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bkkz
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Well, just a week after I bitched about the taxi problem, looks like they have rectified it. now, there are bunch of taxis waiting on the departure level, which means you do not have to go all the way down to the road level as before.
All they need now is more passengers on the train. Again, there were only 5-6 passengers getting on the train.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:43 am on Jan. 1, 2011
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Nation dated uesday 4 January 2010 :-
Check-in service starts today ( 2.1.2011 ) on Airport Link
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The Airport Link rapid-transit line from central Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi will launch its air check-in service today at Makkasan City Air Terminal, five months after the rail service started last August.
Initially, the check-in service will be available only for people flying with Thai Airways International and Bangkok Airways.
"Passengers who want to check in and load their luggage can do this from three to 13 hours before departing," said Yuthana Thapcharoen, governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
There are two train services: the Express Line, a 15-minute non-stop ride from Makkasan terminal to the airport, and the City Line, a commuter train that stops at eight stations.
Tickets for the Express Line are Bt150 per trip, while fares on the City Line range from Bt15 to Bt45 per person, depending on the distance they travel.
The whole City Line journey takes about 27 minutes.
Both lines will run every day from 6am to midnight. Trains will depart every 15 minutes.
The Airport Link is connected to the Bangkok Metro Blue Line subway and BTS Skytrain.
Passengers can transfer from the Airport Link's Makkasan terminal and Phetchaburi station on the Bangkok Metro Blue Line, plus Phya Thai station, which has platforms for both the Airport Link and the Skytrain.
The airport rail line is 28.6 kilometres long and trains run at speeds of up 160kph from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Phya Thai. The stations en route are Lat Krabang, Ban Thap Chang, Hua Mak, Ramkhamhaeng, Makkasan (City Air Terminal), Ratchaprarop and Phya Thai.
Passengers can buy train tickets by using the Smart Pass card or coins. Vending machines offer tickets for up to five people at one time and total prices are calculated automatically. The Smart Pass can be topped up with cash. It can be used by both Thai and foreign passengers.
Previously, the Airport Link ran services with discount fares offered until the end of 2010. A promotional fare of Bt15 covered all journeys during the initial period.
The Airport Link is owned and will be operated by the SRT. The rail line will serve eight stations and cater for up to 50,000 passengers a day.
The baggage check-in system was developed by the SRT and Airports of Thailand (AOT).
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 8:35 pm on Jan. 3, 2011
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Nation dated Thursday 24 February 2011 :-
BMA's Super Skywalk will make Bangkok pedestrian friendly
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Pedestrians in the capital will be able to enjoy greater convenience and safety now that Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has promised to spend Bt15 billion on building the Super Skywalk System, a 50-kilometre clutter-free elevated walking space.
The construction is scheduled for completion in four years.
"It will help Bangkok residents move around more easily in crowded areas," Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribratra said yesterday.
Since the skywalk will be covered, pedestrians will not have to worry about sun or rain, and close-circuit television and adequate lighting will also ensure safety. As the walkway will be linked to the mass transit system, such as the BTS and the subway,
Sukhumbhand hopes people would be encouraged to leave their cars at home.
He explained that the first phase of the walkway would cover 16km and construction would begin next month at a budget of Bt5.2 billion. The walkway will go down Sukhumvit Road, starting at Soi Nana and ending at Soi Bearing. This phase will also include some parts of Phya Thai, Ramkhamhaeng and Wong Wien Yai.
The second phase will be 32km long and cover Ratchadamri, Silom, Sathorn, Phetchaburi, Ramkhamhaeng, Ekamai, Thonglor, Phaholyothin, Thon Buri and the Bang Wa areas.
BMA said the Super Skywalk System would be an integrated project that addresses the needs of pedestrians on a long-term basis.
Space for pedestrians is the only issue that has not been seriously addressed to meet the growing density of buildings in the past decade. "During the past 10 years, walking areas have covered just a kilometre and half," Sukhumbhand said.
The Super Skywalk project is part Sukhumbhand's "Krungthep Gao-na" campaign.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:03 am on Feb. 24, 2011
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koolbreez
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It's funny that it does not include the area from NANA to soi 23..lololol. You gots to walk the streets between those points.......lolol.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 8:41 pm on Feb. 24, 2011
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BKKdreaming
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How long before the police start selling stall holders places on it ?
And how many beggars per KM will be allowed ?
Maybe they need to finish the section past On Nut first !
BK
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 9:06 pm on Feb. 24, 2011
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magnum
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... more media coverage on Thailand's indemic corruption and incompetence, splashed over the front page this morning... the byline:
"The rail link project between central Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport has turned out to be a fiasco".
... you needn't read too far back into this thread to see the predictions of fiasco by many of us, back to when the system first opened... while none of us are (presumably) public transportation experts, we need only to know Thai values to accurately predict the outcome of most anything over which a Thai has control... how incredibly reliable Thai failure is.
... except for serving as the brothel to the world, what a pathetic culture this is.
