Educational and entertaining, Pat. I can only imagine how much work was involved in researching and curating archive videos and photos, along with all the diagrams, facts, and figures, to create this coherent compilation. Excellent work (yet again)!
Hi Pat, I worked in Bangkok on a contract for ITD in '93 / 94. The multi product buried pipeline from Klong Toey to Don Muang Airport. Designed to take 10,000 fuel tankers off the roads per week! ITD poured great and strong concrete but the management style and decision making was something else! * Asia Hotel was the hotel I stayed in when first visiting Thailand in 1973. I was on my way to work in Singapore at the age of 21.
I recognise a few places on there especially the Asia Hotel funnily enough....... It's amazing how much the system has grown, when i first visited Thailand in 2012 the Sukhumvit Line only went from Bearing to Mo Chit, now it stretching right out to the suburbs......
I'm old enough to have been to Bangkok before the BTS was built and it was a much more difficult city to figure out, plus the commute times were much longer. Nowadays everyone just takes it for granted, even me!
Wow! That video was a masterpiece! Must have taken you a long time to gather all that info. Even details, that the trains were manufactured in Vienna by Siemens. I’ll bet not a lot of people knew that. Unfortunately, all public things take so long due to the corruption. Without it, BKK could be more prosperous than Singapore. Anyway. Thanks again Pat for this video!
Why would a lot of people want to know where the trains were manufactured, I would as It interests me and Siemens was a company that took over the Demag tram factory in Dusseldorf where I lived.
I can only think of how much research you put into this video Pat, a lot of amazing old footage. Although there seems to be a lot of missed opportunities with the design of the rail links at least Thailand have done something, I will still be waiting when I am an old man for an Airport rail link.
I love watching construction videos. The sheer amount of mental and physical effort expended is amazing. Just wish they finished faster. Do you plan a series like this covering the MRT?
Thanks Pat, your research, planning and execution matches the transit system itself! Pity that the Mo Chit 2 bus terminal is so far from the BTS station, but I now why, thanks! Also, the Sukhumvit line extension to the airport seems such a missed opportunity. I guess ahead of its time, but now would make perfect sense. Cheers mate!
Only Italians could manage to deal with the Thais… Italo-Thai 🚂 👻🤣 I remember when taking the Sky Train for the first time, dream… But 20B against the 8B for the bus… 😅 No wonder the locals didn’t take the Sky train in the beginning
The initial route was also too short and not extending to serve the residential zones of the bangkokians. I think this is the main obstacle based on my own experience. The ticket price was not the problem if it worth the convenience.
Love it. I am a huge fan of the BTS and been so since my first visit back in 2006. One thing that never changed since then is the voice announcing the next station. I wonder if you will uncover the details of who is behind that voice and how it was managed as the lines expanded to more stations over the years. Looking forward to Part 3 ❤
The same lady has done the new Yellow line. Her English accent is a little unusual because she sounds in the main English but sometimes American. Its usually easy to tell whether a Thai person learned English in the UK or in the USA but not sure in her case!
@@andywarne963 Hi Andy, so on that note it's not always a case of that Thai person learning the language in a particular country. When I worked in Bangkok I asked two Thai twins who were friends of mine, where in America did they live. As they spoke English with American accents. They replied that they had never lived in America but learnt English by watching the sit com Friends. Im English and speak some Thai and Thai people tell me I have a particular accent. That amazes me as I'm simply doing my best to get it right and no idea others could pick up an accent as such. Languages fascinate me and I've been on a long mission to learn Thai and love it as much as I love Thailand.
This was nostalgic! Takes me back to the first times in Bangkok 98/99 when you could see the test runs, it all looked so futuristic in the middle of all the chaos that was Bangkok back then :)
What's the difference between p*orn clips and Bangkok videos? Same same. Loved this video, like all the others. Great fan of BTS, MRT and ARL, but why can't all three have a united travelcard? Guess that's why BKK is not London, HK or Singapore yet!
thanks Pat, I have been watching your videos for awhile now. if i could only remember everything. been studying Thai since 2014 also, same thing!, slow progress.. although a fun adventure.
Recently the doors of a BTS train opened during a ride wothout a reason. Should not happen again. Hoped SIEMENS technique would be more reliable. May be the train was 15+ years old
Great docu-vlog, Pat, as always 😀 Hope the accessibility aspect can be address in part 3. It's a bummer getting up/down as escalators/lifts are scarce at most stations.
