Top 10
Top Ten things to know about the Bangkok Skytrain (BTS)
Bangkok Transit System, better known by locals and tourists as the ‘Skytrain’, is as ubiquitous in Bangkok as good street food and fake Viagra. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC), a subsidiary of BTS Group Holdings, under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
The system consists of 43 stations along two lines: the Sukhumvit Line running northwards and eastwards, terminating at Mo Chit and Kheha respectively, and the Silom Line which serves Silom and Sathon Roads, the central business district of Bangkok, terminating at National Stadium and Bang Wa.
There is also the dedicated Airport Link from the city to Suvarnabhumi and soon a line will open to Don Mueang Airport.
Besides the BTS, Bangkok’s rapid transit system includes the underground and elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) railway lines. The growth in daily BTS traffic has been huge in the past ten years.
Before we get started, whilst it’s 35 degrees outside the BTS, it can often be at least 10 degrees cooler inside. Pleasant on some trips, can get icy cold on others.
This shows the growing popularity of the BTS Skytrain with the year, total riders and average daily riders.
The Skytrain system was opened on 5 December 1999 by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Bangkokians avoided it like the plague for the first few years but slowly fell in love with the elevated trains. Now the BTS is a vital part of the Bangkok public transport system with growing numbers of passengers every year.
The BTS has a fleet of 52 four-car trains. Here are ten things to know before you travel on the Skytrain.
1. No one reads newspapers or magazines anymore, no one!
The future of marketing is in stark focus when riding on the BTS Skytrain. No one reads newspapers or magazines and it’s estimated that 86% of travellers will look at their smartphones at least once during any trip on the BTS. The actual carriages are adorned with marketing messages and branding, some of them completely ‘skinned’ in the branding of paying organisations. The stations feature a lot of screens and large format advertising as well as inside the carriages. Given the 663,000 daily users on the Skytrain, basically a captive audience, where are you spending your marketing baht?
The Bangkok Mass Transit System was making more from advertising revenue than ticket sales until 2013.
2. One Day Pass is the way to go
At least for tourists who don’t have many days in Bangkok, one day pass is good for travellers who plan to go to at least 2 locations in 1 day. But if your destinations are less than 5 stations apart, then go with Single Journey Ticket. The one day ticket will save you A LOT of time especially in rush-hours when queues for tickets can add to your frustration.
To get single-journey tickets you have automatic dispensers where you’ll need to know your way around and have plenty of change with you. Every Skytrain station has helpful staff that are used to tourists and bewildered expats not knowing the system. You can also buy your day passes from these staff.
Also (and it could change anytime) there is currently no ‘seniors’ card or discount available on the BTS, although there is a discount currently available for over 60s on the MRT (underground).
3. Watch out for slamming gates
The automatic ticket gates open and close fast! So once you’ve popped in your ticket or touched your token onto the gate, those flipper doors will swing open. They slam closed again just seconds later. If you’re not ready to burst through the gate at this time you’ll miss your chance and have the gates grab onto your backpack as you try and get through.
4. No Durian!
Thais love their durians but not on the BTS or MRT. You shouldn’t bring anything stinky into the carriage, including yourself. There are security staff doing bag checks at many stations – they’ll detect your durian a lot quicker than they’ll get close enough to find any weapons.
5. Let passengers out before you get in
One of the most frustrating things when taking the BTS or MRT is when passengers start rushing in whilst you’re still trying to get off the train. Please let people get out first. BTS and MRT will give you plenty of time and sound an alarm before the doors close.
6. Keep right
Keep to the right side if you want to stand on the escalator. Stay left if you want to walk up or down the escalator. Be assured if you stand on the left side of the escalator someone will give you a polite budge to move across.
8. Avoid peak hour
If you don’t like crowds then avoid the BTS at 7-9am and 5-7pm. It’s hell. Consider 10 millions people trying to get from one part of Bangkok to another. You may have to wait until a few trains come and go before you get a chance to get into the carriage. If you’re standing on a platform with thousands of other Bangkokians on a hot April day waiting in peak hour you won’t forget it fast.
