MRT

  • Transport NewsCredit card payment coming next year for Bangkok transport

    Credit card payment coming next year for Bangkok transport

    One thing that expats often find different from home when they move to Thailand is how cash-based so much of the country is when so many Western countries use credit cards and digital payments almost exclusively. But soon people won’t get caught fumbling for change to catch a bus or train, as the Ministry of Transport announced that credit and…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok’s Yellow Line skyrail starts test runs

    Bangkok’s Yellow Line skyrail starts test runs

    The newest addition to Bangkok’s skyrail is here.The Yellow Line, which travels from Lat Phrao to Samrong in Samut Prakan, has reportedly begun its test run since last Thursday from the maintenance depot near Sri Iam station in Bang Na district. The Yellow Line, which is a joint venture worth 54,768.455 million baht between Thailand’s Mass Rapid Transit Authority and…

  • Covid-19 NewsLockdown tomorrow: What to expect in Bangkok and beyond

    Lockdown tomorrow: What to expect in Bangkok and beyond

    Though the government won’t use the word, tomorrow sees 10 dark red zone provinces going into, essentially, a lockdown. Here’s a rundown of what to expect during the 2 week period beginning tomorrow (Monday). The restrictions apply to all 10 provinces, but the information below is focused on the lockdown in Bangkok. INSIDE BANGKOK Things are about to quieten down.…

  • Covid-19 NewsMRT train station employee diagnosed with Covid-19

    MRT train station employee diagnosed with Covid-19

    Despite strict adherence to Covid-19 safety measures, a staff member of the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority in Bangkok has tested positive for the virus. The MRT made an announcement today about the employee, whose gender was not revealed. They confirmed that the Covid-19 infected staff member worked on the MRT Chalong Ratchadham line – the purple line – at the…

  • Thailand NewsSnakes in Bangkok. Get up close and personal… if you dare | VIDEO

    Snakes in Bangkok. Get up close and personal… if you dare | VIDEO

    Yes, there are snakes in Bangkok. Apart from the odd reptile ‘critter’ lurking under the kitchen sink or looking down on you from a tree, there’s a much more ‘touristy’ alternative to check out Thailand’s slipperiest reptiles. Some are poisonous, most aren’t but you’ll learn more about them here at the Snake Farm at the Thai Red Cross Society in…

  • Transport NewsRailway union rejects plans to close the Hua Lamphong Station which is set to be closed in November

    Railway union rejects plans to close the Hua Lamphong Station which is set to be closed in November

    Trains, planes and buses in Thailand all have restricted travel at the moment. In the case of the flights, domestic carriers have been forced to cancel or reschedule hundreds of flights due to the high drop off of passenger traffic since the start of Thailand’s second wave of Covid-19 which kicked off on December 20 last year. But amidst the…

  • Transport NewsConstruction of new Bangkok rail links set for completion this year

    Construction of new Bangkok rail links set for completion this year

    Bangkok residents will see construction of a number of rail projects finally completed this year, with hopes this will do something to alleviate traffic problems in the capital, as well as improving air quality. The Bangkok Post reports on 4 electric rail routes it’s hoped will be up and running later this year. The Pink Line This 34.5 kilometre track…

  • Thailand Protest NewsK-Pop fan-funded billboards move from BTS and MRT stations to tuks tuks to support protesters

    K-Pop fan-funded billboards move from BTS and MRT stations to tuks tuks to support protesters

    K-Pop fan-funded “happy birthday” billboards are moving from mass transit stations in Bangkok to tuk tuks after the BTS Skytrain and MRT Bangkok Metro temporarily shut down services during pro-democracy protests last month. The world’s K-Pop fans are weaponising their huge numbers and online ‘power’ by supporting Thailand’s pro-democracy movement. In 3 days last month, Thai and overseas K-pop fans…

  • Tourism NewsSome tourism officials concerned with political climate, ask government to open dialogue

    Some tourism officials concerned with political climate, ask government to open dialogue

    In the midst of Thailand reopening its borders to foreigners on the Special Tourist Visa, political protests have only grown in Bangkok and are now being held in cities across Thailand. Now tourism operators are worried and are asking the government to engage in dialogue with the protesters. President of the Tourism Council of Thailand Chairat Trirattanajarasporn says he’s worried…

  • Thailand Protest NewsSaturday night protests around Bangkok end peacefully

    Saturday night protests around Bangkok end peacefully

    Four different locations, between 15,000 – 20,000 protesters, all ending peacefully. Police were not far away from any of the gatherings but a clear message has come from the top to avoid another violent display like Friday night at the Pathumwan intersection in Bangkok’s central shopping district. Police and government officials tried to short-circuit the protesters plans early yesterday afternoon…

  • Northern Thailand NewsPublic concerned with costs of MRT’s Isaan project

    Public concerned with costs of MRT’s Isaan project

    Money is a main concern for businesses and investors involved in a project by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand to construct an electric light rail train line in the Isaan province Nakhon Ratchasima. Some say MRT should reconsider the type of train planned for the project and go for a more cost efficient option. Province’s proposed MRT Green…

  • Bangkok NewsBTS pillar collapse injures 5 – VIDEO

    BTS pillar collapse injures 5 – VIDEO

    5 construction workers were injured in the early hours of this morning when a column under construction along a future elevated train line came crashing down. A Skytrain Pink Line pillar under construction collapsed on Chaengwattana Road in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district, just north of Bangkok. The workers were about 7 metres from the ground and pouring concrete on top…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand eases up on social distancing requirements for domestic travel

    Thailand eases up on social distancing requirements for domestic travel

    The requirement for Thailand’s airlines to leave every second seat empty, as part of the conditions under which domestic services could resume, is being done away with. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand says carriers can now sell every seat on a flight (whether or not airlines manage to do so is another matter). However, the CAAT says airlines must…

  • Covid-19 NewsBTS and MRT roll out better preventative and social distancing measures

    BTS and MRT roll out better preventative and social distancing measures

    Since there has been a lot of backlash and social media scuttlebutt about the lack of social distancing on MRT and BTS train systems, the MD of the Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company, Sombat Kitjalaksak, has moved to apply improved social distancing measures by prioritising access to services in the station, platform, train, both at normal times and rush…

  • Covid-19 NewsOne MRT station closed after confirmed Covid-19 case

    One MRT station closed after confirmed Covid-19 case

    An employee has confirmed positive with Covid-19 who worked at the Nonthaburi Civil Centre MRT station run by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRT). So the MRT has suspended all services at the Nonthaburi Civil Centre station this morning from 8:40 am. The Nonthaburi Civic Centre will go through a deep clean and sterilisation today, in line with the…

  • Bangkok NewsFire in the Fortune Town shopping centre in Din Daeng, Bangkok

    Fire in the Fortune Town shopping centre in Din Daeng, Bangkok

    It took firefighters 20 minutes to extinguish a blaze that started on the 4th floor of the Fortune Town shopping centre on Ratchadapisek Road in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district. The fire started this morning. There were no reports of injuries or death from the incident. The fire originated in a True Corporation customer service shop and cafe on the 4th…

  • Bangkok NewsCabinet go-ahead for 3.6 billion baht spend to put electrical cabling underground

    Cabinet go-ahead for 3.6 billion baht spend to put electrical cabling underground

    The Cabinet has approved expenditure of 3.6 billion baht to help the Metropolitan Electricity Authority speed up the moving of power lines underground in areas along MRT lines – the announcement from deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul. “The project length is a total of 215.6 kilometres and the MEA has finished just 46.6 kilometres, leaving another 169 km to complete.…