Overpriced airport link is 'a debacle'

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Overpriced airport link is 'a debacle'

SPECIAL REPORT: Passengers unhappy with shoddy service are looking elsewhere

Published: 18/04/2011 at 03:15 AM
Newspaper section: News

The rail link project between central Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport has turned out to be a fiasco, with passengers paying up to 150 baht for what they say is a shoddy service.

No escalators, no trolleys, no car park and no connecting facilities are just some of the complaints.

Officials have been bombarded with complaints.

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About the author

: Writer: Amornrat Mahitthirook; Position: Reporter

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visiting
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Discussion 55 : 01/05/2011 at 03:24 PM55
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It's really not comparing apples to apples when talking about the London Underground, where some of the stations were built 121 years ago. The more recent stations (like Canary Wharf) DO have all sorts of amenities to make travel easier. The shame here in BKK is that a brand new system was built with virtually no foresight. Closing at midnight, lacking connectivity to other systems, lacking 'interoperability', poor pricing schemes, and lacking reliability make this line a failure.
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franklin
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Discussion 54 : 19/04/2011 at 09:37 PM54
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Just did a week in Singapore to avoid Songkran. Thai politicians and business leaders need to swallow their false-pride, go to Singapore and ride the MRT lines. The Singaporean system competes with the best in the world for safety, efficiency, superb planning and design and fares very affordable. No blaring noise on trams and all stations are underpasses or overpasses to and from regular running busses. With less corruption and looking to the future with the public’s needs in mind Thailand could have a similar system in maybe . . . 50 years.
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nhatdinh
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Discussion 53 : 19/04/2011 at 09:47 AM53
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Please do not forget that the Thai Oil Fund is diminishing. Once the LPG and CNG price goes market, the taxi driver will not be able to charge 200B a ride from airport to Sukhumvit. Then the airport link will compete.
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bkkskipper
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Discussion 52 : 19/04/2011 at 08:51 AM52
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SIEMENS is in general not a bad company you can see what they have done at the BTS and MRT projects including their maintenance organications. In certain issues SIEMENS did not follow the contract for whatever reason. The major problem at the SARL project was and is the customer - The State Railway of Thailand. This guys don't know what they are talking about when operating and maintaining a system like this. Currently their staff have no PPE, no IT infrastructure (staff have to bring their own computers), no tools and no spare parts. Corruption is still a major issue within the SRT and is not easy to solve. The government must be reminded that this project had been paid by our money - the taxpayer's money. Forget all the other issues like loud doors, hard seats and no BJ during the ride from the airport to town coz. people will always complain just to talk bull. A private company must operate and maintain this system than it will work to our all satisfaction.
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forbes
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Discussion 51 : 19/04/2011 at 06:59 AM51
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Start to look at the real world please.

London, Heathrow Airport Express link to Paddington Station is 6 times the price of the Bangkok Express Link. Take the slower train and the price is 9.5 times that of the City line. Have you ever tried pushing the broken baggage trollies from the Heathrow Station to Terminals 1,2 or 3? For that matter, have you ever taken the London Underground with bags? Many stations have no lifts or escalators at all.

40,000 people use the City Line service daily - it is always full when I ride on it. In that respect it is a success.

Comments regarding taxi cost with more than one person are irrelevant - fill up a meter taxi with people and it is always cheaper per head. Transportation economics 101.

We know the way it works, the service will improve, it is always this way in Thailand.
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impact
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Discussion 50 : 19/04/2011 at 02:56 AM50
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I do not understand the confusion on this. The current set up was not designed badly. It was designed exactly the way 'they' wanted it to be designed. In its current design, new arrivals to the station have no access to to other transportation and the walking distance is inconvenient. So...no problem...use our convenient limosine taxi service. It's obvious it was designed for this.

With just a few changes, use the Phayathai station. There you can get on the Sky Train and use it or connect to the subway at Asoke. You can even go down to the street and get a regular taxi or even a bus. It wouldn't take much to make Phayathai the terminal station and all problems basically solved. Instead of saying the link is a failure, just say the idea of having Makkasin station as the terminal station was a bad/greedy idea. It will upset the limo mafia, but too bad.
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macmundi
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Discussion 49 : 19/04/2011 at 12:36 AM49
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Game over for Siemens. They had their glory.
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sookjai
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Discussion 48 : 18/04/2011 at 05:42 PM48
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Thais: Why complain, when the majority surveyed stated that corruption is acceptable as long as something got done? This might be just ONE example.
Farang: Why use it, when there are other options? Live with this THAI WAYS.
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banyan
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Discussion 47 : 18/04/2011 at 05:38 PM47
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Yes, the Link has lot of room to improve, I agreed with many of you above or below; however for those that complained, try the link between CDG and Paris and you will see that what we have here isn't that bad at all, and at a reasonable price. I am glad that there is an alternative.
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fma
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Discussion 46 : 18/04/2011 at 05:28 PM46
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Is price really an issue for people spending 5000 THB on an air ticket? Taxis need to be a lot more expensive before a commuter train is an alternative.

I think the practicalities are more important. Dragging heavy suitcases, connections from Makkassan, comfort etc. After a 10 hour flight I want to be delivered to my doorstep.
For the record: I have not tried the airport link, and I am not likely to either.
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