“It’s a waste of time to queue up for coins at the BTS. You should install ticket machines that accept bank notes, and let officers dispense tickets as well as coins. Also, when will the BTS and MRT ticketing systems merge? It’s annoying to have to buy two tickets every time.”
The cause: ”The long queues only happen at crowded stations like Siam or Asoke during rush hour because everyone shows up at the same time.”
The solution: ”We’ve just installed more exchange coin boxes at some stations, but we have no plan to let our staff sell tickets. We’re trying to convince people to use refillable cards more. We plan to install the merged ticket for the BTS and MRT early next year. You’ll also be able to use it to make purchases at shops like Au Bon Pain, and we’re negotiating to bring in more shops. We hope everyone will like it and be persuaded to use refillable cards rather than coins.”
“It’s really crowded in the morning. I have to wait for at least two trains before I can get on. The first one is really full, then some don’t even stop at my station. They just pass us to pick up people at On Nut station directly. That means I have to wait 20 minutes! I’ve also had to wait at the turnstiles sometimes, because the BTS officer tells me that the platform is too crowded!”
The cause: “The number of passengers grows every year and we’ve just opened five new stations on the Sukhumvit line which has increased the number of passengers by about 40,000-50,000 people from the previous total of 600,000 daily passengers. Some of them are not used to the BTS and get into the carriages slowly, and the driver can’t close the doors in the allotted 50 seconds, causing delays for other trains. And as the trains get crowded from early stations like Bangna or Bearing, we sometimes have to send empty trains to pick people up at the crowded On Nut station directly.”
The solution: “We’re now waiting for 35 additional carriages which we placed an order for last year. We will attach them to all 35 Sukhumvit-line trains to make them 4-carriage trains like those on the Silom line. The number of trains is enough. We just have to put better measures in place to ensure time efficiency for each train and increase the number of officers on hand to maintain order during rush hours. We also keep two spare trains for each line in case one breaks down or the line is too crowded.”
“The BTS breaks down too often! Almost every day, around 5-7pm, you can already expect something is going wrong.”
The cause: “We’ve installed new trains and new operating systems that changed from analog to digital at the end of last year. Though we tested the systems for about 4-5 months before installation, we still have some unforeseen problems that didn’t come up in testing. Most of the problems are related to computer processing, and are sometimes due to a weakened signal from our headquarter control room at Mo Chit Station.”
The solution: “After monitoring these problems, we’ve tried to fix all the issues, and I think it’s getting better and more stable now. I want to point out that we also had this problem when we first opened 12 years ago. But there wasn’t such a public outcry because there weren’t as many passengers as there are today.”
“Can’t they not have TV screens on the BTS? It’s really pollution for the eyes and ears. It’s so noisy and it’s all junk commercials that we’re forced to watch. Train systems in other countries don’t have this.”
The cause: “We did some research about TVs on the BTS and found that 97% of passengers like having them. We also put subtitles on the screens to help people who are deaf.”
The solution: “We admit that there are 3% who don’t like the TVs, but we always monitor the volume of the commercials to make sure it’s not disturbing passengers too much. If you think the TV is too loud, please tell us the train number, so we can fix it when it comes back to the headquarters.”
“I’m so sick of waiting for trains going in the opposite direction to cross Saphan Taksin station. Why didn’t you build two rails in the first place? Will you expand it in the future? The station is also tiny and there isn’t much space to stand on the platform. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone fell.”
The cause: “The Saphan Taksin station was originally built as a temporary station so we only installed one rail. But since it has taken ten years to build the extension, people around the area have gotten used to it and oppose plans to demolish it.“
The solution: ”We’ve discussed the extension of the rail with the BMA and the Department of Rural Roads (DRR) who take care of Saphan Taksin Bridge. Now we have two choices. The first is that the DRR cut the inner lane of the bridge, then expand the bridge width on the other side, so that we can install another BTS rail. The second choice is demolishing the station and creating a transfer system like a shuttle bus service or skywalk. This line will be busier next year as we prepare to open five more stations to Bang Wa, and we need to fix this issue to make operations on this line flow more smoothly. We’ve also ordered four new trains to support the new stations as well.”
BTS Contact Info
• @BTS_Skytrain
• facebook: tiny.cc/qwxvr
• www.bts.co.th
• hotline: 02-617-6000
• nudvan@bts.co.th (6am-midnight)
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