Back in April when they were doing test runs of the new subway system in Bangkok, I jokingly said that I would wait a few months just to ensure that I wouldn't be around for any potential tragedies initiated by the team of new employees operating the trains. Sure enough, within that 2-week period when they were giving the public the first opportunity to ride the new rail system, a driver absent-mindedly left the emergency brake on, resulting in the brake pads burning up, the passage, train and one of the stations filling up with smoke and all passengers being evacuated.

The system is now in full operation, having been opened officially 2 weeks ago. As there have been no further indications of dangerous cock-ups I decided to try out the new trains.

There is only one line at the moment, slicing from Bang Sue station in the north of Bangkok and terminating at Hua Lamphong in the southwest. There are currently 18 stations, many of them along Ratchadapisek and Rama 4 rd. It is an excellent supplement to the Sky-Train and pushes Bangkok towards a time in the future when, like London for example, a person will hopefully be able to avoid the rancid and polluted cesspool that is the urban landscape of Thailand's capital and instead be vomited forth from whichever underground station is closest to their intended destination.

For tourists who should rightfully exit Bangkok as quickly as possible to enjoy the rest of Thailand, Hua Lamphong will be the most welcomed destination on the underground system. Hua Lamphong is also the location of the main station in Bangkok for trains departing to the north and south of the country. With a number of the new subway stops intersecting at Sky-Train stations, it should be possible for most people to avoid the hassle of tortuously slow traffic and sometimes unscrupulous cab drivers when making their way to the city's railway hub.