Superb episode, full of well researched information! Thank you for all your hard work and for sharing your knowledge is such a fun and interesting manner
Very, Very Interesting Video, with your Clear Information Pat, as always. Must be a hell of a Job for you to investigate this info. My Compliments to you! 🙏
Excellent content as usual BP, keep it up. Those BTS lines were built just in time for my arrival there to work in 2000 and they made getting around so much easier and BTS now is really part of BKK life for many, unimaginable now, without it.
NOW I know about the public transport in Bkk. Your depth of research is incredible. Porsche Design, first delivery, former plans. Thanks for your great episodes!!! Greetings from Germany
Thank you so much for this video! The developement of public transport in Bangkok in the last 25 years is incredible. But the jealousy between operators was not good. I mean, you metioned it, it is a pain in the a... to change at Makkasan from ARL to MRT. And in my opinion that place has the most confusing naming of stations in Bangkok: ARL = Makkasan MRT = Phetchaburi SRT = Asok Khlong boat = Asok The skywalks are really nice feature; protecting you from traffic, sun and rain. Yes, I hope there will be more in the future. What I am always thinking about is though: Why Bangkok things it is a good idea to have so many rail systems. MRT, BTS Monorail, People mover... That makes the system complicated. And there shouls be a working version of the "Spidercard" to avoid the hassle of buying a new ticket for every system. 5555 In this video I only missed cats. 🙂
I think the mindset of most private businesses have changed when it came to a Skytrain station infront of their property, they recognized the benefits that they may gain. The only ones that haven't change are those of the Government. The end station of the new Pink line for example was supposed to be right next to the Purple line's station, but because some government organization screeched at the top of their lungs, it was moved a little further out. 😒
Sorry for your headaches having to sort out and retrieve all the old footages and videos, but rest assured that your sacrifices are not in vain and highly appreciated by your hardcore fans!! Another awesome job by the one and only Bangkok specialist on RU-vid.
Wow I thought I was watching a documentary channel. The clip is very informative and has many old pictures and clips that bring back my memories. Even when I was young, I thought that I was not gonna live long enough to take the mrt and bts that we all take for granted today. I got your link from another Thai youtube channel "BangkokTube Akira". This video is a diamond.
Thanks very much and of course thanks to Bangkok Tube Akira for choosing my video as an example, I had prepared for many years to make this video and it's one of the reasons why I started this channel, to tell this story! Also I wanted to collect as many old photo and videos as I could find!
I started riding the train in1999 when it only went from VM to Siam but when I came back to Thailand at the end of 1999 it was possible to go from Mo chit to On nut, i remember the skywalk to Asia Hotel and another skywalk to a shoppingmall at On nut station
Swarms of motorbike riders in Saigon Vietnam are waiting for the first metro line to open in 2024 when they'll probably keep on taking their bikes instead as bikes are more flexible and convenient. Walking 10 minutes to a metro station or anywhere else except maybe a wet market is countercultural.
Great video, I remember once being on a train that travelled in service from the Light Green to Dark Green Lines. The Thai local that I was travelling with even took a few steps out of the train at Siam, as he was convinced that I was wrong in my assumption that [on this journey, at least], we would be able to travel from Mo Chit to Sala Daeng without having to transfer. His face was a picture!
Another brilliant video ,thanks pat for all the hard work ,watching on my pc but adding comment on my phone ,i think youtube are trying to ban me as i have add blocker on my pc 55555
YT want everyone on Premium now, even l had to sign up despite them already making money from me. It's a recent thing they have detected the adblockers.
Amazing video, the amount of research you must have put in is nothing less than outstanding. Personally I love the BTS and MRT, and think they're awesome feats of engineering. And never knew Porsche designed the interiors thats brilliant. As for that silver line as you said that seems a bit pointless unless it links to more central parts of the systems😊
Pat this was a very informative vlog from the first one. Enjoyed it very well loved the old clips and then seeing the finished project's The only thing is that a lot of project's gets started and then they stop which is not nice but it's got to do with the election to see what's in the budget.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Luckily this project was funded privately so it all went smoothly. Hopewell became Hopeless thanks to corners being cut and had it opened it would have collapsed at some point.
