The transport minister has ordered disciplinary action against the Pink Line operator after the crew opened a malfunctioning carriage door attempting to close on a bag, without waiting for the train to return to the station.
The minister, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, said on Sunday that he ordered the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) to take disciplinary action against Northern Bangkok Monorail Co (NBM), which operates the Pink Line running between Khae Rai in Nonthaburi and Min Buri in northern Bangkok.
The minister was reacting to an incident last Thursday. A carriage door was opened by crew members while the elevated monorail was stopped between stations. Passengers were stunned by a sudden view from the train down to the ground below.
"This incident concerns safety on public transport... It is not negotiable," Mr Suriya said.
Acting MRTA governor Vithaya Punmongkol said the operator had been informed the MRTA had the right to take disciplinary action as the incident posed a risk to passengers.
NBM said that the incident happened after train number 10 left Lat Pla Khao station for Nonthaburi at 7.01am on Thursday.
Train crew heard what sounded like an object repeatedly hitting the train, made an emergency stop and reported it to Pink Line control.
They then learned that a carriage door was being prevented from closing properly by a passenger's bag protruding outside the train.
The controller told staff to manually open the door using a key, but the door did not open.
They were then instructed to deactivate the train's automatic control system, take over the train and drive it back to the station, open the door and free the bag.
However, after deactivating the automatic system, the staff opened the door before returning to the station.
The controller immediately ordered train staff to follow safety procedures before the train resumed service.