Adieu Microbus, sawasdee MetroBUS!

[The Enforcer!]

Guys,

No up to date bus maps to hand and I cannot find the Microbus routres anywhere!

MB17 used to go Silom to Ramkhamhaeng but seems not to run any more.

Any ideas of how to do this journey?

the Enforcer!

[The Enforcer!]

Just found out it is Bus 22 along Sathorn.

Is there an URL for Microbuses now?

The Enforcer!

[GWR]

I note from this article that Premier has taken over the loss making Microbus, so I have merged the few Microbus posts I have found (so far) into this thread also:

New Bangkok bus service powered by CNG launched
Published on February 5, 2008

The Premier Group, a long-standing trading and property-investment outfit, has diversified into the bus-operating business.

With yesterday's launch of the first route for its Metrobus service, it intends to become Bangkok's largest private operator of compressed natural gas (CNG) air-conditioned minibuses.

The Premier Group's existing businesses cover consumer products, leasing, information technology and property, including Seri Centre. Its annual revenue is between Bt6 billion and Bt7 billion.

President and group CEO Vichien Phongsathorn said the new bus service would be operated by Premier Metrobus, a company with registered capital of Bt1 million.

Its registered capital will be raised to between Bt500 million and Bt1 billion this year for the provision of 1,050 CNG buses and to extend its services to cover 35 routes in Bangkok.

The first route will be from the Romklao Housing Community to Bangkok's new southern bus terminal. Next month, four new routes - Rajworadit to Siam Park, Pak Kret to Pattanakarn Road, Bang Khunnont to Bang Kapi and Morchit bus terminal to Bang Kapi - will be added.

All of the buses will charge Bt30 per passenger regardless of route or distance.

In stepping into the business, the Premier Group has acquired loss-making Bangkok Microbus (BMC), which operates the Microbus service under licence from the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA). In the acquisition, Premier Group has rented BMC's licence, which will expire in six years.

At present, the company's fleet has only 22 buses. However, Metrobus plans to operate with buses from Chinese manufacturer Heng Tong and is negotiating to purchase more buses from a Chinese operator.

The company estimates the cost of purchasing and leasing air-conditioned buses at about Bt3 billion.

Vichien said the company is negotiating to buy additional shares in BMC to lift its stake to more than 50 per cent and is planning to negotiate with the BMTA to adjust some of its routes to provide a feeder service for mass-transit stations.

He said if the Metrobus achieved its full services as planned, it would carry 300,000 passengers a day for revenue of about Bt3 billion a year.

"We expect to reach the break-even point after six years," Vichien said, adding that the BMTA usually extended its contracts with private operators another seven years.

Watcharapong Thongrung
The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/05/business/business_30064442.php

[pong]

Hello all, just yesterday i came back to BKk to stay for 1 month and at the Vict. Monument noted the brand new all-white METRObus (must be those I spotted as running on trial or to factory late nov.) as route 4- which is=was a microbus. Just coincidentally the guesthse I stay had the BKKpost-article copied here in another thread. Microbus has given up (well, it was not very much left lately anyway) and sold off its licence to a new comp. METROBUS, which plans to introduce some 1050 new buses, on some 30-35 new routes, running on CNG-gas (soft loan provided by PTT=the only deliverer), with around 100 (=cannot be more as the latest running microbuses) at the end of the year. Flat fare of 30 THB! Buses made in China, shorter wheelbase (10 mtr length) but much bigger as microbus. Interesting to see what will become of that!

[Yappofloyd]

This is a great development. The purple Micro buses had had their day years ago as they were too small and getting old. I think I only ever caught one a few times. The prospect of 1000 new, gas powered buses in Bangkok is a well overdue and healthy development (especially for our lungs!). It may actually start as a catalyst for the BMTA promise (made a couple of years ago) to get air-con, gas powered buses for all routes.
It expects all 1,050 buses to be in active service by the end of this year. Without being too pessemistic, it is hard to see over 1K buses on the streets by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Microbus plans to sell off its buses to public agencies upcountry at a price as low as 200,000 baht each, I wonder where they will end up? Chang Mai would be a good start.

New owner takes wheel of Micro Bus Premier Group forms brand-new NGV fleet YUTHANA PRAIWAN Bkk Post 05/02/08
Premier Group of Companies, a consumer business conglomerate and property developer, has diversified into the public bus service after acquiring a licence from Bangkok Microbus Co. Bangkok Microbus, the founder of the private city-bus operator more commonly known as Micro Bus, decided to leave the business after struggling for more than 15 years.

