Thailand Moves Toward Cheaper, Smarter Transit System

[snoop1130]

SRT's Red Line train, currently under the 20-baht fare cap programme | Photo via Pattaya Mail

 

Thailand's Common Ticketing System Management Bill is set to revolutionize public transportation by introducing a single ticket for various transit modes, ultimately reducing commuter costs. In a public hearing organized by the Thailand Consumers Council, Jiraroth Sukolrat from the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning highlighted the bill's goals of streamlining ticketing processes and ensuring fair pricing for commuters.

 

The People’s Party has also submitted its own version of the bill, demanding transparency in fare pricing and calling for inclusivity of all public transport modes—buses and boats, not just Bangkok's electric trains.

 

 

Krichanont Iyapunya, from the Pheu Thai Party, revealed plans to cap electric rail fares at a maximum of 20 baht per trip by September and is exploring viable reductions of public bus fares to 10 baht. This effort aims to keep transportation costs at no more than 10% of the daily minimum wage.

 

Importantly, the initiative does not require new funding, as the State Railway of Thailand Fund, supported by Bangkok taxpayers, will sustain it. The government anticipates financial self-sufficiency within two years as passenger numbers grow. The pilot project for the 20-baht electric train service on the Red and Purple Lines is expected to reach financial breakeven in two years, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-02-17

 

 

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand's Common Ticketing System Management Bill is set to revolutionize public transportation by introducing a single ticket for various transit modes, ultimately reducing commuter costs

Good god alive.. common sense.

[Muhendis]

It's not Thailand's common ticketing system at all.

It's Bangkok's common ticketing system.

Not available in Buriram.......

[JimHuaHin]

This has been talked about for many years, if not decades ... over which time next to nothing has been implemented.

 

Maybe by 2600 (Buddhist Era) something may be finally implemented, just before large parts of Bangkok are permanently under sea water.

[Searat7]

Has been promised for 10 years so will believe it when I see it. The 20b fare is really impossible because the capacity is not there on the main lines. There will be chaos if they move forward on that and the cost to the government (to pay MRT and BTS) would be enormous.

[hotsun]

I can believe that they would move to something cheaper. Something smarter, not likely

[Caldera]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand's Common Ticketing System Management Bill is set to revolutionize public transportation by introducing a single ticket for various transit modes, ultimately reducing commuter costs.

 

Wow, only about 20 years too late. That should have been introduced right when the first MRT line went into service after two BTS lines had already been there.

 

Allowing the MRT to have its own separate ticketing system was a blunder of epic proportions, considering how late Bangkok joined the club of cities with commuter trains and how many cities in the world they could have learned valuable lessons from.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Next, traffic signals at all junctions on Sukhumvit Road within the city limits will be synchronised and managed by computer control to remove external human interference. 😋

[soi3eddie]

A system that allows one card, either prepaid such as the Rabbit card, or credit/debit card to seamlessly travel on BTS, MRT, City line, busses and even riverboats would make life so much easier for residents and visitors to Bangkok. If it can be done in London, then Bangkok should certainly be able to do it. We can live in hope. 

 

[tomazbodner]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Krichanont Iyapunya, from the Pheu Thai Party, revealed plans to cap electric rail fares at a maximum of 20 baht per trip by September and is exploring viable reductions of public bus fares to 10 baht. This effort aims to keep transportation costs at no more than 10% of the daily minimum wage.

Cap it to 100 baht and make that no more than 10% of the daily minimum wage.

[scottiejohn]

2 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Cap it to 100 baht and make that no more than 10% of the daily minimum wage.

Cannot be both unless passengers have to show their wage slip, if such a thing exists for minimum wage Thais!

[rovinman]

I would refer you to Hng Kong"s "Octapus" System, { and similar systems in Singapore and KL, Malaysia }, which are consistant over all the modes of transport { EXCEPT Aviation }, 

Seems to work there, because EACH transit system tolks to each other  !

[MikeandDow]

This has been talked about for years !! and thats it,talk never happen

[Selatan]

Bangkok should implement something like in Kuala Lumpur - RM50 (around THB 380) for an unlimited use monthly pass for all lines, including buses. 

[BrandonJT]

25 minutes ago, Selatan said:

Bangkok should implement something like in Kuala Lumpur - RM50 (around THB 380) for an unlimited use monthly pass for all lines, including buses. 

The BTS had weekly and monthly cards, but eliminated them for additional profit.  The likelihood of them coming back across multiple forms of transportation seem very unlikely as long as so much of the system is privatized.

[Selatan]

22 minutes ago, BrandonJT said:

The BTS had weekly and monthly cards, but eliminated them for additional profit.  The likelihood of them coming back across multiple forms of transportation seem very unlikely as long as so much of the system is privatized.

The metro lines of Kuala Lumpur started off as privately owned. The 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis bankrupted the cronies of politicians that owned the lines and had to be bailed-out via nationalization. Subsequent lines were built by the state and so a single-payment method for all the lines, including buses, was easily implemented. And because all the lines and buses of Kuala Lumpur are owned by the state, a cheap, heavily subsidized, concessionary pass could be launched. The MY50 monthly pass as it is called, is very popular, with over 220,000 subscribers.

[fondue zoo]

I've noticed that systems synced to other systems is not a big thing in Thailand, in any scenario.

In the time before time, when I asked these questions in a faraway land, a common answer I got was "nobody trusts nobody here".