The Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS Skytrain ( [BTS]), is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System PCL (BTSC), a subsidiary of BTS Group Holdings, under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) which owns the lines. The system consists of 62 stations along three lines with a combined route length of . The BTS Sukhumvit Line runs northwards and south-eastwards, terminating at Khu Khot and Kheha respectively. The BTS Silom Line which serves Silom and Sathon Roads, the central business district of Bangkok, terminates at National Stadium and Bang Wa. The Gold Line people mover runs from Krung Thon Buri to Klong San and serves Iconsiam. The lines interchange at Siam station and Krung Thon Buri. The system is formally known as "The Elevated Train in Commemoration of HM the King's 6th Cycle Birthday" ().
Besides the three BTS lines, Bangkok's rapid transit system includes the underground and elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) lines, the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT), and the elevated Airport Rail Link (ARL), serving several stations before reaching Suvarnabhumi Airport, and the SRT Red Lines of the State Railway of Thailand.
History
Plans for mass transit in Bangkok began in the early 1980s. An early version of the Skytrain project was known as the Lavalin Skytrain because it was designed using the Vancouver SkyTrain as a model, adopting technology developed by SNC-Lavalin. Due to political interference, the concession with Lavalin was cancelled in June 1992, despite Bangkok's chronic traffic congestion. The Thai government focused on increasing road and expressway infrastructure in an attempt to reduce congestion. This had little impact, as the number of cars on the road continued to increase dramatically. The routes considered as part of the Skytrain project would become the basis for the MRT system and are mainly underground. In the early 1990s, foundations and a viaduct for the Lavalin Skytrain were constructed in the middle of the Phra Pok Klao Bridge across the Chao Phraya River. The viaduct was redeveloped into a sky park in June 2020.
Another abortive attempt at building an elevated rail network was the Bangkok Elevated Road and Train System (BERTS), which was terminated in 1998 after only 13.77 percent had been completed.
Shortly after it became clear that the Lavalin Skytrain had stalled, then-Governor Major General Chamlong Srimuang asked his deputy, Captain Kritsada Arunwong na Ayutthaya, to create a new feeder system with a route along Sukhumvit and Silom Roads. Krisda and his team from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) succeeded in finding a private investor. Krisda also convinced everyone concerned to allow the city supervise the project. Keeree Kanjanapas founded the Bangkok Transit System Corporation (BTSC) and it successfully financed the system and grew it from a feeder system to a full mass transit project. Thanayong Public Company Limited ) had a 28 percent stake in BTSC when the Skytrain began, and therefore in its early days the system was sometimes referred to as the "Thanayong Skytrain".
Siemens, the supplier of the railway technology, and the Thai contractor, Italian Thai Development, built the system for BTSC. The "Skytrain" name was bestowed later by the press following the Vancouver example where the elevated metro had been named "Skytrain". Originally, the Skytrain depot was to be built underneath Lumphini Park, but due to widespread objections from Bangkok residents it was constructed on a parcel of land on Phahonyothin Road, replacing the old northern/northeastern bus terminal (Mo Chit). The current depot at Mo Chit is part of the proposed "Bangkok Terminal" project, where a large complex composed of a new regional bus terminal, park and ride facility, and other commercial development can be built directly above it.
The Skytrain system was opened on 5 December 1999 by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. It initially had lower-than-predicted ridership, with 200,000 passenger trips per day. Ticket revenue was only enough to meet the trains' operating cost, and not sufficient to service construction loans. The Skytrain's daily passenger numbers have steadily increased since then. On 9 December 2005, more than 500,000 single trips were made on the Skytrain on a single day for the first time. By September 2012, the Skytrain served around 600,000 passengers on an average day, increasing to 650,000 on an average weekday in 2013. A record 760,000 passengers traveled on Sunday, 22 December 2013, a day of mass political protest in Bangkok.'Trains gain as rallies clog roads', Bangkok Post, 26 December 2013 The normal Sunday average is 400,000 passengers. The BTS had a fleet of 52 four-car trains (208 carriages) by 2017. 46 new four-car trains (184 carriages) were ordered to address growing capacity requirements of the existing lines to cater for the Sukhumvit Line extensions south to Kheha and north to Khu Khot. They were delivered from 2018 to 2020.
On 5 March 2020, the BTS made a song about the COVID-19 pandemic, as an antidote to the grim warnings about the coronavirus, showing the staff dancing and keeping hygiene.
Station layout
The system's stations are all elevated and designed with three distinct levels. At street level, passengers can access the stations via stairs, escalators, and elevators. This level also typically houses supporting utility equipment like generators and water tanks, often situated on traffic islands.
The first elevated level houses the ticket booths, small kiosk-style shops, and fare gates. Passengers can reach the second level (or the third level in the case of Siam station) using stairs, elevators and escalators. This level is dedicated to the platforms and rails. Most stations adopt a side platform layout, with the notable exceptions of Siam Station, Ha Yaek Lat Phrao Station, and Samrong, which utilize island platforms. Siam Station features island platforms to enable easy cross-platform interchange between the two lines of the system. Saphan Taksin uses a unique single-track side platform layout due to space constraints.
