I know this is a longshot (very long...) but I am planning to attend a conference in Bangkok and as this will be the first time i'm flying into the new BKK airport, I was surfing the airport website when i saw this:

The construction of the City Airport Terminal in Makkasan and a 28.6 km high-speed rail link to the new airport started in July 2005 and are planned for completion in November 2007. The airport express, informally known as the Pink Line and operated jointly with SRT's planned Red Line commuter service, will connect with the BTS Sukhumvit Line and MRT Blue Line at Phaya Thai and Phetchaburi stations respectively, offering airport-bound passengers a fast 15-minute limited stop journey from the city.

Just wondering if the train is anywhere near ready when I get there on the 19th (nov) ?

I've always used the 700Baht limosine sevice past arrivals and think that I will be doing the same (if they are still there), and have been skeptical about the taxis. Anyone will any word of assurances that the 300baht (or less!) taxis are safe?

I will be staying at the Holiday Inn at Pathuman (I think). Anyone with any comments?

Thanks

They say this train might be complete by the end of 2007. I think 2008.

Would take a bet that the train line won't be ready in Nov '07, probably no sooner than '09 perhaps.

Not aware of a Holiday Inn near Pathumwan. The main Holiday Inn in BKK used to be on Silom Road at corner of Maheesak/Surasak Roads. That area is Bang Rak district, not Pathumwan.

Re: completion date -- ain't corruption wonderful? Especially with new faces in key ministries, all previous investments have to be "reviewed" -- read: make sure the new guys at the top have their bag men in place for skimming, once a project does get approval for funding.

Delays in projects, and "less than expected" final results, like the new airport itself. Welcome to Thailand.

The taxis are perfectly safe. Go down one level to get to the dispatcher, who records your destination and gives a chit to the driver. Make sure he turns on his metre. He'll charge you an extra 50 Baht for the dispatcher fee on top of what's on the metre. But the total, including tolls which you pay (you just hand the money to the driver), will come to about 300 Baht, or less.

When you take a taxi into the city from the airport you will notice the construction of the elevated train, provided it is daylight. There will be piers, with a few spans, visible on your left. I haven't seen any reports lately, and the current schedule calls for operation end 2007/begining of 2008. So it might be ready by 19 Nov 2007? I think they are still looking for someone to manage/operate this train.

I believe your hotel is the Holiday Inn, 971 Ploenchit Road, Pathumwan,
Bangkok 10330 Thailand, adjacent to the Intercontinental Hotel and the Chit Lom BTS skytrain station. It's gotten good reviews here on FT.

www.2bangkok.com is great for train related questions...

yes the 300baht taxi's are safe. They are just metered taxis, but make sure they run by the meter. If the decide to tell you a price and not use the meter, flag another cab.

Thanks all, for your input. I'm booked on Jetstar (bloody stingy companies paying only for that!) and am NOT looking forward to it at all.... (flying in from SIN)

Anyway, are unmetered taxis still common? I know of tuk drivers who exhort (sp?)...

Jetstar's not that bad as far as LCCs go -- new planes, assigned seating, tolerable pitch. It's only a two-hour flight anyway.

Unmetered taxis in Bangkok are extinct. You'll very, very occasionally see one from the provinces though -- I actually did a double-take the first time I saw a yellow-black "TAXI" as opposed to the ubiquitous yellow-green "TAXI-METER".