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Read about the train journey from Singapore to Penang here
Bangkok's BTS Skytrain opened in December 1999, promising to make a dent in the city's notorious traffic problems. The traffic problems remain but the BTS system is a great way to zip around the city.
There are two lines in operation, linked by a central station at Siam Square.
The lines are the Sukhumvit Line and the Silom Line. The Sukhumvit line runs from Mo Chit in the north (near Chatuchak Park and the Mo Chit Bus Terminal) through Siam Central and Sukhumvit to On Nut.
The Silom line runs from the Chao Phraya River at Saphan Taksin through the Silom Road area then to Siam Central and the National Stadium. To travel between the two lines you must alight at Siam Central and change platforms.
The BTS system links up with Bangkok's MRT subway system at three stations - Mo Chit and Asok Stations on the Sukhumvit Line and Sala Daeng Station on the Silom Line.
Trains run frequently - every 3 to 6 minutes with increased services at peak travel times - from 6 am to midnight, each with a capacity for up to 1000 passengers.
Prices are quite affordable for visitors and range from 10 to 40 baht depending on distance traveled. You can also buy stored value tickets, 30 day passes and tourist tickets at 3 days for 280 baht or 1 day at 100 baht. Not bad if you're planning to use the skytrain frequently.
Tickets are purchased from coin operated machines in the form of credit card sized plastic cards. The ticket is then inserted into a turnstile to access the platform area. There are changebooths at each station if you need coins.
The stations are clean and well staffed with security personnel to keep things safe. There are plenty of shops at each station selling food, refreshments, and everything else under the sun.
The trains themselves are clean and comfortable and there are automated announcements in Thai and English as well as route maps to help first timers find their way. They get crowded at morning and evening peak times but during the day you can generally get a seat.
The Skytrain is great if you are living or staying near to one of the stations. It is fast - a trip that would take an hour or more by car takes just 10 minutes or so.
If you are on a tight budget bear in mind however that if there are 2 or 3 of you traveling together @ 40 baht a person this can work out more expensive than a Bangkok taxi which will be around 70 - 150 baht for most trips. Of course it may take you much longer by Taxi!
Train arriving at Victory Monument Station
The Skytrain is not widely used by those Thai people on very low incomes as the slow and crowded public bus system is cheaper! Indeed I recall asking one noodle vendor directions to a local station and she said she had never used it. The passengers tend to be business commuters, students, visitors and those living in the inner city.
The Skytrain system has really changed the logistics of where to stay on a visit to Bangkok. Staying in a hotel close to any station gives you excellent access to Bangkok's shopping and entertainment areas, although there is no access to the old part of the city. The Siam Square area is now a very popular spot for tourists and hotels close to the Central Station are often fully booked.
From the street the Skytrain system is less than pretty, with massive concrete supports running through Bangkok. The stations are a tangle of concrete stairways and platforms and Siam Central is a particular eyesore. You have to climb several levels of stairs to access the platforms so the BTS is not a good choice for people with disabilities.
If you enjoy riding trains then you will certainly enjoy the BTS system. It's a great way to see diverse areas of Bangkok quite cheaply and quickly, avoiding the traffic snarls below. The windows on the trains are quite big so you get a great view of the city in places.
There is ongoing talk of extending the BTS though the topic is a controversial one in Thai politics so we shall wait and see!
Victory Monument Station
BTS Skytrain Gallery - Click on the thumbnail images below to view 800x600 sized photographs taken of the BTS system. The photographs will open in a new browser window.
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