The platform design accommodates the precise positioning of train doors, with equal distances between doors in all cars. Markings on the platform indicate where the doors will align once the train stops. Although the platforms are constructed to support six-car trains, currently, only four-car trains are operational. For added safety and assistance, security personnel are stationed at every platform and in the ticketing halls.
The Skytrain system in Thailand features five key stations – Sala Daeng, Asok, Ha Yaek Lat Phrao, Bang Wa, and Mo Chit – that serve as interchanges with the Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) system. Additionally, the Saphan Taksin station is conveniently connected to the adjacent Sathon Pier, which is a stop for the Chao Phraya Express Boat services. Many of these stations are also connected to nearby buildings and public amenities through skybridges, providing easy and convenient access for pedestrians.
Since 2014, platform screen doors (half size) have been installed in several stations including On Nut, Phrom Phong, Asok, Chit Lom, Siam, Thong Lor, Phaya Thai, Victory Monument, Sala Daeng, Chong Nonsi and Surasak. However, it's noteworthy that the installation process has not been without issues. For instance, the installation at Phrom Phong station in December 2013 led to a software problem, resulting in a six-hour shutdown of all BTS services. This shutdown caused significant traffic congestion in the city.
Fares
Fares are determined by distance.
Passengers can purchase single-journey tickets from ticket machines at all stations. These tickets are tapped at the fares gates to enter and inserted at the fare gates to exit, where they are retained. Additionally, passengers can purchase single-journey tickets to any station on the MRT Pink Line and MRT Yellow Line. This is possible because Wat Phra Si Mahathat station has paid-area integration between the Sukhumvit Line and the MRT Pink Line. At Samrong station, passengers transferring between the Sukhumvit Line and the MRT Yellow Line must insert their single-journey ticket into the fare gates. The fare gates will then return the ticket, which passengers can tap at the other fare gates to continue their journey.
In 2007, the BTS Smartpass was introduced. The BTS Smartpass was a stored-value card that could be used to travel across the BTS Skytrain network.
In 2012, the BTS Smartpass was replaced by the Rabbit Card. The Rabbit Card is a more advanced stored-value card, not only covering fares for the BTS and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), but also functioning as a payment method for various restaurants, stores and services associated with the BTS.
The Rabbit Card is not compatible with any other rail or bus network in Bangkok, such as the MRT or SRT. In contrast, these rail networks accept EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) contactless payment, allowing passengers to use their credit or debit cards directly at the fare gates. The Mangmoom Card, designed for use across multiple rail and bus networks, has experienced several delays. Originally planned for a 2015 launch, it is not yet valid for use on the BTS Skytrain as of 2026.
BTS Network
At its opening, the BTS had 23 stations on its two lines: 17 on the Sukhumvit Line and 7 on the Silom Line, with both lines interchanging at Siam. Since then, 30 additional stations have opened on the Sukhumvit Line and 6 on the Silom Line, with the latest new three stations at Gold Line. Line NameCommencementLast ExtensionNext ExtensionTerminusLength (km)StationsRapid TransitTBAKhu KhotKheha47National StadiumBang Wa14People Mover –TBAKrung Thon BuriKhlong San3Total64
BTS route extensions
In 2002, the cabinet of then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra amended laws in order to allow private firms to finance the cost of operating the train system, while the government would undertake civil engineering works to build new extensions.
Timeline of BTS openings 5 December 1999 Sukhumvit Line: Mo Chit – On Nut; Silom Line: National Stadium – Saphan Taksin 15 May 2009 Silom Line: Saphan Taksin (S6) – Wongwian Yai (S8) 12 August 2011 Sukhumvit Line: On Nut (E9) – Bearing (E14) 12 January 2013 Silom Line: Wongwian Yai (S8) – Pho Nimit (S9) 14 February 2013 Silom Line: Pho Nimit (S9) – Talat Phlu (S10) 5 December 2013 Silom Line: Talat Phlu (S10) – Bang Wa (S12) 3 April 2017 Sukhumvit Line: Bearing (E14) – Samrong (E15) 6 December 2018 Sukhumvit Line: Samrong (E15) – Kheha (E23) 9 August 2019 Sukhumvit Line: Mo Chit (N8) – Ha Yaek Lat Phrao (N9) 4 December 2019 Sukhumvit Line: Ha Yaek Lat Phrao (N9) – Kasetsart University (N13) 5 June 2020 Sukhumvit Line: Kasetsart University (N13) – Wat Phra Sri Mahathat (N17) 16 December 2020 Sukhumvit Line: Wat Phra Sri Mahathat (N17) – Khu Khot (N24) 8 February 2021 Silom Line: Saint Louis (S4, infill station)
1st extension – Silom Line south to Wongwian Yai (2009)