About the TVMs
- August 16, 2004
Wisarut reports: I just dropped by Phaholyothin Station... There
are two ticket vending machines (TVMs) in each station. Most have
instruction stickers posted to cover the steel body.
The TVMs can accept the banknotes which is a big plus and may eventually
force BTS to set up permanent coin exchange machines very soon if
they have too little money to buy new TVMs from Germany which can
accept banknotes.
The big minus are that there are too few TVMs for the subway since
it is a special TVM imported from France which are very expensive.
Better ask French and Japanese investors to set up TVM assembly in
Thailand to replace human ticket payment at the railway station or
intercity bus stations. Or they can get a cheaper deal if they set
up a TVM assembly line in China.
I did use the TVM at Phaholyothin station once and it worked just
fine. However, software glitches with the TVMs and Sukhumvit Station
forced BMCL to turn off all TVMs in Sukhumvit station to fix all the
things up and compelled passengers to go into the long line (according
to a security guard). Only those who have Smart cards do not have
to wait.
The MTA Map is now published in English. It is better for tourists
and expats, but still not very good compared with the BTS Map published
by Groovy Map since the BTS Map has Thai, English and Japanese on
the same map.
