One main problem in Bangkok is the heavy traffic jams that causes physical and mental stresses to commuters. Traffic jams also waste fuels and waste time. The effective ways to solve this problem are the reduction of own private vehicle use, and the commuting by mass transit system instead. Fortunately, Thai government has invested two major mass transit systems in Bangkok to relieve the traffic jam problem. The first is a sky train system owned and operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited, BTSC. The other is a subway system owned and operated by Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, MRTA. The two mass transit systems have some features that are different and some features that are similar.
The position of sky train is different from that of subway. The sky train runs 3 to 4 stories above ground. Constructions of sky train system and 23 sky train stations were built on the middle area between two road lanes. The double rail lanes along the streets are located on concrete posts high about 12 meters from the ground. Because of the height of sky train, the passengers can see city scenes such as Sathorn and Silom business areas, Lumpinee Public Park, the Victory Monument, and Jatujark Public Park. On the other hand, Passengers in subways can not see anything out of the windows of subways because the construction of the subway tunnels and 18 underground stations were built around 25 meters under the ground. Because of constructions and stations under ground, some passengers are afraid that if there is an accident at the subways or stations, they are not able to escape from the accident. For example, on 18 January,2005 while a subway was stopping to pick up passengers at a Thai center station, another subway, moving in the wrong direction, crashed into the first train. As soon as they crashed, the electricity in the subway system automatically turned off, so the passengers could not see the emergency doors and were trapped in the subway for more an hour. To prevent this dangerous situation, MRTA has to enhance and strictly control action plans of secure transportation.
Some facilities at sky train stations are similar to those at subway stations while some at both stations are different. At sky train stations, Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited provides various kinds of shops for passengers to buy newspapers, magazines, several kinds of drinks, and other goods, or even to rent movie DVD’s. In addition, BTSC has a Tourist Information Center at Siam, Nana, and Tarksin sky train stations to service tourists about internet connections, souvenirs, Choapraya Expresss Boats tickets, and information on sightseeing places around Bangkok. Furthermore, BTSC helps passengers who live around areas near sky train stations to access sky train stations conveniently by a free shuttle bus. The free shuttle buses service from 06.30 am to 10.30 pm. every days. Conversely, at subway stations, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand does not provide any of these for passengers. However, to facilitate people who want to travel by subway, MRTA built a car park building at Lad Phrao station and car park areas at National Queen Sirikit Convention Center, Petchburee, and Asok stations. Hence, subway passengers can save travel time and fuel cost by parking their own vehicles at the car park building or car park areas to commute subways instead. Apart from facilities at stations, the circumstances of both sky train and subways stations are significantly different. Most sky train passengers feel that they take shorter time to walk to plat forms of sky train stations than walk to those of subway stations. Moreover, the surroundings of sky train stations are brighter and more crowded than those of subway stations. In subway stations, some underground passengers feel that most station areas are rarely crowded, so any criminals may commit against passengers. However, enough safe guards are provided on the both sky train and subway stations to secure passengers.
The formats and prices of sky train and subway tickets are different. The ticket formats for travelling on the sky train are a single journey card and a stored value card while those for travelling on subways are a single card, an accumulated value card, and a microchip token. The difference for taking to inner platforms of two mass transit trains is that sky train passengers have to insert their cards in slots of ticket machines at an entrance gate. Conversely, subway passengers just touch screens of proving ticket machines with their cards or tokens. The price range of sky train travel for one journey varies with destination from 10 to 40 Baht while the price range of subway varies from 12 to 31 Baht. The formats of sky train and subways has a few differences because of the high technology of two systems while the ticket prices of two systems are hardly different.
In conclusion, there are fewer similarities in the sky train and subway systems than differences. The similarities are that each mass transit system owner provides their passengers with free access to their stations and that the formats of tickets are both a single journey card and a stored value card. The differences between these two systems are their positions of constructions and stations, the circumstances of stations, and the methods to check the tickets at the enter gate. Personally, I think that although both sky train and subway systems are very differences in some features, I prefer to commute by sky train because I easily access to stations and see a lot of city scenes.