Train Ride Fares in Bangkok Cut Down to Just 20 Baht

The Ministry of Transport in Thailand has stated that passengers using the Blue, Yellow and Pink electric train lines in Bangkok will be charged only up to a 20 baht fare by June 2025. This information was revealed by Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit.

Since October last year, this 20-baht maximum fare has already been applied to the Purple and Red Line trains. By June next year, this tariff will be extended to the Blue, Yellow (from Lat Phrao to Samrong), and Pink lines (from Khae Rai to Min Buri).

The government, with the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), is discussing compensation plans to counter any possible losses for private train companies due to this change. An annual compensation of around 8 billion baht, funded by a new fund supported by the government budget, the Energy Conservation Promotion Fund, and MRTA revenues, could be provided.

The Transport Ministry is also drafting a law for a joint-ticket system. This would let commuters use one ticket or card for the entire public transport system, as well as certain shops and services.

As per Suriya, only train lines supervised by the MRTA are currently subject to the 20 baht fee cap. Other operators, like the Green Line managed by BTS Group Holdings, will be able to adopt this policy only once the joint-ticket law is in place, presumably by 2025.

The 20-baht fare cap policy has increased the usage of the Red Line by 27.61%, equating to 6.21 million users, while the Purple Line use grew by 11.53%, reaching 14.29 million users in seven months. Even though it could cause a yearly revenue loss of around 300 million baht for these lines, the increased ridership shows a positive effect on public transport use in Bangkok.

File photo for reference only

-- 2024-06-28

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