Originally Posted by
seanthepilot
The traffic this past week was terrible. Rain some evenings, but not everyday.
I thought I would take the BTS and Airport Link. Big mistake!
7:05pm departure from the SGS, 2 people, 2 roll-aboard bags. Because of the luggage, we opted for the BTS vs the MRT connection.
Missed the first BTS, 5 minutes until the next. Arrive to Phaya Thai after 7:30 and the next train for both the Express and the local are at 8:00pm. We took the local train, but no matter. The express takes 21 minutes and the local takes 30 minutes.
Cost, 30x2 & 45x2 = 150THB
For those considering the two...
We'd have been much better to take a taxi, even with an hour of traffic jams.
A few things I don't understand with your info here.
Firstly, the BTS headway on the Suk lin is 2.40mins in the morning peak so not sure why it was 5 mins (late running?) but that is a minor matter. On the Silom line is is 5mins so perhaps that was your unstated started point.
2ndly, I always check timetables before travel so I have a few options,
http://airportraillink.railway.co.th/en/ . Perhaps you did and you already knew that the express departs every 30mins on the hour and half hour?
No one turns up to an airport without knowing departure times right?
3rd, the Cityline runs every 12 mins at peak (20 mins off peak). According to the SRT timetable there should have been a 7:38am and a 7:50am service. Now it is not unknown for Cityline services to be delayed a few mins but to have 2 services cancelled that morning so that there was no Cityline between 7:30-8am is highly unusual.
Must have had a sequence of bad luck that morning. And I really don't understand the big mistake? Not checking the timetable, you didn't allow enough time, miss your flight?
Most times during a morning and especially afternoon peak most are still going to have a quicker and less stress free journey using the various metro style services than a taxi. Not always but usually.