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Better transport is coming your way

Published: 5/01/2012 at 09:54 AM
Newspaper section: News

If things go to plan, getting about in Bangkok will be cheaper and more convenient by 2015.

The timeframe was given by the Pheu Thai Party-led government for the completion and opening of several mass-transit routes.

A plan to integrate major and minor mass-transit networks with a joint-ticketing system as promised by the government will boost the number of city residents using public transport.

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About the author

: Writer: Amornrat Mahitthirook; Position: Reporter

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Michael Bukit
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Discussion 12 : 05/01/2012 at 01:31 PM12
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Hope they plan all the 10 mass-transit rail lines in Bangkok 5 meters above the ground and not underground. If it is underground hope they solve the flood problems first before building the underground lines. Last year flood water almost get into some of the stations in BKK.
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Michael Bukit
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Discussion 11 : 05/01/2012 at 01:25 PM11
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Communist China that has been isolated themselves for more than 50 years already using 1 ticket system in most of it cities public transportation. Thailand, there is a lot for you to catch up. I doubt it would happen in 2015.
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banmebkk
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Discussion 10 : 05/01/2012 at 11:58 AM10
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I did bring up a point of joint-ticketing system when they started building the MRT which uses a total different ticketing systems. Are Thai politicians really that stupid? This whole joint ticketing has been done in several neighboring countries, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea way ahead of Thailand - they even include buses and you can even pay at convenience stores and taxi with that one card for some countries. Its a simple copy and paste model to follow.

As a Thai, I dare say farangs would run the country better than these baboons in office. And I welcome farangs in office (of course qualified ones only).
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faceless1
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Discussion 9 : 05/01/2012 at 11:23 AM9
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Better to improve existing infrastructure first. Single ticket system (happy travelcard?) for BTS and MRT; additional carriages and more frequent service for BTS Sukhumvit line; convenient pedestrian walkway connection from BTS to Airport link and better information at the Airport link stations. Commuters will be happier and govt gains credit. However, fine tuning does not involve a mega-budget, hmm.
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onlyme
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Discussion 8 : 05/01/2012 at 10:48 AM8
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The other eight projects are the Dark Red Line with a distance of 80.8km, Dark Green Line (66.5km), Light Green Line (55km), Blue Line (55km), Purple Line (42.8km), Orange Line (32.5 km), Pink Line (36km) and Yellow Line (30.4km).

Do you have to buy a colour decoder or can someone actually say where (and when) all of these lines are going yo and from.
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Asian Hand
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Discussion 7 : 05/01/2012 at 10:10 AM7
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The BTS and MRT had planned to issue a joint smart card representing a one ticket system to link the two systems. The MRT has refused to join this effort and BTS will now go it alone in issuing their own smart card in May. With the MRT as a state owned enterprise mired in bureaucracy and the "other stuff" is no wonder they ended up not participating. Outside the BMA - public transit remains prehistoric: a dysfunctional railway with a privateer outdated oriented busing infrastructure. Anyway, with cheap pick up trucks available why improve.
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dao
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Discussion 6 : 05/01/2012 at 09:47 AM6
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In 2019 trains will be finished ? The traffic is already ridiculous .How will it be in 7 more years .If China built a train across Tibet in frozen tundra maybe we can HURRY UP and build the trains that have already been planned .
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smiles999
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Discussion 5 : 05/01/2012 at 08:37 AM5
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Hi, laudable intentions indeed..we all know what it will be -- eventually !! Presently, we have the sky-train(BTS), metro(under-ground) and the airport-link, have 3 diverse, different, divergent workings, including ticket systems, very naturally !!! -- not to mention of the irritating and antiquated, ear-piercing whistle at the city to airport stations. The wise rightly said -- the tail of the dog cannot be straightened..!!
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Victor
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Discussion 4 : 05/01/2012 at 08:17 AM4
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Joint ticketing system for all modes of transportation in this country is a wishful thinking.
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geoffo
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Discussion 3 : 05/01/2012 at 08:09 AM3
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Look no further than Makkasan Airport Link station to see Thai politicians skills on display.

No place to park, surrounded by taxi mafia, scruffy already. The sole contribution of PTP to date was to send the son of Chalerm in to "sort out" the gangster taxi mafia. I guess the reasoning was it takes one to know one.

So , the chance of a one ticket smooth mass transit is about as realistic as getting rid of child porn from Sukhumvit street stalls, cigarette police from the front of Terminal 21, completing the overhead walkway along Sukhumvit and even better then keeping it free from beggars and vendors.
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