It's about time: Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link set to open

One YouTube user with early access to the Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link filmed seven painful minutes of an onboard monitor. The clock moves, but the time-to-destination figures don't change. Better fix that before launch.

Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link (SARL) is entering the final testing stages ... three years after the airport opened, three years later than scheduled.

But, hey, better late than never. While SARL will officially open December 5, The Nation reports that the State Railway of Thailand will invite the public to hop aboard weekly test runs starting October 1.

The long-delayed Express Line will run from the City Air Terminal in Makkasan to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, its 28.6-kilometer route taking 15 minutes. There will even be a check-in counter at the City Air Terminal, though, not surprisingly, it’s not expected to be ready for a few more months. The slower City Line will run through Makkasan, stopping at several stations on the way to Suvarnabhumi.

A one-way journey on the Express will cost 150 baht. Compare that to the 250-baht plus cost of a taxi, never mind the hours spent stuck in traffic. Prices for the slower City Line range from 15 to 40 baht.

SARL comes to the rescue amid of a series of media reports that the airport is struggling to rein in unlicensed taxis and other related scams. Expect the illegal touts working inside the arrivals hall to start pulling out one-liners like “the train is not running today,” as they watch their business begin to tank.