Suvarnabhumi Air Link a Failure?

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

I agree with the article. The airport rail link has to be one of the most poorly designed projects in the history of engineering. I've taken it three times into the city and once to Swampy. It's extremely inconvenient because of the lack of elevators and escalators. It's not worth considering except during the rush hour and then only when traveling with the lightest carry-on luggage. Far too much sweat and aggravation to save a few baht and at best, a little time.

 

Overpriced airport link is 'a debacle'

 

To be fair, I don't think the trains look old nor are the seats less comfortable than on other light rail trains. It's the idiotic design of the terminals at Makasan and Phaya Thai that's the problem.

 

Evil

Edited April 19, 2011 by Evil Penevil

[Bazle 1,644]

Interesting - thanks for posting.

 

I always travel light so the lack of lifts and escalators doesn't worry me. There were two major points in the article from my perspective - one good, one bad:

 

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.

 

Kantapa Piriyapongsa, an office employee, complained the trains do not arrive on time, resulting in passengers missing flights at Suvarnabhumi.

[lamejane 1]

Yes, interesting article Evil.

 

But from personal experience I found the service quite useful on my last trip. Used it from Suvarnabhumi Airport to connect to Phaya Thai Sky train station (the City Line with regular stops) - it cost 45 bht which didn't seem too bad at all. Then I took the regular Sky train from there to my hotel in Sukhumvit Rd. All up the trip cost 85 bht and took less than an hour. From memory the AE3 bus I usually take from the airport costs 200bht and it definitely takes longer due to Sukhumvit Rd area regularly being subject to bad traffic congestion.

 

I also used the same service on the way back with much the same result - however, this time I do remember waiting 20 boring minutes for the next Airport link train when connecting from Phaya Thai. Still, I would happily use it again. Moderately priced, air-conditioned, relatively quick and gets to where I want to go.

 

Then again maybe you have a better method to get to and from BKK Airport. Please kindly enlighten me if you do.

 

Cheers

lj

 

PS - Oh yes, I do also remember the doors closing shut with a tremendous thud, but that happens on most trains in my home city so I'm rather used to it.

[joekicker 53]

Some posters here predicted this monstrosity would fail even before its properly subdued grand opening. The entire project seemed designed to fail. It was a boondoggle from start to, probably, the very quickly approaching finish. It simply doesn't serve the flying public in any manner.

 

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[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Then again maybe you have a better method to get to and from BKK Airport. Please kindly enlighten me if you do.

 

For me, it would be a taxi. Most hours of the day a taxi will get you to a Suk area hotel with a total "door-to-door" trip time of 40 minutes or less and a cost of about 400 baht. The taxi trip takes longer in the rush hour and that's a reason to consider the rail link, but 9 times out of 10, a taxi will be quicker and more convenient, especially if you have anything more than the lighest of carry-on luggage. The stairs at Nana BTS are a major hassle if you're carrying anything.

 

The actual time you spend on the train to Phaya Thai is about 35 minutes, then it's at least 20 to 25 minutes to transfer to the BTS and ride to Nana or Asoke. But it also takes time to exit the BTS station and walk to the hotel, plus there is most often waiting time at the airport before the train departs. So I'd say it's at least 90 minutes before you're in the lobby of your hotel if you take the rail link from Swampy and switch to the BTS at Phaya Thai. The time and effort I save through taking a taxi is well worth 300 baht to me.

 

But I agree there are some circumstances when the rail link is a good option. If there are enormous queues for taxis at Swampy, I will take the rail link, assuming I don't have any luggage. Queues are an indication that traffic is jammed somewhere between the Suk area and the airport and has disrupted the normal taxi arrival patterns.

 

But with a heavy suitcase, no way I'd ever take the rail link, no matter how long the taxi queues or how bad traffic is snarled.

 

Evil

[joekicker 53]

But from personal experience I found the service quite useful on my last trip.

 

As do dozens of others. And that of course is the problem for a multi-billion baht project that was supposed to serve the millions of the flying public - the tourists, sure, but especially the local flying public.

 

For MOST people who fly, the train is extremely unpleasant to get to in the first place - lots of traffic, no parking and no check-in except for a couple of airlines. There's not even a schedule of when the trains go to the airport. You have to lug, really and truly LUG your baggage. It is definitely slower than simply proceeding to the airport, which is served by excellent roads which virtually never have traffic jams. (The downtown traffic jams exist whether you're going to the train or to the airport, that's a wash.)

 

Most people who fly, drive to the airport, or are driven by relatives or whatever. The rest have never complained about taking a taxi, it's not as if there was this huge demand for the train in the first place. And NOW the, er, extremely controversial transport minister tells us that it was poorly designed from the start. Which of course it was. In order to succeed, the train has to overcome inertia and show how much better it is than a taxi/car. But it didn't, because it can't, because it is NOT better than a taxi or car.

 

But dozens of riders won't support this train service.

 

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[JohnnyK 28]

Travel light. WTF do people bring their entire fucking household with them to Thailand? What daily items can't you get here?

Never had a problem with the BTS-airport train setup, its perfect for me - trai to Phaya Thai >>> BTS Victory Monument>> minivan to Hua Hin.

[jacko 8,931]

I agree with the article. The airport rail link has to be one of the most poorly designed projects in the history of engineering.

I would like to put forward the construction of Thrappaya and Jomtiem 2nd Rd for comparisons of this nature.

Took a trip to Soi 5 yesterday... I need to buy a Land Rover for the next one.

[jacko 8,931]

Travel light. WTF do people bring their entire fucking household with them to Thailand? What daily items can't you get here?

Never had a problem with the BTS-airport train setup, its perfect for me - trai to Phaya Thai >>> BTS Victory Monument>> minivan to Hua Hin.

Well I leave Thailand light, but return heavy as I order those things I can't find through Ebay.

I suppose you could say I am bringing my household.....

Plenty of things you can't buy in Thailand, try getting a new washer for your coffee maker! The local disposable razors don't seed to be as good, that is a daily item.

You could get a taxi you know.

Edited April 21, 2011 by jacko

[MM 6,562]

Well I leave Thailand light, but return heavy as I order those things I can't find through Ebay.

I suppose you could say I am bringing my household.....

Plenty of things you can't buy in Thailand, try getting a new washer for your coffee maker! The local disposable razors don't seed to be as good, that is a daily item.

You could get a taxi you know.

Same here. I leave with a lightly loaded huge suitcase with lots of spare room, and come back with a 55kg clunker packed to overflowing.

I go on shopping sprees for all those things I can't get in Thailand.

[joekicker 53]

Took a trip to Soi 5 yesterday... I need to buy a Land Rover for the next one.

 

Different kind of design effup.

 

I have to say that the construction of the airport link was almost invisible, hardly ever interfered with traffic. But the finished product makes a white elephant look attractive. The taxpayers will eat billions and more billions on this thing. In my nightmares, I see "officials" pouring more money down the rat hole to "fix" it. Best just to run it for airport staff, and let any tourists on who want to use it. Fixing it would be pretty much impossible, now.

 

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