Talk:Bangkok Skytrain

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Contents 1 MRT vs BTS 1.1 MRT station names which are frequently misspelled: 1.2 BTS station names which are frequently misspelled: 2 Lavalin Foundations 3 Translation 4 Linking 5 Power 6 Electric train vs Skytrain

[edit] MRT vs BTS

• The official name for the Metro is MRT (Mass Rapid Transit). It is operated by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) and operated by Bangkok Metro PLC (BMCL).

• The MRTA is a state agency under the MOT (Ministry of Transport), formerly known as the Ministry of Transport and Communication or MOTC.

• The official name for the Skytrain is BTS (Bangkok Masss Transit System). It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System PLC (BTSC) under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

• The BMA is local governing body under the Ministry of Interior.

• The Metro and the Skytrain (not SkyTrain) is used for less official purposes such as in marketing.

• Note that the followings are names that are not official: Subway, Bangkok Underground, Thanayong Skytain...

• The Metro should be referred as the MRT, not MRTA.

[edit] MRT station names which are frequently misspelled:

• Si Lom not Silom – Si Lom is the official version of how this name is spelled, but because it has been spelled incorrectly for many decades, most people use Silom (also because it looks more trendy). The Skytrain uses Silom Line.
• Chatuchak Park (remember the word Park too) – Officially, it is spelled as Chatu Chak, but for the same reason as the name Si Lom, Chatuchak is now widely accepted. Note that Jatujak (JJ) is the layman's version of it because farangs can pronounce it more accurately, but since it is not official, use Jatujak only when really neccessary.
• Thailand Cultural Centre – Centre, not Center. The same goes to Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC)
• Khlong Toei – not Khlong Toey; not Klong Toey.
• Lumphini – not Lumpinee
• Hua Lamphong – not Hua Lumpong, Hua Lampong or Hualamphong.
• Kamphaeng Phet – not Kampaengphet or Kamphaengpet.
• Lat Phrao – not Lad Prao, Lat Prao, Lard Praw nor Laad Praw. Do not follow the spelling used by Central Plaza Lad Prao.
• Phahon Yothin – not Phaholyothin or Phahol Yotin.

The title "station names which are frequently misspelled" is misleading : it suggests that there is an official spelling or transcription system, which is not true. The names used are written in a more or less random transcription system i.e. the different people in charge just choose some spelling as they see fit. So that is why there is an MRT station spelled "Si Lom" but the skytrain line spells it "Silom". One is not more or less correct than the other : the only correct spelling uses the Thai writing (which would in fact favour "Silom" as spelling, as there are no spaces between "si" and "lom" in Thai). The English spelling is just an approximation of the sound for the benefit of those foreigners who can't read Thai, and is next to useless when dealing with Thai people. In fact, foreigners who can read Thai are far better off with the exact Thai writing of a place name, than with the English version of the name.

The spelling used in the light rail systems (BTS & MRT) is not as random as suggested above. It follows strictly the Royal Thai General System of Transcription. Only the division into words by spaces is not specified precisely in that system. −Woodstone 11:07, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] BTS station names which are frequently misspelled:

• Chit Lom – not Chidlom nor Chid Lom. Do not follow the spelling used by Central Chidlom.
• Sala Daeng – not Saladaeng or Saladang.
• Thong Lo – not Thong Lor.
• On Nut – not Onnuch, not Onnut nor Onnooch.
• Ekkamai – not Ekamai. It must be double k.
• Asok – not Asoke.
• Chong Nonsi – not Chong Nonsee nor Chong Nonzi.
• Saphan Taksin – not Thaksin (not named after the Prime Minister). It's named after King Taksin.
• Ari – not Aree.
• Mo Chit – not Mor Chit nor Morchid.
• Phra Khanong – not Prakanong nor Pra Khanong.

[edit] Lavalin Foundations

At two bridges of the Chao Phraya river built in the early 1990s the foundations for the Lavalin skytrain were added. The one at the Taksin bridge has now been used to built the extension of the Silom line to Thonburi, which might get finished in 2005. The ones at the Memorial bridge remain unused.

