Review of Bangkok Airways flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in Economy

Welcome to my new series of FR's on my trip to Thailand this December!

BACKGROUND
This December, I went with my Dad and Brother to Thailand. My dad used to live here so it is a very special place for him. I've never been before, so we saw this opportunity. We settled on flying Y+ on CI for $1800 roundtrip SFO-TPE-BKK rt. The plus for CI Y+, is that on regional flights (without Y+), you are put in J! For the domestic flights, we flew on PG (Bangkok Airlines).
The itinerary is as follows:
PART I:
SFO-TPE — Y+ — CI 003 — 12/17/16 http://flight-report.com/en/report/21926/China-Airlines-CI-003-San-Francisco-SFO-Taipei-TPE
TPE-BKK — J — CI 823 — 12/18/16 http://flight-report.com/en/report/24111/China-Airlines-CI-823-Taipei-TPE-Bangkok-BKK%3Fv=53&edit=_edit_report
BKK-CNX — Y — PG 906 — 12/18/16 YOU ARE HERE
PART II:
CEI-BKK — Y — PG232 — 12/27/16 [COMING SOON]
BKK-USM— Y — PG135 — 12/27/16 [COMING SOON]
Part III:
USM-BKK — Y — PG148 — 12/31/16 [COMING SOON]
Part IV:
BKK-TPE — J — CI836 — 1/2/17 [COMING SOON]
TPE-SFO — Y+ — CI004 — 1/2/17 [COMING SOON]
Here is my routing for my international flights:

And the domestic ones:

CNX – Chiang Mai
CEI – Chiang Rai
USM – Koh Samui

Anyways…. lets get flying!

After getting off my flight from TPE, I connected (separate reservation) to this PG flight to Chiang Mai.
BKK departures hall artwork before security, like the ones a Wat Pho:

Architecture is really nice in this area of BKK:

After the really easy and convenient security check, we head down an escalator to the boarding area. It is kind of uncommon that the gates are below the departures hall.
Security took less than 1 min to clear. Security at all Thai airports was really easy and dignified. The USA (and TPE for that matter) has a lot to learn.
Down we go!

Really nice interior atrium. It makes BKK so much more inviting as an airport – again teaching the US airports a lesson.

Part of what makes PG a very nice airline is that they have a lounge for all their passengers – even those in Y w/o a ff# – at BKK, and they have free snacks/drinks at their gates at outstations. It makes the airline a lot more friendly and makes it clear that they care about you (more than you can say for the US carriers).

That was the entrance. The lounge isn't that nice. Its way too crowded and there are lots of stains on the sofas, etc. I like the concept, but it needs tweaking. Maybe they could charge a few baht for entry and probably lots of people wouldn't come?
There were TV screens celebration the accomplishments of the late King Rama IX. His death is a time of great sadness for Thailand, and these monitors were at every gate at BKK.

My plane for today. Conveniently called "Chiang Mai" (HS-PPC):

Watching the CI 747 that brought me to BKK takeoff again for TPE:

There was a gate change but PG staff handled it well. Boarding:

Our row of 3 seats:

Legroom is good for a short hop. But I wouldn't enjoy this plane on a longer flight:

The flight time is announced to be 55 mins.
In-flight literature w/ this months magazine being dedicated to the late King Rama IX:
Taxi to runway:

Lining up to runway:

We takeoff with a 10 min delay bc of high traffic:

View of Bangkok's surroundings:

Shortly after takeoff, the FA comes on the loudspeaker and says that lunch will be turmeric chicken stew w/ rice and vegetables. A hot meal on a 55 minute flight is great, and demonstrates PG's dedication to customer service!!!
My meal:

The dessert is a small cake with raspberry filling.
The main course minus the foil:

The meal is quite tasty – actually even better than CI's TPAC Y+ product ( Read about it here). The main is well flavored, even if the chicken is a little overcooked, and the dessert is really tasty!!
The crew go through the aisle after the meal offering tea and orange juice:
Orange juice (not so good, but never mind):

The tea is nice though:

…and if you needed evidence that I enjoyed the meal….
Shortly after trays are collected, we start our descent to CNX:

And… landing!!!

CONCLUSION

I think that PG has an excellent product for these domestic flights in Thailand. The service is great, and the price is right.
The cabin was a little old and the window was scratched. The legroom was also suboptimal for a long flight. But there weren't any issues on this short flight.
The crew are efficient and do their jobs well without being hasty, but other than that, are unremarkable.
The in-flight literature is acceptable. But for this flight, I read my own books.
The catering couldn't have been better. Not only did PG provide a meal on such a short flight, but the food was very tasty, and the portion was generous. 10/10
BKK is an all around good airport that I was delighted to return to 3 separate times during my trip.
CNX is an old airport that is showing it's age, and is a little decrepit. But the arrivals were very efficient and it is close enough to the city center.

Thanks for reading and keep posted for section II in this series of FRs, in which I travel from Chiang Rai to Koh Samui, with a stop in BKK .
Also, please drop me a line in the comments section, and, if you enjoyed reading this FR, "like" it!