Originally Posted by nkedel (Post 22927548)

Getting on at Phaya Thai it's not bad if you don't mind being a bit assertive about the space; given how full some of the city line trains get, getting on with bags at Makkasan for the city line would sound less than fun to me.

Originally Posted by Yappofloyd (Post 22936021)

This is incorrect. Every BTS station has at least one, mostly two, escalator from street level to concourse level and ALL stations have an escalator from concourse level to the platform so there is no need to use the 30+ stairs except for fitness reasons.
(Which was not the case back in the early 00s when only around 40% of the current escalators were installed)

However, going down from platform to concourse level will always involve using stairs (aside from the new stations beyond WWY which have lifts at the platform level). Concourse to street level will also involve using stairs except for those stations with a lift or those many will links to shopping centers/buildings.

Originally Posted by Yappofloyd (Post 22936037)

On the contrary, boarding at Phaya Thai is fine as it is the originating station so as long as you are there when the train doors open for boarding - even at peak hour - you are almost certain to get a seat. Boarding at Ratchaprarop & Makkasan almost certainly means you won't get a seat esp at peak hours.

Originally Posted by whackyjacky (Post 22936124)

Really ? On both sides of the street ? This is very surprising to me as I never seem to be able to find them and I've taken 100s of trips. The elevators always seem to be locked up or non functional.

Originally Posted by Yappofloyd (Post 22288317)

Yes this has been a much discussed problem since the ARL opened over 3 years ago - including many times on this and other threads. One of the patent design problems. (I've made the point here and elsewhere that the BTS opened with about 40% of the current escalators that the network now has. The rest were progressively installed).

The obvious problem at Phaya Thai as a terminus station is that there was only the one up escalator for pax so there was always a crowd when everyone disembarked , esp for those with bags. Most with large or heavy luggage use the elevator even if they have to wait.....

One set of extra escalators have actually been installed at Phaya Thai, Ratchaprarop and Ram stations over the last 18 months. It seemed to take an inordinate amount of time as many things do in Thailand.

10 more escalators will be installed in the next 6 months (realistically, make that 12+ months);
Hua Mark - 3
Lat Krabang - 4
Ban Thap Chang - 4

When I travel on the Tube in London, Madrid Metro or the Paris Metro with luggage I regularly have to carry my large trolley bag up & down stairs when interchanging or entering/exiting certain stations. I accept that as part of the experience....

Originally Posted by whackyjacky (Post 22936124)

Really ? On both sides of the street ? This is very surprising to me as I never seem to be able to find them and I've taken 100s of trips. The elevators always seem to be locked up or non functional.

Originally Posted by Tchiowa (Post 22936864)

I always thought the elevator doors were just painted on. Are there really elevators behind them? ;)

Originally Posted by Yappofloyd (Post 22936774)

I think that you are somehow reading elevator where escalator was written.....?

Originally Posted by whackyjacky (Post 22929922)

Most BTS Stations involve a lot of stairs. At Asoke or Sukhumvit there are escalators, & they always seem to work. Not so elsewhere & even if you get to ride up to the station level, you've still got 30+ stairs to the train.

Originally Posted by dsquared37 (Post 22937916)

Every station I've been in has at least one escalator from the entry level to platform area for both directions. If the nearest platform access from entry is stairs then the oppositve entrance is guaranteed to be an escalator.

Originally Posted by Yappofloyd (Post 22936835)

THE ARL Ext to DMK:
I've updated on this a number of times in the thread. What was a priority after the 2 airport policy shift, to be tendered by mid last year. Along with 2 other new metro lines which were to be tendered in late 2013, this project was suspended once parliament was dissolved in late Nov 2013.

I suspect that it is safe to say that the tender will not go out in by the end of 2014 given the coup. (Perhaps there will be a surprise?)

Realistically, this extension will take 4 years to build. In early 2013, the Minister was saying that it was a priority and will open in 2016 (he stated that it would only take 3 yrs to build but 4 is more accurate).

If we don't get a tender done until early to mid 2015 then.........2019-20 will be likely. It would then be opening beyond what was back in 2010 originally planned to be a 2018 completion date!!!

Originally Posted by tg911 (Post 23404776)

Well i always get a flight that arrives at 06:O5 AM and catch the first Express to Makkasan.
Think they will lose another customer if the Express only run's from 10am to 10pm from 1 September.
Seems this service is doomed unless they change it to stop twice as already mentioned,but reworking of the track layout is needed so that not likely to ever happen.

Originally Posted by Tchiowa (Post 23406580)

The problem is that it doesn't go where it needs to go. Read some of the posts where people ask how to get from the airport to "X". ARL to Makkasan to MRT to Asoke to BTS to somewhere then take a taxi to the next stop and a chariot to the helipad to the bus station then a tuk-tulk to, to, to, to, to, to then walk the rest of the way.