FarangryBirds

They did recently open a big Starbucks at the front entrance but now nothing shopwise on the middle level. I think the cinema pushing self service ticketing instead of manned counters.

I know the configuration of the island stations is different, but they still have TVs up and down the platform at Siam for example. They also have screens inside the barriers. My point is that the priority seems to be using these for playing advertising on a loop, as opposed to information passengers may find useful. The ones inside the barriers usually interrupt an advert to tell you the next train is approaching...usually the train is clearly visible by then anyway. The MRT and ARL get by without having massive LED displays at their platforms to put this up on.

I saw one report yesterday saying Pink Line free passenger trials are happening this month, with paid fare services starting in December. The BTS were trialling something useful last month where the big HD screens on the platform were actually showing information about the next train arrivals (as the MRT Blue has done for years!). Annoyingly it's gone again, hopefully it comes back again soon, I think only one time the information shown was totally wrong. It said next train was about 5 minutes away and then 1 turned up a minute later....always better to under promise and over deliver! The only station I didn't see it being shown at was Siam....one of the busiest stations, there are TVs around the platform, but seemingly only there to show us advertising. . I'm not sure if this was also the case at Samrong and Ha Yaek Ladprao.

Reports today the free trial for Pink Line passengers will run September-October, with it becoming a paid line from November.

I saw one Thai news article about Pink Line free trials to start running in September, following Prayut's official inspection yesterday.

I took a other ride on yellow line last night from Hua Mak to Chokchai 4 and had another underwhelming experience. Arriving in Hua Mak on the ARL, the walk from ARL station to the MRT station was a bit clunky and not very well signposted from inside and outside the ARL station, Had to walk over the train tracks as well to reach the yellow line. When I got up to the monrail platform I was greeted by a train that was stuck at the station as it had stopped short of the correct spot to be lined up with the safety barriers, until a member of staff got on the manual controls to get the train forward another meter or so. After dinner around Chockhai 4, came back to the station to find shutters coming down and that the service wasn't running after 22:00. The Skywalk was also full of workers and wiring as they were still putting finishing touches on that skywalk. So even on the 1st official paid day of running, it still seems like they're ironing out a few kinks.