CBST Bulletin: Skytrain

Bangkok's Skytrain (รถไฟฟ้า) started operating in December 1999 and, for the areas it goes to at least, is an extremely useful way of getting about. There's a central station located at Siam square, and two lines: the 17km Sukhumvit line, which stretches from Sukhumvit Soi 81, all the way up to Mo Chit. The 6.5km Silom line from the National Stadium down south to Saphan Taksin along Silom and Sathorn roads. While the Siam station is undoubtedly the hub of the skytrain, the stations at Asoke and Sala Daeng are also main stations due to being interchange stations with the subway.

After a somewhat slow start when passenger numbers were well below expectations and empty seats a common sight, the Skytrain today carries close to 400,00 passengers a day and it's usually standing room only. All signs and announcements are in English as well as Thai, so it's easy to use. There is no timetable, but the trains go very frequently, about every 5 minutes or so. It's open everyday from 6am to midnight.

Positives

Overall, the skytrain system is generally very popular with visitors staying near its stations. It makes travelling long distances substantially quicker than by road and is relatively inexpensive. Inside, it's clean and air-conditioned, and certainly compares very well to the mass transit systems elsewhere in the world. The skytrain has a good reputation for safety, having suffered nothing worse than the occasional power cut and stuck train in the 7 years it's been operating.

Many of the stations are gradually expanding and adding direct links to nearby hotels and shopping centers.

Negatives

The main disadvantage of the skytrain is the relatively limited areas it goes to at present - there's only two lines, and no station anywhere near the airport, railway station, the Grand Palace or Khao San road for instance. This is less of an issue now than it used to be though, as the newer subway system covers much of the central Bangkok area that the skytrain doesn't.

However, although the skytrain intersects with the subway at it's Asoke and Sala Daeng stations, there is no shared ticket system available. Long-planned extensions to the skytrain route sadly appear to be completely stalled for now as a result of political interests and an effort by the government to force the nationalisation of the skytrain. The large flights of stairs that have to be climbed at each skytrain station make it inaccessible to the less mobile also. The odd station, e.g. Siam, Sala Daeng have up-only escalators and/or lifts installed but for now this is still pretty much the exception rather than the rule. This makes wheelchair access to many of the stations just about imposssible, in contrast to the excellent facilities of the subway.

Costs

Skytrain fares cost between 10B and 40B per person depending on the distance, about one third the cost of a comparable taxi ride. For one person, this is good value but if you're in a group then a taxi may represent a better option. If you plan to frequently use the skytrain, then it's well worthwhile buying one of the top-up 'Skycards' sold at every station. Though no cheaper than regular tickets, they save the time and effort of having to queue for tickets and dig around for 5B and 10B coins (the only ones accepted) anytime you want to go anywhere.
Though these fares are cheap by western standards and for Bangkok's middle class, they are regarded as relatively expensive for the lowest income Thais when compared to a flat fare of 5B on Bangkok's ordinary buses. Though few Thais will know the English word 'skytrain', the system is widely known as 'BTS' (บีทีเอส) after the company that operates it.

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