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http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/232351/overpriced-airport-link-is-a-debacle
Overpriced airport link is 'a debacle'
SPECIAL REPORT: Passengers unhappy with shoddy service are looking elsewhere
Published: 18/04/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
The rail link project between central Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport has turned out to be a fiasco, with passengers paying up to 150 baht for what they say is a shoddy service.
No escalators, no trolleys, no car park and no connecting facilities are just some of the complaints.
Officials have been bombarded with complaints.
There have been complaints that the terminals at the stations are badly signposted; there are no escalators; and there are no trolleys for passengers with heavy bags to use. Other complaints include the lack of a car park and no facilities linking the stations to public transport.
Passengers also complained the train "looks old" and the seats are uncomfortable. Many passengers are also upset by the way the doors to the train shut with heavy force.
Basic technical equipment has also failed.
Permanent secretary for transport Supoj Saplom admitted the problems and lack of facilities stemmed from the operation's substandard design.
The 28-kilometre Airport Rail Link between central Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport has been plagued with these problems after less than one year of trials and service.
On March 27, the express non-stop train service of the Airport Rail Link from Makkasan station to Suvarnabhumi was halted due to a technical problem, although commuter trains on the line had been operating as normal.
Carbon brushes _ an essential component in the brakes of the electric-powered train _ that were supposed to last six months failed after only three days of use.
Pakorn Tangjedsakao, acting managing director of SRT Electric Train Co, which manages the rail link project, said express train services were halted after the company ran out of the carbon brushes, which are worth about 100,000 baht each.
Mr Pakorn said it was also found the express train's disk brakes developed cracks and the brake pads were also wearing down faster than usual. The company has contacted Siemens, the contractor, to fix the problems as quickly as possible, Mr Pakorn said.
He said the train must have a stock of spare parts worth about 10% of the price of the locomotive.
He said the trains under the project are worth 4.65 billion baht so the stock of spare parts must be worth about 460 million baht.
But at the initial stage of the project, there were problems related to the budget and no contract was made to arrange for the stocks of spare parts, Mr Pakorn said.
He said the company's executives have asked the board members to allocate a budget of about 270 million baht to buy spare parts.
The service started operating on a trial basis on June 1 last year providing free rides. The Airport Rail Link began full commercial operations with promotional fares on Aug 23 last year.
The Airport Rail Link offers City Line, which runs from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi with a full range of stops. The 30-minute ride costs a flat rate of 15 baht. The Express Line runs non-stop from Makkasan to the airport, taking just 15 minutes and costs 100 baht. Trains run from 6am to midnight.
After Jan 1, 2011, fares for the City Line varied from 15 baht to 45 baht, while the Express Line rose to 150 baht.
Permanent secretary for transport Supoj Saplom said the increase in fares for the Express Line has led to a sharp drop in the number of passengers to 700 a day, below the target of 2,200, although the City Line still can attract between 36,000 to 40,000 a day.
Mr Supoj said the company earns about 35 million baht a month but its expenditure is much higher at about 77 million baht a month. This means the losses total 42 million baht a month.
Mr Supoj said the solution is to attract more passengers to the Express Line, most of whom are travellers and tourists with heavy bags, by installing more facilities. He admitted that the inconvenience and the lack of facilities stem from the substandard design. Urgent steps are being taken to make improvements, he said.
State Railway of Thailand governor Yutthana Thapcharoen said the SRT has set aside a budget of 646 million baht to improve and build facilities and signposts at all stations within this year.
About 250 million baht will be spent on improving the Makkasan station. Of that amount, 80 million baht will be allocated to build a 130m-skywalk to link the concourse on the Makkasan station to the underground railway's Phetchaburi station.
Deputy government spokesman Supachai Jaisamut said the cabinet resolved on April 12 that the Finance Ministry arrange a loan worth 1.86 billion baht for SRT Electric Train Co to help the company run the Airport Rail Link project.
Kantapa Piriyapongsa, an office employee, complained the trains do not arrive on time, resulting in passengers missing flights at Suvarnabhumi.
Rungroj Piyapanuwat, a teacher, said the doors to the trains close violently and the seats in the trains are uncomfortable.
Nuttaya Jaisongkror, a student, said she had to travel a long way by taxi to reach Thap Chang station and that there were no signposts at the station.
Sri-arun Jangtiyanont, an office worker, said there were no escalators for passengers with heavy bags and the lifts are too far away.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:03 pm on April 17, 2011
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Nation dated Monday 25 April 2011 :-
On Nut-Baring route to open in August 2011
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Commuters can start using the longawaited extension of the Skytrain's Sukhumvit Line from On Nut to Baring on August 12.
A trial run was scheduled for May 4, with the media invited, Jate Sopitpongstorn, spokesman of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said Monday after a meeting of BMA executives.
Throughout June, the whole Skytrain system would be tested before the Baring extension would be officially launched on August 12, 2011.
A promotional fare of Bt15 per trip would likely be charged, he added.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:31 am on April 25, 2011
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Nation dated Thursday 5 May 2011 :-
Bid to extend Purple Line to Sai Noi intersection
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The Mass Rapid Transit Authority plans to ask the consultant for the Purple Line mass transit system to study the possibility of extending the Bang SueBang Yai section to the Sai Noi intersection.
