New Smart Pass trial for Skytrain system

[William]

Mass Transit

New Smart Pass trial for Skytrain system

Bangkok Mass Transit System, operator of the Skytrain, will launch a trial run of 50,000 new Smart Passes: a 30-day adult card for Bt20 per trip and a 30-day student card for Bt20 per trip.


Anat Arbhabhirama, adviser to the board of directors, yesterday said the 50,000 trial-run pass-holders would receive the following privileges: no issuing fee for the initial card purchase (usual charge: Bt30) and special purchase prices, such as 30 trips for Bt540 (usually Bt600) and 20 trips for Bt400 (usually Bt440).
The trial Smart Passes may be purchased at Phya Thai station from 9am to 9pm from November 5-30, or until they are sold out. The trial run starts on December 1.

source: Mass Transit

[mrsquirrel]

What exactly do they do?

[Wallace]

It's rubbish, isn't it? Isn't it about time that the transport authorities in this city did something useful and let you buy a pass that covers trains, buses and the underground and doesn't rip you off in the process? Bangkok is about 20 years behind most big cities when it comes to this sort of thing.

[Skulldigger]

Well, they could start with trying to tax their tax base a little more efficiently so they could afford to give concessions...

As it is now, half of Bangkok's resident population are registered in Nakorn Someplaceonthebordertocambodia, Muang Musthavetakenawrongturnsomewhere and Noneofyourbleedinbusinessburi but work and live in Bangkok.

[diaw]

Isn't it about time that the transport authorities in this city did something useful and let you buy a pass that covers trains, buses and the underground

This would be a very useful idea. A one-stop transport card valid for a certain period, or with a re-chargable balance. It could even be extended to top-line taxis, with a card-reader.

[Gerbil]

Mass Transit

New Smart Pass trial for Skytrain system

Bangkok Mass Transit System, operator of the Skytrain, will launch a trial run of 50,000 new Smart Passes: a 30-day adult card for Bt20 per trip and a 30-day student card for Bt20 per trip.


Anat Arbhabhirama, adviser to the board of directors, yesterday said the 50,000 trial-run pass-holders would receive the following privileges: no issuing fee for the initial card purchase (usual charge: Bt30) and special purchase prices, such as 30 trips for Bt540 (usually Bt600) and 20 trips for Bt400 (usually Bt440).
The trial Smart Passes may be purchased at Phya Thai station from 9am to 9pm from November 5-30, or until they are sold out. The trial run starts on December 1.

source: Mass Transit

So, what's so bleeding 'smart' about these cards then?

[peterpan]

Of course there is nothing Smart about it, why don't they just be honest and call it a stupid card. Its Thailand, you have Bus conductors collecting money, motorways where you have to stop to pay or pick up a ticket from a person in a cubicle. If you get a traffic fine, in Udon but you live in BKK, you can only pay the fine in Udon.
My wife went into renew her driving licence due to expire on the 5th of next month, you can do she was told but only a one year renewal, if you come in on the 5th you can get a 5 year renewal, so if you come in on the 4th or the 6th cannot. WTF!!! The whole ferkin country is stooopid, thats why I fit in.

[tuferguson]

are they like the subway RFID tags or relying on a smart chip?

It would make perfect sense for the BTS to come up with a system that wouldnt be compatible with their existing system and anyone elses!