Red Planet Asoke

[Burgos123]

I have booked this hotel for my upcoming stay. It is on sukhunvit soi 14 very close to Asoke Station. I have never used either skytrain or subway in Bangkok. I would like to know how to get there from the airport. From the airport train do I get off on Makkasan and walk to subway (with luggage)  or continue to Phaya Thai and switch to skytrain? Thx

[brutox]

.. continue on to Phaya Thai to the BTS Skytrain.

 

.. the walk from Makkasan Station to the MRT subway is deceptively long and difficult .. though I do not take the Airport Rail myself (I live here and fly frequently), I believe it is all stairways .. escalators were removed from the original designs to save money.

 

.. public transportation systems in Thailand are all owned by different companies (even along one single BTS line there are separate owners each operating half of its length), so they are not particularly well-designed or coordinated for ease of transfer.

 

.. honestly, if you are arriving non-peak, just take a taxi .. all-in, less than THB 300 .. it is cheap .. the aggravation of taking the Airport Rail Link to save the cost of a beer is simply not worth it.

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[Burgos123]

Thank you for answering. I was not looking to save money but time. I am landing 14:25 so before I get out of the airport I was worried that traffic is a nightmare. THx.

[hoopbhoy]

Thank you for answering. I was not looking to save money but time. I am landing 14:25 so before I get out of the airport I was worried that traffic is a nightmare. THx.

 Wont save you any time save on the most snarled up days. Motorway into Sukhimvit is usually ok and only really gets bad once you hit Sukhumvit itself. Even then the traffic seems to move pretty steadily. Meanwhile you're sitting in an aircon cooled taxi rather than navigating skytrain at peak with luggage then dragging it down the steps and along the all too often bumpy pavement to your hotels soi. If the money isn't an issue take the cab. 

[brutox]

.. hey, Burgos123 .. the Airport Link never drew more than a few hundred passengers daily as an express service between the city and the airport .. if failed as an express service and they suspended the express trains a couple of years ago and converted everything to local commuter service .. I do not know how long the commuter line takes, but it is a long slog, as hoopbhoy describes.

 

.. arriving at 1425, you should clear Immigration by 1530 and beat the peak hour rush on Sukhumvit .. the elevated toll road is uncongested .. your taxi will exit the elevated toll road only 200m from Nana BTS, one stop away from Asoke BTS Station, near where your hotel is located .. your taxi should make that drive down Sukhumvit relatively quickly (maybe 5, or 10 minutes max), unless you are in the midst of peak hour beginning at 1730 (then, maybe 20-30 minutes easily).. take a taxi .. really.

 

.. I fly frequently in and out of here and tried to use the Airport Link as airport service and it was just wretched .. poorly planned and attracting daily ridership in the hundreds only, it will I believe never function as the express service for which it was designed.

 

.. pretty unbelieveable, but this is the best the Thai government can be expected to produce .. at any level .. they are taking on high speed rail now .. what potential for world class failure that is .. hope they are never allowed to attempt a nuclear power plant.

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[wtko3888]

I have arrived at around 3pm a few times and usually stay at Sofitel Sukhumvit. It is close to Soi 15. From BKK to the hotel usually take about 50 minutes to an hour. I have never taken the Airport train. I would rather to sit in a slow moving aircon taxi than take the Airport train.

[nosunje]

The hotel is the best 3-star hotel near Asok station except for the small rooms. The staffs are friendly and there is a famous SuDa restaurant nearby. As soon as you leave the alley, there is a subway station. Room is small, but there is no refrigerator. The best 3-star hotel.

[toonboy]

I went on Airport rail link from airport to Phaya Thai (45 baht) and then BTS, another 30 or 40 baht to Nana as I was staying on soi 11.  You are one station further to Asoke.  No problem even with luggage.  Quick and convenient for me.  Landed at 12:30 and was checked in by 14:15.

The room my friend had at Red Planet was really small, basically a BED room.  I could maybe stay there for a night or two max.  Good location and Suda restaurant is nice.

[Biennial]

On 1/18/2016 at 19:42, brutox said:

 

.. pretty unbelieveable, but this is the best the Thai government can be expected to produce .. at any level .. they are taking on high speed rail now .. what potential for world class failure that is .. hope they are never allowed to attempt a nuclear power plant.

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I don't know... The skytrain within Bangkok is pretty impressive.

I agree the airport link sucks though.