Krungthep locals in 1995: This gotta be worth it Krungthep locals in 1999: This is gonna fail come on if it fails they must demolish it Krungthep locals now: Actually impressive
Is any reason why the line wasn’t extended towards the West from National Stadium station? Supposedly there were plans to go the whole way to the Democracy Monument
AIA Company paid 500 million baht to BTS to build St. Louis Station (formerly Suksa Wittaya) so that employees and contacts can easily enter the company building. And there are cards for employees who use them to travel at special prices.
Great video Pat. I like all the concrete infrastructure of Bangkok, trains whizzing by overhead this way and that, on multi levels. Enjoyed the history too, well done.
D.C.'s subway system, which is under and overground, was designed by an Italian firm. One thing I notice about your traffic footage from the construction era- few or no motorbikes
I purchased a condo on Phayathai Rd in 1998 (at 30% discount due to the "Tom Yum Crisis") just before the BTS line was opened there. Catching the crowded No. 11 bus to Sukhumvit and my work place before then was no fun at all. Now with the Airport Link railway system operating, many, if not most, passengers use the Phayathai stations of both lines to transfer rather than those at Makkasan, for the reason you state: a very long walk! The problem there is the small lifts are not designed to carry people (but to satisfy the designated design brief at minimal cost to "have a lift") and all their baggage.
A huge design weakness was the failure to consider the disabled and aged. Even today, there are insufficient escalators. Some can take you up but not downn.
I absolutely love it The story about the Bangkok sky training I was there in 1999 the sky train wasn't opened yet I was there for one week interesting because my father was retired from the railroad station makkasan.
The skywalks are handy but who was in charge of picking the tiles?!?!? Must be an official who got a good deal on his bathroom wall-tiles as they are often slippery and shiny like an ice rink
Wonderful video Pat. too bad you never got a shot at the driver's cabin. I was a driver in the subways here in the Us before becoming an engine driver on the railways
The development of rail in Bangkok is similar to the way Londons transport developed in the 1800s and early 1900s with several companies competing. Exactly the same rivalries develop, and situations which dont benefit the passenger such as the current dispute on whether the Yellow line can be extended to interchange with the BTS at Lad Phrao. But we should not complain. Building systems such as this without a huge drain on the taxpayer and roughly delivered on time (ish) is a triumph compared to most systems in the West.
The news said nobody is interested in the Yellow line extension, but they would say that! Not sure that it really affects their business. As l said, all these train companies should work together not against eachother.
Without these trains running along the bangkok skyline, tourists and residents will have a hard time travelling by roads. Bangkok has been well connected from central to further outer Bangkok area, make it so convenient for all.
What a great vlog Pat I remember going from the mid 90s onwards and seeing the progress every year. It was hard for the motorists and residents during the building but what a game changer when it opened. So smooth getting around and I love the fact someone use a video camera on the 1st ride ahhh the days before mobiles !!!!!. Nice one Pat 🍻
I’m interested to see your video on the extensions ... it’s certainly been a success. Also EVERYONE is keen to know how the BKK ptya fast-train is going??
I 've already forgotten that there will be part 2 and so on 😀😀. My wish is still not fulfilled, Bang Pu station is still the long way to come. I was working in Chiang Mai at the time of BTS inauguration. In fact, I've never enjoyed the first day ride or free ride period of any line in BKK.
I really respect you so much to find some photos or videos to insert in this video and it would be so hard to find each of them. Anyway, thank you for a really good video like this and I'm looking forward to watching your next episode soon!
Marvellous but I think it's a shame it looks so ugly ! Takes "concrete jungle" to a higher level. There's no attempt to make the structure a little more elegent! But of course better than more roads/flyovers .....
I think it looked lovely for a few years when it was still light grey and new, but now the pollution and dirt has got on it, it's become shabby and unattractive.
At 8:55, didn't understand the caption "Asoke to Nana Skywoalk" since it ends at the Sofitel and then you need to go down to the street and walk to the Hyatt Regency to either take the stairs or the escalator back up to the skywalk to Nana BTS Station. Would be nice if they did actually connect the skywalk from the Sofitel to the Hyatt. Is there a backstory why there's a gap between the Hyatt and Sofitel?
I still remember that parents and teachers of Mater Dei elite school were so worried that the skytrain would be like NY metro degenerating into slum that they organized students to demonstrate against constructing the Sukhumvit line as the line runs near their school. But it was to no avail. The line was built without a problem as it is built on public land on the middle of the road, not even near the school's premise. The school just did not have a case and yet they threatened to file a lawsuit but decided at the end not to proceed with the legal action if my memory is correct.
