Yappofloyd

Just out of interest the opening of the pedestrian link to MRT at Makkasan station last year has increased pax from around 3K a day to over 7K a day!

Lat Krabang and Hua Mark stations also ave around 7K per day.
Phayathai gets around 15k a day. Airport 10K a day.

seanthepilot

It sure seems like, from location alone, that Makkasan is the future is the future hub of commuting in Bangkok. You seem to have a fairly in depth understanding of the system. Can you comment on that or how you see Makkasan's role in the next 5 to 10 years?

Yappofloyd

Apols but I didn't see this until now. Not really a future hub for BKK but a hub for the east yes. The new Bang Sue station will essentially replace Hualumphong station and be the main hub for intercity trains.

The Makkasan Railyards are a huge area of SRT land in the inner city, much of it unused. Around 12/13 years ago, it was proposed to redevelop the railyards and build a mini inner city here, office building, shopping malls, condos. Part of that initial concept plan was to have 4 100+ story buildings! And very little open space.

When the ARL was belatedly approved (after it was previously deferred for 2 years), the obvious and only feasible option was to build the City Air Terminal (CAT) station on the Makkasan railyards. The CAT was built the size it is both to cater for future pax expansion but mainly due that it would be the main station for this inner city redevelopment. There was also a potential it would become the Terminus station for the Eastern Lines - which is the current Rayong HSR line plan. The consultants for the ARL did forecast incorrectly that many more people would use the Express service.

The CAT will have a future Black metro line pass and a planned monorail around the Makkasan redevelopment to serve the area would terminate link the CAT.

The Makkasan redevelopment has been reworked a number of times and there is a large community campaign to ensure that there is at least 30% open space/park. This is the current concept plan;

The CAT is at the far right.

As such the CAT is a suitable size for future plans in this area and will over the next 20 years become more of an important transport interchange.

EmailKid

At SFO right now on my way to take one of UA's last flights to BKK, and wonder if I can catch the Airport train to Phaya Thai at 23:30 and arrive at 23:49, can I catch the last Skytrain. Supposedly it runs until Midnight.

Or just go to Makkasan and take a taxi, as that would be closer to my hotel.

Will look for answer when I change planes at NRT.

Thanks.

aBroadAbroad

I'm not specifically knowledgable about your route, but at that time of night, I'd just stick with a taxi. And I personally would never rely on the last connection to the last Skytrain, as they've been known to get off schedule or not show up. After all, T.I.T.

Safe journeys! Wish I were there...

Tchiowa

The least couple of UA flights I've taken out of SFO to BKK via NRT haven't been even close to on time. A few minutes late or a line at Immigration and you'll miss all of that.

That time of night the roads are wide open. Take a taxi or an airport car and you'll arrive faster.

transpac

The last SARL trains from SBIA to Phaya Thai depart at 23:47 and 00:02.

The last BTS train (to Bearing) stops at Phaya Thai at 00:21.

You could not connect from the last SARL to the last BTS.

The BTS has extended their early morning/late evening operating hours recently to 05:15 ~ 00:52 (Sukhumvit Line, first train out of Mo Chit, last train into Bearing).

The BTS schedule is probably the more reliable of the two; there have been complaints on Thai social forums re: SARL "cancellations" both early and late.

seanthepilot

Even if you could make the last ARL, I think finding a taxi at Makkasan would not be an efficient use of time. IIRC, it's quite a walk from the platform out to Ratchadapisek where you'd catch a cab towards Sukhumvit.

At Phaya Thai, the likelihood that a cab can be waived down from the passing traffic is OK.

I would take a taxi and skip the tollway. But, you can save a few bucks with the ARL.

EmailKid

Wow,

thanks for quick replies ^

We have a winner

1:50 delay right now. Guess it is better than last time when UA837 went MX

But the evening is still young

Time before last I was able to catch a taxi at Makkasan rather quick.

But as I said above, it is moot now

transpac

Urban planning/rail porn.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...postcount=1102

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=247181


Meanwhile, back in the real world:

Court rejects Hopewell's Bt12 bn claim against govt

The Central Administrative Court has overturned an arbitrator's order that the government pay a private firm about Bt11.88 billion over the now-abandoned Hopewell Project.

The court decision is based on a technicality, as it found that Hopewell (Thailand) petitioned the arbitrator too late.

The firm demanded the large amount of compensation from the Transport Ministry and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), accusing the two agencies of unfairly cancelling its contract in 1998.

"By law, the parties in the conflict must petition the arbitrator within 60 days or the Central Administrative Court within five years since the termination of contract took place," the court announced yesterday.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nati...-30229179.html

I think Khun Suthep was the transport minister who cancelled this project, against all advice. Ah, reform never smelled so sweet.

Dr. HFH

I'm interested in why you consider that a technicality. If the law/rule/regulation gives you a certain amount of time to make a claim and you don't do it within the specified amount of time, then you haven't followed the rules for making your claim. As the Massachusetts Appeals Court once said (paraphrasing), although application of the rules may result in seemingly harsh outcomes, the rules are clear and unambiguous.

dsquared37

I've had a handful of times where taxis weren't willing to pick us up at Phaya Thai unless we agreed to an exorbitant set fare.

Several successive incidents actually put the kabosh on any further attempts.

While I am sure the Massachusetts courts are transparent my view of Thailand courts are less generous. Clear and unambiguous might well depend upon the eyes of the claimant.

estnet

[QUOTE=dsquared37;22528488]I've had a handful of times where taxis weren't willing to pick us up at Phaya Thai unless we agreed to an exorbitant set fare.

Several successive incidents actually put the kabosh on any further attempts.

I, too, have had little to no luck getting a taxi at Phaya Thai to go across town to the ROS for meter . Lots of them will go for 2 to 4 times what the meter would be. My solution - I take the 36 bus directly to the end of the line which is a 1 minute walk cost - something like 12 baht (air-con). Downside- I have to lift luggage up a very high first step onto bus, sometimes I have to wait 20 minutes for the bus to come.

EmailKid

How late does the bus run?

estnet

Don't know, maybe 11 or 12?