Premier Group plans to operate around 100 buses on Bangkok's main routes starting next week, Vichien Phongsathorn, group president and chief executive, said during the debut of the first 22 buses yesterday. The price of the seven-year licence, awarded by the Land Transport Department and ending in 2013, was not disclosed. It allows the holder to provide the service on 35 routes around Bangkok, both for seated passengers only and for both seated and standing passengers.

The group has spent three billion baht setting up a fleet of 1,050 buses and a new management system.Premier Metro Bus (PMB) was established to operate the new business, with initial registered capital of one million baht, to be raised to between 500 million and one billion baht at the end of this year if the need arises, Mr Vichien said. In compliance with the terms of the licence, the buses are brand new and powered by compressed natural gas (CNG).

Some of the buses were provided by Heng Tong Bus Ltd, a Chinese-based bus operator and manufacturer, while the rest are to be supplied by other manufacturers now in talks with PMB. It expects all 1,050 buses to be in active service by the end of this year. PTT Plc, the sole natural gas provider, will extend soft loans to PMB at a rate of one million baht per bus and will build a gas-refilling facility at its bus depot. PMB is also considering building another three or four bus depots along PTT's gas pipeline, to double as park-and-ride facilities,

Mr Vichien said PMB expected to earn one billion baht in the first year of operation, increasing to three billion baht next year after the service covered all routes, before turning a profit in four to five years. ''Using CNG as fuel and managing the bus routes carefully will be the key to survival in this business. We've learned that much from the former owners' mistake,'' he said. PMB will also discuss with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and the Land Transport Department a proposal to revise some bus routes in a bid to connect its routes with the skytrain and subway routes, as well as highly populated areas.

Thai Smart Purse Co, a unit of the Charoen Pokphand Group, has joined PMB in providing the bus passengers with its smart purse, prepaid-card services. Bus fares will initially be a flat rate of 30 baht a trip. PMB plans a grand opening by the middle of this year when the number of passengers reaches its target of 100,000 daily. It has a capacity to serve a total of 300,000 passengers per day.

Premier Group of Companies operates five businesses, with consumer products contributing half of its revenue. Its other businesses are car dealers, car leasing, property development and IT services. The group's revenue is projected to rise between 5% and 10% from last year's seven billion baht. Meanwhile, Bangkok Microbus plans to sell off its buses to public agencies upcountry at a price as low as 200,000 baht each, complete with a deal with PTT to provide a 0.5%-interest loan for the 800,000-baht CNG installation for bus buyers.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/050208_bus02.jpg

[Oran]

Premier Metrobus's website is at

http://www.premiermetrobus.co.th (flash-based)

Link to routes and maps:

http://www.premiermetrobus.co.th/news1.html

Rt. 4 Taling Chan - Rom Klao
Rt. 24 Bang Khun Non - Bang Kapi
Rt. 25 Ratchaworadit Pier - Siam Park
Rt. 34 New Northern Bus Terminal - Bang Kapi Circle
Rt. 35 Pak Kret - Pattanakarn

[Jromerz]

If I'm not mistaken, route 4 goes all the way to the new Southern Bus Terminal at Taling Chan..

[pong]

yes, thats right.(going as far as new sai thai)
However, even though these routes are also on a nice map In the buses, ONLY nr 4 (same route as the old microbus) is running (at last, when I was in BKk till some 10 days ago). Flat fare is 30 bt/exact cash needed to put in farebox, NO change given and also NO ticket (as the old microbuses used to). Interestingly the other proposed routes all use the RAm IX road and connect with ''rot fai fa taay din''=subway/MRT'. NO discernable advantage above the new yellow buses is apparent, only minus points: same seats (not very comfy), need to have exact cash, NO curtains ( a minimal must for any travelling Thai to keep the sun away). If they dont invent some major selling point soon, passengers will not flock into them........

[pong]

further update
system is still up and running, but not much used
1.route 4 now also has short workings Bangkapi-via Ram-to Victory Mon. flat fare 20 bt=so watch for the bus for your fare!
I saw them in Thonburi some 4 times this time-always empty.
2.route 34 is now also running-flat fare 20 bt. Mochit-Ram via big circle. Not very frequent and not much used-at least the times I saw it.
All buses of the same type-and numbered per route apart

[gwmss15]

I have only ever seen one route that appeared to start in kanachanaphisek road a few km north of the mall bang khae to victory monument via pink lao.

