First thing to do when you're arrived in Bangkok is to open the map. The most visitors were from Suvannabhumi International Airport where is connected to Airport Rail Link Line. Here are five things you should know before arriving Bangkok
1. Operation Time
BTS, MRT and Airport Rail Link operate everyday from 06.00 A.M. to 12.00 A.M. Be prepared your trip when you arrive between 12.01 A.M. and 05.59 A.M. You can take a Taxi from airport to your hotel.
I recommend you to take UBER from Airport. Uber will charged you only 300 THB (this price are excluded express way or toll way fee)
2. Naming the Station make you confused sometime
Since MRT and BTS are operated by the different company. Some stations are located at the same area but used different name. Some stations are not the real place of its name. Here are the lists
Saphan Taksin BTS Station & Central Pier or Sathorn Pier
Central Pier and Saphan Taksin BTS Station located at the same place. Central Pier has no number of the pier while the other pier has its own number such as N8 is the Tha Tien Pier.
In Sahpan Taksin BTS Station, There's just one platform on the station. You'll be informed by an announcment that which train will go to National Stadium or Bang Wa Station.
Sala Daeng BTS Station & Silom MRT Station
Sala Daeng is the name of the small road in Silom which route is connected to Sathon Road. I still don't know why they name the station that was built on Silom Road as Sala Daeng Station. However, Sala Daeng BTS Station & Silom MRT Station are located at the same area.
Asok BTS Station & Sukhumvit MRT Station
When you go to Terminal 21, you can take BTS to Asok Station or MRT to Sukhumvit Station. It's the same place. These stations are located at Asok Junction which crossed Sukhumvit Road and Asokmontri Road.
Chatuchak Park MRT Station & Mo Chit BTS Station
Chatuchak Park MRT Station and Mo Chit BTS Station located at the same place. About 15 years ago, when I first hear the name of Mo Chit BTS Station. I was surprised that they've built a railway connected to Mo Chit (Mo Chit is the Bangkok Bus Terminal to the Northern and North-Eastern of Thailand). When I went to Mo Chit St., I saw Chatuchak Park and didn't see anything that informed about Mo Chit.
The truth is you've to take a taxi or bus to get to the real Mo Chit (Bangkok Bus Terminal) This was a bad naming of the station. The worse is they didn't event think about changing the name of that station. The worst is you take BTS to Mo Chit BTS Station for going Chatuchak Park not Mo Chit.
3. MRT Purple Line will be opened soon
It's the good news that the MRT Purple Line which connected to Nonthaburi Province will be opened in August 2016 but the bad news is the purple line will run from Klong Bang Phai to Tao Poon Station and not yet connected to the blue line. But they'll provided shuttle bus to Bang Sue Station instead because the blue line extension are not completed yet.
4. BRT will be closed soon
BRT is the Bangkok rapid transit which route is form Chong Non Si Station to Tha Phra Station. It'll be operated the service until April 2017 due to loss from operation more than 1,000 MB.
5. Rush hours: Lots of passengers
Rush hours in Bangkok is around 07.00 to 09.00 AM in the morning and 04.00 to 08.00 PM in the evening. In rush hours there're provided more frequent service of the train but insufficient to the passengers especially the transfer station such as Siam, Asok, Silom. Sometimes you've to wait about 3-4 trains that take about 15-20 minutes to catch up the train in rush hours.
