The BTS Skytrain suffered yet another “signaling system malfunction” during rush hour this morning, and we’ll forgive you if you were not at all surprised.
This is the 11th time it’s broken down this month and the 30th time it’s malfunctioned since the start of the year, according to Morning News.
This morning’s first announced system malfunction came on both the Silom and Sukhumvit lines at about 6:15am today — per the official BTS Twitter page. The company then proceeded to post another half dozen tweets updating the situation before finally declaring the problem “solved” at 8:57am.
However, hours later, the train was still moving at a snail’s pace, stopping at almost every station for over 10 minutes, according to multiple customer complaints that flooded social media and turned #BTS_Skytrain into the top trending topic on Twitter.
An English-language (and clearly satirical) account “BTS without the BS” also appeared this morning — perhaps in response to the frequent foreigner complaint that most train announcements are made in Thai, leaving non-speakers in the dark.
Ladies and gents, it’s still fucked up. Better take your morning off if you can because we have no clue how to fix it. Not sorry for any inconvenience or whatever. #BTS_SkyTrain
— BTS without the BS (@WithoutBs) June 26, 2018
Announcements offering ticket compensation for those who wished to “seek other means of transportation” were made (again, solely in Thai) at various stations during the disruption, not that that would help you get where you were going this morning.
Surapong Laoha-Unya, director and COO of Bangkok Transit System Corporation (BTSC), told Khao Sod that the cause of the problem is believed to be an interference from an “unusually powerful” signal coming from a building downtown. Uh huh.
The BTS is currently investigating the problem and hopes to have the situation completely resolved by Friday.
That’s right, you may well have another two-three days of this to look forward to.
If nothing else. The past current run of BTS lameness has inspired a little people power. Yesterday, a petition on change.org was started with the goal of returning the system, which currently belongs to a private company, back to the government.
Meanwhile, here are some of the internet’s best cracks at the transit system from the past couple days.
ใครก็ได้พากูออกไปจากขบวนนี้ที !!!
ยืนนานจะตะคริวจะแดรกละ และยิ่งขึ้นกับชาวตปท.ตัวเหม็นนะ อือหืออออออออ ขมคอ… #ยกเลิกสัมปทานBTS#BTS_Skytrain#หนูด่วนชวนแวะpic.twitter.com/mxTrtZFI2P
— muauan (@PokPunnaphat) June 26, 2018
Translation: Someone get me out of here. Someone’s stinky
ภาษาอังกฤษวันละคำกับหนูด่วนวันนี้#ยกเลิกสัมปทานBTS pic.twitter.com/fFM7H85hwE
— ningpitchaporn (@ningess) June 25, 2018
#BTS_SkyTrain Now or forever pic.twitter.com/OfUOljqVWR
— น้องเปลี่ยนทีม (@Domenut_Mc) June 26, 2018
#BTS_SkyTrain pic.twitter.com/MEHDNGKK0Y
— BTS without the BS (@WithoutBs) June 26, 2018
Isn’t it sad that this is your entire Twitter feed, @BTS_SkyTrain? It is, right? You might want to do something about it… #ยกเลิกสัมปทานBTS pic.twitter.com/7diVxkzWsl
— Ken Lohatepanont (@kenlwrites) June 25, 2018
สถานีต่อไป พร้อมพัง โปรดใช้ความระมัดระวังขณะก้าวลงจากรถ เน็กสเตชั่น พร้อมพัง ถึงรถไฟจะพังทุกวัน แต่โฆษณาบนรถไฟยังดังเสมอ ขอบคุณค่ะ #ยกเลิกสัมปทานBTSpic.twitter.com/NTYPJ5yAPK
— สาววาย กับ นิยายของหล่อน (@ylady777) June 25, 2018
Translation: Ready to break
