New Bangkok monorails will be FREE in September

In September, the new Yellow Line monorail train will begin testing between Lat Phrao and Samrong and the Pink Line monorail train will begin testing between Min Buri and Khae Rai. The Yellow Line is 92% completed, while the Pink Line is a step behind at 86%. Thailand’s Mass Rapid Transit Authority controls the monorail/skytrain services (MRTA).

The routes and coverage around Bangkok continue to reach far flung parts of the city.

The MRT Yellow Line will provide a Skytrain ‘monorail’ service along the heavily congested Lat Phrao road and Srinagarindra road corridors. The line will link 6 other public transport train services making it an important cross city link in the middle north-eastern and eastern areas of Bangkok.

• the MRT Blue Line

• interchange with the MRT Orange Line (which is under construction)

• the planned MRT Grey Line

• MRT Brown Lines

• the Airport Rail Link (Bangkok)

• the BTS Sukhumvit Line.

The new Pink Line will link the northern areas of Bangkok and Nonthaburi by connecting with five mass transit lines. At Nonthaburi Civic Centre the line interchanges with the MRT Purple Line and the proposed MRT Brown Line. The line also interchanges with the SRT Dark Red Line, the BTS Sukhumvit Line and the planned BMA Grey Line. At the Min Buri terminus, the line interchanges with the under construction MRT Orange Line.

The projects have been taking longer to complete due to the restrictions in Thailand in reaction to the Covid pandemic.

The public will be able to use the new trains for free during the testing period that will last for three months. From December onwards, they will be fully operational and customers will have to pay for rides, according to the deputy permanent secretary of the Transport Ministry and acting director-general of the Department of Rail Transport, Sorapong Paitoonphong

The Yellow Line will be partially open between Phatthanakan and Samrong stations, while the Pink Line will be operational between Min Buri and Laksi stations.

When connecting to other lines, users will not be charged extra costs. Both monorail routes will have tickets priced from 14 baht to 42 baht.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post