9. Know the first and last train time schedules
The BTS first train from Mo Chit and Bearing stations depart at 5:15am and the last train leaves the station at midnight. For the Silom line, the trains start from 5:30am and run to midnight. The MRT (underground) runs from 6am-midnight everyday. Keep in mind that the station gates will be closed approximately 10 minutes before the last train arrives at the station.
10. No bathrooms in the stations or actual carriages
There are no restrooms/bathrooms/toilets in BTS or MRT stations or trains. Luckily, there are so many malls by some stations that you can just use their public restrooms along the way. Although the MRT and BTS are the fastest ways to get around Bangkok, if your destinations are far apart, you may need to forward-plan your restroom visits.
10a. Not to be confused with the South Korean band
Type in BTS into your Google machine and you’ll get millions of entries about RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, V and Jungkook – the seven members of BTS (which comes from their name in Korean which translates as Bullet-proof Boyscouts – Bangtan Sonyeondan), the world’s biggest pop band of the moment.
If you want to find out about the Bangkok Skytrain, type in ‘BTS Bangkok’.
The most popular stations for the BTS?
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Bangkok
Police raid Bangkok restaurant, more than 80 people face charges for violating Emergency Decree
More than 80 people face jail time and fines for allegedly violating disease control measures under the Emergency Decree after police raided a Bangkok pub and restaurant.
The Indian restaurant Taj Café off Sukhumvit Road in the Watthana district was raided over the weekend after a complaint reporting that customers were smoking hookah, which is illegal in Thailand, and that the venue employed undocumented migrants.
Under an order from Bangkok City Hall, bars and pubs must close until further notice to help control the spread of Covid-19 while restaurants cannot serve alcohol and must stop dine-in services at 9pm to reduce gathering.
Officers from both immigration and the Lumpini police station raided the Indian Restaurant at 1:10am Saturday. Police say the venue was crowded, no one was social distancing and customers were not wearing face masks.
Pattaya News reports more than 80 people were arrested, while the Bangkok Post reports 65 people were arrested.
According to the Pattaya News, 42 people each face a month in jail and a 5,000 baht fine. Another 40 people, who were foreigners from Nigeria, India, Somalia and Myanmar, face between 4 months to a year in jail as well as fines ranging from 5,000 baht to 16,000 baht, according to the Pattaya News. Police say many of the foreigners violated both the Emergency Decree and the Immigration Act.
The Bangkok Post says the manager of the restaurant, 28 year old Mamdeep Singh, was charged with working without a permit, offering hookah to customers and violating both the Emergency Decree and City Hall order.
SOURCES: Bangkok Post | Pattaya News
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59 areas in Bangkok are seeing excessive PM 2.5 dust ratings today as air quality is being described as moderate to poor. Din Daeng Road is being identified as the most polluted, according to the air4thai website of the Pollution Control Department. The amount of PM 2.5 dust is being measured at between 39 and 113 microns.
Din Daeng is also joining Bang Na-Trat highway in Bang Na district, Lat Phrao district and Sukhapibaan 5 Road in Sai Mai district in featuring PM10 dust in the atmosphere that is measuring between 54 and 155 microns.
Read more about Bangkok’s pollution today, and its causes, HERE.
