Skytrain fares rising slightly

[reader]

From Khaosod English

 

BANGKOK — Commuters will soon have to shell out a few more baht every day to ride the BTS Skytrain.

 

Fares will rise by up to 3 baht on the Sukhumvit and Silom lines starting Oct. 1, Surapong Laoha-Unya, executive director of the Bangkok Mass Transit System Co. Ltd., announced Monday.

 

Fare increases will not affect stations along the extended Sukhumvit Line, from BTS On Nut to BTS Samrong.

 

Current fares of 15 baht to 42 baht will rise to 16 baht to 44 baht when the new schedule takes effect in just over a month. Traveling farther than seven stations will cost 44 baht instead of 42 baht.

 

The fare hike will also apply to 30-day cards, for both general riders and students: up 1 baht per trip. That means, per month, regular commuters will have to pay 1,300 baht for 50 trips, 1,080 baht for 40 trips, 725 baht for 25 trips and 465 baht for 15 trips.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/transpo/2017/08/29/skytrain-fares-increase-oct-1/

[vinapu]

Still reasonable level and we can live with such modest increase

[ChristianPFC]

Chao Phraya boat fares rose 1 Baht on 17aug2017 (announcement in Thai posted at Sathorn pier; I rarely go by Chao Phraya boat so I saw it only some days ago).

[PeterRS]

I would be more prepared to pay the extra Skytrain fees if the BTS would just add one more carriage to trains on the Sukhumvit Line. It is ridiculous that one was added on the Silom Line about 2 years ago but not on the Suk Line. Why open many new stations and not increase space on the trains? Travelling at almost any time of day now the trains are quite packed. Rush hour often means waiting for 2 or 3 trains before you can get on.

 

I also fail to understand the pricing of BTS fares versus taxi fares. In most cities the subway fare is a small fraction of the taxi fare. In Bangkok, two people can travel in a taxi (outside rush hours) for the almost same price as two Skytrain tickets. That is no encouragement to get people off the roads. Taxi fares are certainly extremely cheap. Perhaps the answer is to hike them considerably. but not before more carriages are added on the Skytrain system.

[spoon]

U just answered your own question peterRS, its the rush hour that makes mrt/bts more attractive. Given the high cost of bts/mrt, they wanted to get back money spent as soon as possible i guess. On the other hand, if u hit more than 7 station, price of bts/mrt are a fraction of taxi.

[rollingstone]

BKK BTS is actually quite expensive relative to the average salaries normal BKK people take home. Of course this is in comparison to public transport fares in neighboring countries, particularly Singapore for instance. Can't really compare bus fares as average foreigners could not really take buses in Thailand I suppose (unlike Christian or Pong who are obviously very knowlegeable about the big city and the language). I like to ride BTS and will stay in hotels at or near BTS stations.

 

Agree that taxis are cheap and perhaps why taxi drivers always want to jack up the prices past midnite. At any rate I usually have a boy in tow so a couple of hundred baht would not make any difference. lol:)

[ChristianPFC]

BCan't really compare bus fares as average foreigners could not really take buses in Thailand I suppose (unlike Christian or Pong who are obviously very knowlegeable about the big city and the language).

It took me over 3 trips to Thailand, combined 6 weeks, before I started using the bus. Reading the language is advantageous, but you can use maps or apps or ask locals instead: in Vietnam and Myanmar I was taking the bus from day 1 without speaking the language.

[vinapu]

average foreigners could not really take buses in Thailand I suppose

and they are doing smart thing, after being stuck in traffic in bus 149 which took fully 70 minutes just to cross Saphan Taksin bridge last Friday between 6.20 and 7.30 p.m.  my advice is take bus only to any BTS / MRT station in sight and continue by train from there.

 

After all not that upsetting as I was planning massage at Senso which came to naught because of delay so approx 3000 saved , long live a bus 149 ! , LOL     

[PeterRS]

its the rush hour that makes mrt/bts more attractive

 

Now seems like the rush hour on the BTS covers most of the day. I was on the Suk line yesterday at 12:15 and again at 14:30. Both trains were a bit like the rush hour in Tokyo - absolutely jam packed. Yet the BTS continues to keep just 4 cars on those trains. This despite the line having been extended and now quite a few travellers with suitcases going to or from Phaya Thai.

[vinapu]

Now seems like the rush hour on the BTS covers most of the day. I

correct but still , even if one needs to wait for 2-3 trains to get in it beats buses,

I just posted in another thread about being stuck on Saphan Taksin bridge for 70 minutes inside of 149 bus. ChristianPFC was stuck on the same evening in another bus for a similar time.