jiroot Visarnjit said that the TTPPO had been working with Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, State Railway of Thailand, BTS and Metropolitan Mass Transit Authority on the “spider” tickets, hoping that they can be issued for use in October, starting with the services of Airport Link, Purple, Blue and Green lines.

 

For the next step, the services will cover boat and train services which are now under construction, said Jiroot.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/spider-tickets-expected-october-allow-commuters-travel-bus-train-boat-just-one-ticket/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-05-22

[OnTheRun]

About time, it is always annoying taking the airport link then having to queue for onward tickets at Paya Thai MRT.

[sahibji]

a  step in the right direction.

 

the simpler the process more user friendly it becomes for the users - instead of having small change and having to buy so many different kinds of tickets.

[sahibji]

3 minutes ago, OnTheRun said:

About time, it is always annoying taking the airport link then having to queue for onward tickets at Paya Thai MRT.

onthe run

you are absolutely right this queuing up is everywhere  where the tickets are needed.

[Crossy]

I have commented many times on the Mangmoom (Spider) project.

 

All I will say this time is, don't hold your breath.

 

[yellowboat]

This is way beyond BMA's ability. 

[ksamuiguy]

to many brown envelopes involved.

System that works, look at a 7-11, almost bullet proof.

Spider will track things and keep accurate traceable records.

[Searat7]

This is at least 3 years late and only a small portion of the system will be operative in October. Just in this year alone this is the third start date announced. Pathetic !

[CLW]

GF said in the past you could pay with your 7-purse at some of the new, private buses in Bangkok, but the system was discontinued. Any information?

[KamnanT]

As a few others have noted, this is perhaps the fifth time in as many years that a "launch date" has been announced for unified ticketing on Bangkok public transportation.  I suspect this attempt will amount to not much more than the previous ones.  The combination of technical project complexity, institutionalised territoriality and the fact that these businesses collect vast sums of cash every day, mean that very few of the vested interests have anything to gain by getting this to work.  If it is up and running by the end of the year, I will be pleasantly surprised.

[CLW]

As a few others have noted, this is perhaps the fifth time in as many years that a "launch date" has been announced for unified ticketing on Bangkok public transportation.  I suspect this attempt will amount to not much more than the previous ones.  The combination of technical project complexity, institutionalised territoriality and the fact that these businesses collect vast sums of cash every day, mean that very few of the vested interests have anything to gain by getting this to work.  If it is up and running by the end of the year, I will be pleasantly surprised.

Well, they gain probably more and satisfied customers

[CLW]

Another so called 3rd world countries have more advanced public transport and ticketing systems than Thailand.

[NextStationBangkok]

Great idea, wait and see.

 

They should call this as  "Baht connect", so that we can connect anywhere.

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, CLW said:

Another so called 3rd world countries have more advanced public transport and ticketing systems than Thailand.

Thailand is terrible

[Briggsy]

20 years after Hong Kong's Octopus card and still being talked about. Bangkok, dynamic Asian Tiger capital in name only.

 

The delaying factors are

the inefficient bureaucracy

the inefficient administration

the fact that each transport system has its own vested interests

none of these vested interests trusts the others

the vested interests wish to keep opaque the true revenue streams and who benefits from them within each transport system.

[mtls2005]

At least the name and design are complete.

 

October?

 

The year has been conveniently omitted.

 

Combining the MRT and BTS would be a start; buses & boats are a pipe-dream. They can't even buy buses without c*cking it up.

[islandgirljenny]

It's already possible to buy stored-value cards for each of the train lines (Airport Link, BTS, and MRT), so there's no huge advantage there.  But the new "Spider" card will probably represent a loss for farang passengers:  currently the MRT (but not the BTS or Airport Link) allows seniors to buy discounted fares (whether single-fare or a stored-value card), regardless of nationality.  But I suspect this will disappear once an integrated system is in place.  So I, for one, am hoping it will be delayed as long as possible!

 

Meanwhile, if you have already have a senior-fare MRT card, this would be a good time to top up at non-discriminatory rates.

[mtls2005]

Meanwhile, if you have already have a senior-fare MRT card, this would be a good time to top up at non-discriminatory rates.

 

What's the minimum age for the Elder card? The MRT page says both 60 years and 65 years.

 

1. Passengers are 60 years old and over will be entitled to the discount rate giver to elder
   
   For elderly aged 65 or above.

 

https://www.bangkokmetro.co.th/ticket.aspx?Menu=198&Lang=En

 

 

 

 

[islandgirljenny]

Good question--I'm 67 and got this card last year when I was 66 so this issue didn't come up.

 

Does anybody else know the answer to this?

Edited May 22, 2017 by islandgirljenny

[SABloke]

Will people be able to use these spider cards on those buses with wooden floors?

[Dunky]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

I have commented many times on the Mangmoom (Spider) project.

 

All I will say this time is, don't hold your breath.

 

I'm sure it will be another well thought out flash in the pan....

[aslimversgwm]

45 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

20 years after Hong Kong's Octopus card and still being talked about. Bangkok, dynamic Asian Tiger capital in name only.

 

The delaying factors are

the inefficient bureaucracy

the inefficient administration

the fact that each transport system has its own vested interests

none of these vested interests trusts the others

the vested interests wish to keep opaque the true revenue streams and who benefits from them within each transport system.

absolutely fair comment and the London Oyster card which functions on trains, trams, buses, boats and the underground is itself being superseded by 'touch and go' technology swiping your credit or debit card on the Oyster pad.

Any remote possibility BKK will enable this technology? A rhetorical question me thinks!

[williamgeorgeallen]

expectations are generally not met in the land of smiles. better just  to accept things the way they are and be surprised if anything actually improves. i have to say i am completely dishartened by news stories about things that are supposed to get better.

[Stocky]

So will this run alongside the Rabbit Card or be replacement/addition to? Will I be able to exchange my Rabbit card for a Spider card?

[exalll]

Let me get this straight. Spider tickets will come into force next year. They will be issued for the Airport link, Purple, blue and green lines from October (2018? Or 2017 but only coming into force next year?). The next step is to extend Spider tickets to boat and train services that are still under construction. So no indication of when they might be extended to existing BTS, MRT, or boat services?

[Crossy]

3 minutes ago, exalll said:

Let me get this straight. Spider tickets will come into force next year. They will be issued for the Airport link, Purple, blue and green lines from October (2018? Or 2017 but only coming into force next year?). The next step is to extend Spider tickets to boat and train services that are still under construction. So no indication of when they might be extended to existing BTS, MRT, or boat services?

 

BTS = Green Line

MRT = Blue Line

 

But as noted earlier don't hold your breath (or anything else).

[off road pat]

It's only for low income Thais, not for farangs !!!!

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, off road pat said:

It's only for low income Thais, not for farangs !!!!

 

Really? When did that design change occur?

 

Anyone will be able to buy a full-fare card, there's a special variant intended for low-income earners which does some extra stuff.

 

[CLW]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but because of the long delay and planning time isn't this system almost outdated? New systems use NFC capabilities of phones or you can use your credit card

[tjansen]

Thank you for news headlines that aren't dredged from the worst behavior happening that day, corruption, mysterious deaths, beatings, and so forth.

 

Even though I am still pulled to view the gory details of the misbehavior of my species, maybe to make myself feel better about myself, as if I am distinct and different from others, I am adopting a policy of deleting any email announcements that headline the worst in us. So far it has helped my attitude toward life.

 

Tom