The 59 areas that are considered polluted today are:
Hirunrujee sub-district, Thon Buri district
Kanchanapisek Road in Bang Khun Thian district
Bang Na sub-district
Song Khanong sub-district in Phra Pradaeng district
Din Daeng sub-district, Din Daeng district
Talat Kwan sub-district in Muang district of Nonthaburi
Omnoi sub-district in Krathumban district of Samut Sakhon
Paknam sub-district in Muang district of Samut Prakan
Bang Sao Thong sub-district
Khlong 1 sub-district in Khlong Luang district of Pathum Thani
Rama 4 Road in Pathumwan district
Intharapitak Road in Thon Buri district
Lat Phrao Road in Wang Thong Lang district
Din Daeng Road in Din Daeng district
Khlong Goom sub-district
Khlong Sam Wa district
Chom Thong district
Charunsanitwong Road in Bang Phlad district
Rama 2 Road in Bang Khun Thian district
Vibhavadi Rangsit highway in Din Daeng district
Sukhumvit Road in Phra Khanong district
Ratburana Road in Ratburana district
Rama 5 Road in Dusit district
Trimitr Road at Wongwian Odeon, Samphanthawong district
Rama 6 Road in Phya Thai district
Lat Phrao Road at Soi Lat Phrao 95 in Wang Thong Lang district
Rama 4 Road in front of Sam Yan Mitrtown, Pathumwan district
Narathiwat Road in Bang Rak district
Thung Wat Don sub-district
Rama 3-Charoen Krung Road in Bang Khor Laem district
Sukhumvit Road Soi 63 in Wattana district
Pattanakarn Road in Suan Luang district
Bang Na-Trat highway in Bang Na district
Pahonyothin Road at Kasetsart intersection, Chatuchak district
Don Mueang district
Sukhapibaan 5 Road in Sai Mai district
Nawamin Road in Bang Kapi district
Suan Sayam-Raminthra intersection in Kanna Yao district
Lat Krabang Road in Lat Krabang district
Seehaburanakit Road in Min Buri district
Liab Waree Road in Nong Chok district
Srinakharin Road in Prawet district
Ratchadapisek-Tha Phra Road in Thon Buri district
Charoen Nakhon Road in Khlong San district
Tha Phra intersection, Bangkok Yai district
Soi Nikhom Rodfai Thon Buri in Bangkok Noi district
Buddha Monthon 1 Road in Taling Chan district
Thawee Wattana Road in Thawee Wattana district
Aekkachai Road in Bang Bon district
Pracha-uthit Road in Thung Khru district
Samsen Road in Phra Nakhon district
Huay Khwang district
Khlong Toey sub-district
Ban Sue sub-district
Lat Phrao district
Thung Song Hong sub-district
Pahonyothin Road in Bang Khen district
Saphan Soong district
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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Bangkok’s BTS skytrain maximum fare rate is being raised to 158 baht despite receiving backlash over the hike. The Transport Ministry is behind the calls for City Hall to stop the increase as it says it is too expensive for the average commuter who takes the BTS 2 times a day. Saksayam Chidchob, the Transport Minister, says other routes should be explored before increasing the costs for commuters.
“The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration should halt its policy on new BTS maximum fare and wait for other authorities to find proper solutions.”
The BMA and Transport Ministry were jointly appointed to set the fare’s ceiling in 2018, but it appears the BMA is now taking control of the new price hike. The BMA and Interior Ministry were previously responsible for granting concessions for the skytrain’s operation but the Transport Ministry is also part of the reviewing committee for extending the concessions and overall investments in the country’s mass transit system.
But deals are being made by the BMA that appear to ignore the Transport Ministry’s equal role in making decisions and the ministry says such actions are breaching co-investment laws. It isn’t the first time the BMA has made decisions without the Transport Ministry’s joint approval.
Before the new hike in fares, it previously extended concessions to the current Bangkok Mass Transit System in order to keep the fare ceiling at 65 baht. Now, making a new deal that would see passengers paying more than double in total fares across the skytrain system is being seen as pushing the envelope.
What is not clear is why the fares are being hiked when the country is suffering economically due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though the new maximum is set to rollout on February 16, Bangkok’s governor has offered to bring the new maximum down to 104 for a short period of time in consideration of the recent Covid outbreak.
But even increasing the fare to 104 baht is being widely opposed. The secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution says even the discounted rate is too expensive for daily commuters. And, the date for the discount ending has not been announced.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Police raid Bangkok restaurant, more than 80 people face charges for violating Emergency Decree
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Kenneth Brewster
Friday, October 2, 2020 at 10:57 am
Been to Bangkok many times although not in the last 18 months. In London and many cities around the world, one can purchase a daily or monthly travel card allowing passenger use on all trains, underground trains and buses etc. A real boon for tourists and locals alike. When will we get that for Bangkok ?