An MRTA source said yesterday that Nonthaburi Governor Wichien Puttiwinyu had requested the Transport Ministry to lengthen the route by 4.5 kilometres from Bang Yai to Sai Noi.
The feasibility study might take six months to complete, the source said.
The extra section and three stations are expected to cost Bt1 billlion.
The MRTA will have to ask the Cabinet for the budget if it decides to go ahead with the project.
On the Bang SueBang Yai route, 25 per cent of the project cost of more than Bt36 billion has been spent on civil work.
Progress has suffered from a labour shortage but the contractor promised that 300 workers would be hired this month and 600 next month.
The Bang Yai-Bang Sue stretch of the MRT Purple Line project is a 23kilometre elevated, heavyrail transit system with 16 elevated stations, a depot with an operationcontrol centre and four parkandride facilities.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:37 am on May 5, 2011
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nohomesteaders
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It's interesting how people talk about the "doors closing violently" & "seats not comfortable" I use it (Makkasan) every time from my condo to the airport (it's not convenient to use coming back because you can't turn right on Ratchada - Asoke) and I have never thought those were issues.
My only complaint is, to check your bag on Thai airways you have to be at the Makkasan station THREE hours before your flight.
The other problem is taxi drivers don't know always know where it is, and if I didn't they would drive around all day looking for it.
Cost from condo - Makkasan: ฿35 (taxi or 20 min walk for free, no monetary cost for sweating) + ฿150= ฿185.
Taxi from "departures": ~฿200 + ฿25 (toll fee) = ฿225
So I save ฿40 or about $1.30 / € 1.00, for me it's not the money savings on the way to the airport, it's the nearly guaranteed arrival of a maximum of 30 minutes from arrival at the Makkasan station. Going home isn't a big deal as far as time.
I usually see about 10 other people on it when I go, and about 50% are airport employees, so they get round trip to/from work for ฿150. Good deal for them.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 7:37 am on May 6, 2011
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PussyLover 69
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Report from The Straits Times (Singapore) dated 9 May 2011 :-
All aboard the Empty Express
Nirmal Ghosh on Bangkok’s struggling Airport Link
I was interested to read an article in the Bangkok Post last Monday (April 18) headlined ‘Overpriced airport link is ‘a debacle’’.
Interested, because I have often taken the Express, and while it has been running for a few months now, none of the problems have been sorted out. As a result, I have never come across more than a handful of passengers in a single carriage.
Some of the complaints listed in the article I have written on before, and can readily still agree with, include:
- bad signage
- escalators are not where they are needed
- there are no trolleys
- there is no easily used link to nearby public transport
Indeed there are so few passengers that staff at the city end – Makkasan station – seem almost surprised when you disembark.
But the mystery starts at the airport end itself – where you can’t buy a ticket. You go to the top of the escalator that leads down to the platform and a security staffer asks where you are going. It’s clear that he has to do this because passengers get confused – and they get confused because the ticket machines aren’t working, so you don’t know what you are getting into.
At Makkasan, invariably a platform staffer has to guide you to the single working escalator at one end of the platform. When you have reached ground level, you wander through a vast concourse with almost nobody around, until you get to the ticket counter, where you buy your 150 Baht token and then slip it into the turnstile gate to get out.
That’s where the problems really start. At an upper deck, taxis are sometimes available. If, like me, you live in the Sukhumvit area above Asoke (Sois 16 and 23 upwards) you have to do a long loop around or a U-turn in heavy traffic if you take a taxi on that deck.
If you are lucky enough to have light hand luggage, and want to get to Sukhumvit fast, you have to hoof it out of the station, up 50m to the busy road, and either cross it to get a taxi, or turn right to get to the underground station. At the entrance to the underground line, you have to open your bags for the security staff to check them.
All this is a small nightmare if you have heavy luggage, or in the hot sun, or if it is bucketing rain.
But the Bangkok Post article noted problems that passengers don’t notice – thankfully. Apparently the system doesn’t have enough spare parts. Efforts are on to rectify this, as well as to construct the linkages that will make the service more user-friendly.
But these problems have been known since the Express started operations in June 2010. Yet, none seems to have been addressed and today, it still makes sense to use the Express only if you have light hand luggage.
The Post report quoted permanent secretary for transport Supoj Saplom as saying the target for the system was 2,200 passengers a day. But since fares were increased from 100 to 150 Baht in January, the number of passengers has dropped to 700 a day.
That’s not surprising, given that most times, a taxi will get you to the airport for between 200 and 300 Baht, depending on where in the city you live, and whether you use the toll roads. Transfer time in a taxi varies between 40 minutes to one hour also, depending on the route and time of day. Taxi prices and transfer times are actually comparable to those on the Express, because it is such a chore to get to and from the train.
According to Mr Supoj, the system is losing money to the tune of 42 million Baht a month.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:10 am on May 9, 2011
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