Is there a source for this? My understanding is that the Taksin extension is piggybacking on Phaseecharoen Elevated Way foundations, not Lavalin, which was terminated before anything at all was built. -- Jpatokal 04:02, 25 Feb 2004 (UTC)

Yes, it is using that one on the Thonburi side, however the foundations over the Chao Phraya river are those originally built for Lavalin, as Taksin bridge was built when Lavalin was still alive. You can find it (with pictures) at [1] andy 08:14, 1 Mar 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Translation

Can someone please explain what this (รถไฟฟ้าเฉลิมพระเกียรติ 6 รอบ พระชนมพรรษา ) means, for those of us who don't know Thai? - 24.85.187.55, June 10, 2005

Answer : that the skytrain is in commemeration of the King's 72nd birthday (6 cycles of 12 years)

[edit] Linking

This article seems to contain many redundant/duplicate links. Should all stations be linked in anticipation of an article? (That's a lot of red links.) And how should the "link only the first instance of the subject" apply?--Paul C 22:23, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

I have removed most of the links for the station names. I believe the station names should link to articles on the stations themselves, which may not be worth creating anyway, and that links to articles concerning places that bear the same names may be added by mentioning the places' relationship to the stations first.--Paul C 20:31, 1 February 2006 (UTC)

I agree, I have never seen the point in linking these stations anyway, as they are not (yet) notable IMHO. Subway stations in NY or Paris are a different story, those exist for many decades and already have a history by themselve, or have architectural specialities. However red links are nothing bad in themselves, that shouldn't be the sole reason to remove these links. andy 17:06, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Power

Is this electric? Midgley 11:28, 28 January 2006 (UTC)

It is. (รถไฟฟ้า actually translates to electric train.)--Paul C 13:15, 29 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Electric train vs Skytrain

It's true that "รถไฟฟ้า" could mean either electric train or sky train. But if you look at MRTA and BMCL they also refer subway as "รถไฟฟ้า" or "รถไฟฟ้าใต้ดิน". So "รถไฟฟ้า" should mean electric train. -- Lerdsuwa 14:21, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

I removed the translation of rot fai fa altogether; Since train in Thai means fire car and electricity means sky fire, we might as well translate that as sky fire car - there's no correct literal translation. - Paul C 05:17, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

I think that's the right decision. BMCL translate the term as metro, which is, itself, problematic. TheMadBaron 09:41, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

I don't dispute that there is no need to translate the literal term, but you both ignore Lerdsuwa's conclusive evidence above. The literal translation for the subway is: "car fire sky under ground". That leaves no other choice than to combine "fire sky" into electricity. −Woodstone 09:56, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

I'm not ignoring Lerdsuwa's evidence at all, or I'd still be arguing that rot fai fa necessarily means sky train. The fact is, Thais commonly refer to other electric trains simply as "rot fai" (where fai means fire, or in this case, electricity), and to underground trains as "rot fai tai din". Rot fai fa was explained to me, by a native Thai speaker, as specifically refering to the Skytrain, where rot fai means electric train, and fa means sky. In light of Lerdsuwa's evidence, either interpretation appears, to me, to be valid. TheMadBaron 11:13, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

All true, but "rot fai" orginates from the steam engine. This term is now used as just meaning any train, but "rot fai fa" makes it an explicit electric train. Perhaps the authorities found it a nice play with words to call it "rot fai fa". −Woodstone 11:37, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

Very possibly an electric train, very possibly a sky train, very probably a pun, not explicitly anything, in fact, and definitely entirely academic since you don't dispute that there is no need to translate the literal term. :) Bored now.... TheMadBaron 23:28, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

Oops, I put the wrong link to the MRTA above. For Thai word: rod=car, rod fai=train (it came from steam engine as Woodstone said), fai=fire, fai fa=electricity (I guess it came from lightning), fa=sky. As a native Thai, I always view rod fai fa as electric train for a long time. Other Thai may view it as skytrain. :) -- Lerdsuwa 14:39, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

It's quite hard to say. As it's said above, "rod" means car (or in wider sense, wheeled vehicle), "fai" means fire, and "fa" means sky. If you combined the word "rod" and "fai" as "rod fai", it means train, since at first it had steam engine. "Fai fa" means electricity, from the lightning. "Rod fai fa" can be the combination of "rod fai" and "fa", which means skytrain, or "rod" and "fai fa" which means electric car, or more accurately in English sense, electric train. As a Thai, I always thought that it was "rod" and "fai fa", but I am not sure of the real origin. I assume that half Bangkokians do not know it really. Perhaps we can make a note. CW32 07:38, 25 September 2006 (UTC)