Fare increases on the way for the MRT from December 1st

[webfact]

Fare increases on the way for the MRT from December 1st

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Following the expiration of a five month government moratorium on fare increases the MRT Blue line will be increasing fares from the start of next month. 

 

Full fares will now start at 16 baht and go up to 42 baht depending on distance traveled.  

 

The previous lowest non-discounted fare was 15 baht so this represents a one baht increase. 

 

Discounts are available for children and the senior citizens. 

 

The government had halted fare increases for the period of July to November but this has now expired.

 

The MRT is the capital's underground network. 

 

The same company also operate the overground Purple Line but no fare increases for this have been announced. 

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-11-09

[greenbottle555]

Considering how crammed the trains are, fare increase makes sense. But, for those commuting, what are they to do? I guess Bangkok's businesses will just have to grow at a slower rate than their neighbors sense their workers either can't commute to work or are spending their most productive hours of the day negotiating with traffic and not with clients.

[Nyezhov]

52 minutes ago, greenbottle555 said:

Considering how crammed the trains are, fare increase makes sense. But, for those commuting, what are they to do? I guess Bangkok's businesses will just have to grow at a slower rate than their neighbors sense their workers either can't commute to work or are spending their most productive hours of the day negotiating with traffic and not with clients.

Does a baht make a difference?

[greenbottle555]

6 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Does a baht make a difference?

Whoa Scrooge McDuck here everybody!

 

I think it makes a difference, else why bother to raise it at all? For the Thai person who uses it to commute to work, this is an increase of 43 extra baht per month. If they are only making 350/baht a day, they are now working exactly 1 hour extra per month for free. So, is 1 hour of your time (as income) a difference? If not, donate whatever your hourly wage is to a charity (of your choice), otherwise I am of the opinion that you agree it makes a difference.

[Nyezhov]

40 minutes ago, greenbottle555 said:

Whoa Scrooge McDuck here everybody!

 

I think it makes a difference, else why bother to raise it at all? For the Thai person who uses it to commute to work, this is an increase of 43 extra baht per month. If they are only making 350/baht a day, they are now working exactly 1 hour extra per month for free. So, is 1 hour of your time (as income) a difference? If not, donate whatever your hourly wage is to a charity (of your choice), otherwise I am of the opinion that you agree it makes a difference.

Somehow I dont see, as you put it, workers who "negotiate with clients" as being affected by the baht. And the elderly and students still get their fare discounts. And some companies subsidize their workers transport costs.

 

I realize that some retail workers make minumum wage. I dont see a lot of 7-11 uniforms on the BTS or MRT. I daresay that the bulk of BTS and MRT riders can well afford the extra 2 baht a day.

 

On the other hand, perhaps some expats will yell and scream about the baht. ????

[Cadbury]

Nothing anyone can do about it. Why bother debating it. Fait accompli!

[greenbottle555]

3 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Somehow I dont see, as you put it, workers who "negotiate with clients" as being affected by the baht. And the elderly and students still get their fare discounts. And some companies subsidize their workers transport costs.

 

I realize that some retail workers make minumum wage. I dont see a lot of 7-11 uniforms on the BTS or MRT. I daresay that the bulk of BTS and MRT riders can well afford the extra 2 baht a day.

 

On the other hand, perhaps some expats will yell and scream about the baht. ????

 

Well, anyway. What I was really saying was that the trains were over-crowded and I wasn't actually complaining about the rate hike, more complaining about how pact and unserviceable the trains are. If anything, the rates need to go up higher to reduce the number of people using them. But if they go up too high, business productivity suffers in Bangkok as lower skill workers will stop showing up as much.

 

Also, each 1 baht causes minimum wage workers an extra 1 hour of non-paid work per month. And those making 2x that, 30 minutes, 3x, 20 minutes. That's just 1 baht of increase, there will be more increases. And most important, every baht counts, any person with saved/earned (as opposed to inherited) wealth can attest to that.

[Nyezhov]

20 minutes ago, greenbottle555 said:

 

Well, anyway. What I was really saying was that the trains were over-crowded and I wasn't actually complaining about the rate hike, more complaining about how pact and unserviceable the trains are. If anything, the rates need to go up higher to reduce the number of people using them. But if they go up too high, business productivity suffers in Bangkok as lower skill workers will stop showing up as much.

 

Also, each 1 baht causes minimum wage workers an extra 1 hour of non-paid work per month. And those making 2x that, 30 minutes, 3x, 20 minutes. That's just 1 baht of increase, there will be more increases. And most important, every baht counts, any person with saved/earned (as opposed to inherited) wealth can attest to that.

where there are people there are crowds. I dont think the trains here are any more crowded than NYC or Tokyo, cant comment on the London Tube or Moscow because its been years since I have been on either. But it is far more efficient and economical in the context of those cities for the populace to use transit vis a vis a car. I also think that the majority  of minimum wage workers here use the bus.

 

And unserviceable? I ride them every day, only once has a train "broken down", ie gotten stuck at Saphan Taksin in the pouring rain. So everybody got off to wait for the next one, me, I figured what the hell and walked down to get myself a Yummbolina aroi nomnom Hoi Tod Hoi at Thip Volcanic! Little rain never hurt anyone.

 

That being said, you cant have everything, ie you cant complain about the traffic and not support the efforts of Bangkok to develop a more sophisticated rail infrastructure, you cant have that infrastructure without paying for it. And if every baht counts, then maybe its one beer a month less at the 7-11 or one less pack of smokes or....?

Edited November 10, 2018 by Nyezhov

[flyingtlger]

I've coming Thailand on and off for the past 25 years.  I was in Bangkok before the BTS, MRT or Airport Link was established.  People complain about how crowded the trains are but I'll take the crowed trains over the snail pace traffic of yesteryear anyday of the week as well as pay the relatively minor fare increases. 

 

BTW, you think the trains get crowded here, you ought to experience rush hour in Tokyo, they actually have rail employee's push people into trains to get as many people on board......

 

[greenbottle555]

Eh I guess I'm spoiled, I'm used to riding the BART which costs like $8/day for me and wasn't crowded since it was a bit pricey. There was even room to sit down and work with a laptop and rarely did people need to stand.

[Nyezhov]

39 minutes ago, greenbottle555 said:

Eh I guess I'm spoiled, I'm used to riding the BART which costs like $8/day for me and wasn't crowded since it was a bit pricey. There was even room to sit down and work with a laptop and rarely did people need to stand.

240 baht a day. Ill stand for 1/4 of that. My BTS and MRT average out to about $2 a day. I avoid rush hour so the only real misery is at Siam to Phrom Pong. ????