If this bus company want to create a meaningful service with these new white buses why not consider operating a number of expressway services full time from areas like ram intra bang kapi, seacon, bang khae via elevated way and rama 8 road etc

Or major cross town routes like Kheha thonburi to Thammasat Rangsit via expressway. Or Bang Khae via rama 2 expressway to Bang Kapi and Minburi.

If they operate only on normal roads with these buses following much the same routes as the new yellow buses i.e route 539 then what's the point of paying 6 baht extra for an end to end trip.

Basicly they would do better looking at filling in some gaps in the bus system on cross town services. also with expressway services to innercity from middle and outer areas of bangkok. ie thonburi and minburi.

[padthainoodles]

Agree. But that might involve some senior people in the industry ACTUALLY KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE DOING. That could set a dangerous precedent and must be avoided!

[pong]

Hello Nick
1.I think the buses you saw were going to/fro depot-it appears this must be somewhere south of new Sai Thai along the outer Ring Road. This route is exactly the same-but longer due to new sai Thai-as Microbus nr4- all the way to Vict.Monum-and onward to ram-Bangkapi-Romklao.
2.many of those expresswayservices you mention are served by the minivans=rot tua.Mostly only in the peaks. From where you live at KeHa Thon to Thammasat2-take 2 of them and transfer at the Victory Mon-from there very frequent and direct all the way express to Tham Mahahvitalay nr 2-campus north of Rangsit.
For myself I dont think these buses are really fit for expresswayfast service. Also the old microbus-in its peak days with nearly 20 routes-never ever used the ex-ways. They offer many connections which would need a transfer on the BMTA big buses.

[gwmss15]

I know that route from rama 2 to victory monument and onwards to rangsit but there is a direct route as well from rama 2 to rangsit but at peak its faster by taxi via kanchanaphisek and pathum thani.

The Rama 2 to Rangsit Van would be better if it went via Pathum Thani and expressway rather than dindaeng and getting down to street level and making many stops before using the elevated don muang tollway.

Yes there are van services that provide cross town expressway services. But these vans do have some big problems.

1. unless you sit next to the van driver you will have a rather painful trip due to no legroom in most of these vans when compared even with old non aircon buses.

2. They have low capacity i.e once the seats are full one else can use it which means you often have to travel to the van routes terminus rather than waiting for it at the road side. Which increases ones travelling time by at least 20 to 40 mins.

3. They tend to only like departing when full rather than allowing pic ups on the way to the expressway which alos turns users away. This also creates issues in off peak times where other users have to wait sometimes 30 mins before the van departs because they have just one small seat empty.

Id much rather have the new metro buses providing these services with real buses that one can sit comfortably or stand up in. I wouldn't be surprised if many other thais would support this too as they don't find the van comfortable or reliable despite there more direct route.

I do know that quite alot of people in my area who travel to places like rangsit and minburi etc just take a taxi and end up paying 600 to 800 baht a day for it because the bus services are too slow and the vans too cramped and unreliable.

Better quality crosstown services are very much needed in Bangkok this means expressway buses with real buses not vans. Plus some routes can use Kanchanaphisek road instead of the expressway to head north or east as its normally light traffic even at peak. plus fast meaning a quick travelling time for bus passengers.

One of the least used cross town routes would be minburi/Bang phli via southern outer ring road to bang khae/rama 2/mahachai Or even thonburi routes to the airport instead of the regularly troubled 558 via bangna.

This route would make sense for eastern seaboard buses to pattaya from Sai Tai Mai. Instead of via rama 2 and expressway. No eastern seaboard buses from SAI Tai Mai pick up or set down passengers on rama 2 road so why go that way and cope the traffic. They could save 40 mins easy via southern outer ringroad.

I know how much it saves just from taking a taxi from airport to mahachai via that way instead via bangna i have done both and its 40 mins quicker in a taxi.

The Vans would be more suitable for soi services and shuttles from a uni campus to a major bus terminal/stop instead of long distance routes.

[pong]

well, the new yellow buses have also taken over the 558 airport service from KeHa-Thon-and they look very similar to the Metrobuses. Some are even more like short-wheelbase microbus. My first thought was that they were diverted from the metrobus-due to failure or too low demand. But its yet another company and different brand of Chinese bus.
Most Thai I know who face such a daily trip would move in a week or so-they cannot afford a 600 THB daily fare-they dont even earn that much.
Passed by Patum last week and noted there is from THERE also a brand-new blue AC-bus route direct-via new bdrige -to Thammasat2 campus and ending at Talad Thai.