Transport Phuket Says Farewell to Pink Buses in Favour of Electric Fleet

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of PPAO

 

In a significant leap towards sustainable transport, Phuket has replaced its iconic pink Pho Thong buses with a modern fleet of 24 electric buses. This move forms part of a broader strategy to embrace greener transportation solutions on the island.

 

For decades, the pink Pho Thong buses were a beloved feature of Phuket Town, recognised for their distinctive design. These buses, adapted from six-wheeled flatbed trucks, featured wooden bench seating and railings.

 

Introduced in 2008 under Paiboon Upatising's leadership, the Pho Thong buses quickly became an integral part of the area's character. They were charmingly named after the Mandarin word "pǔtōng", meaning "ordinary", acknowledging the ethnic Chinese community in Phuket.

 

The pink hue of the buses reflected the provincial colour of Phuket. The last Pho Thong bus journey took place on June 4th, completing the Red Line route from Chalong Pier to SuperCheap in Ratsada. Post-service, the buses have been donated to local schools, temples, mosques, and charities, with some set for repainting.

 

The transition to electric buses has been met with mixed emotions, with many nostalgic for the old vehicles. However, Rewat Areerob, the current President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), stresses that the change aims to reduce maintenance costs while contributing to environmental targets.

 

The electric buses also offer greater comfort, particularly during Phuket’s rainy season, when the open-air Pho Thong buses were less practical.

 

Picture courtesy of The Thaiger

 

Despite lacking the vivid look, the new blue and white electric buses signify a step forward in sustainability. Rewat encourages the community to view this positively. Manufactured in China, these Asiastar JS6860GHN NG city buses are equipped with air conditioning, seating for 23 passengers, USB charging ports, 24-hour CCTV, and accessibility for wheelchairs.

 

Each bus can travel up to 150 kilometres on a single charge, with recharging taking just one to two hours. Charging stations are currently available at Saphan Hin and near Ratsada Pier, with another expected at Chalong Pier by September.

 

The fare remains accessible at a flat rate of 15 baht, with complimentary rides for students, senior citizens, monks, and individuals with disabilities. As for the transition's impact on employment, former Pho Thong drivers have the chance to continue working, provided they pass a qualification test.

 

Additionally, some drivers have been offered new roles through the Phuket City Development Company (PKCD), according to The Phuket News.

 

The new electric buses now serve the existing Pho Thong routes. Seven buses run on the Yellow Line from Saphan Hin to Central Phuket, another seven on the Green Line from Ratsada Pier to Baan Kathu School, and the remaining ten cover the Red Line connecting Chalong Pier to SuperCheap.

 

This strategic rollout began in December and reached full capacity by June, ensuring that the community’s transport needs continue to be met seamlessly.

 

This transition marks a significant milestone in Phuket's commitment to sustainable development, reflecting a forward-thinking approach to urban mobility while maintaining a focus on community needs and environmental impact.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-06-23

 

 

 

[Snackbar]

4 decades watch em stop for a nip at mom & pops around town, snigger 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

This move forms part of a broader strategy to embrace greener transportation solutions on the island.

It maybe be greener on the road, but to the environment?

[PETERTHEEATER]

One to two hour charging? Either the bus battery is low capacity or the chargers are high powered.

[ignore it]

The LGBTQ community is demanding these the buggies be painted rainbow.

[PopGun]

This is a very expensive transition.

The Batteries have a lifespan of circa three years, if they are properly maintained and will cost as much as a small ICE car to replace them.

 

I wonder what inducements were made to secure the contract to supply these vehicles.

 

[pest]

5 million each

Thats a lot of brown envelopes going around phuket 

[CLW]

2 hours ago, PopGun said:

The Batteries have a lifespan of circa three years

Says who? 

EV car manufacturers give between 8 and ten years warranty 

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

One to two hour charging? Either the bus battery is low capacity or the chargers are high powered.

 

Given that they only have a low range of 150kmh - I'd go for low capacity.

 

Our 88kwh battery can be charged from about 20% to 80% relatively quickly in about 20-25mins at a fast charger.

The real world range is approx 450kms...

These busses are probably about 3-4x heavier than an EV SUV so a lot of the range is reduced by the extra weight.

However, there is a lot more space for a lot more battery.

 

 

So I'm wondering.. How old the battery tech is they are using... 

In comparison - the London Double Decker Electric bus with a 532kWh battery can travel 644km.

The busses themselves cost about £400,000 (17.7 Million Baht)... 

 

So, the cost of 5 million baht possibly reflects simpler construction and older tech perhaps.

 

 

Nevertherless : 2 hrs charing, a rotation of busses...   this is only a good thing for any town from the perspective of noise and air-pollution.  Though, as alluded to by another poster, the over all 'bigger picture' environmental friendliness of EV's is something I have long questioned... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[josephbloggs]

54 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Given that they only have a low range of 150kmh - I'd go for low capacity.

 

Our 88kwh battery can be charged from about 20% to 80% relatively quickly in about 20-25mins at a fast charger.

The real world range is approx 450kms...

These busses are probably about 3-4x heavier than an EV SUV so a lot of the range is reduced by the extra weight.

However, there is a lot more space for a lot more battery.

 

 

So I'm wondering.. How old the battery tech is they are using... 

In comparison - the London Double Decker Electric bus with a 532kWh battery can travel 644km.

The busses themselves cost about £400,000 (17.7 Million Baht)... 

 

So, the cost of 5 million baht possibly reflects simpler construction and older tech perhaps.

 

 

Nevertherless : 2 hrs charing, a rotation of busses...   this is only a good thing for any town from the perspective of noise and air-pollution.  Though, as alluded to by another poster, the over all 'bigger picture' environmental friendliness of EV's is something I have long questioned... 

 

 

I don't think it's old tech. They use Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO₄) batteries which is good for safety and durability. I am guessing they have a moderate capacity as that was deemed to be the sweet spot between price, performance, range, weight, and charging times as they are only pootling around the island, starting and stopping, and not travelling long distances so don't need a larger capacity.

[Old Croc]

The old pink buses were a great, cheap, tourist ride, but slow, awkward and impractical as city transport. It's well past time a more modern alternative was introduced to move people around and hopefully, get some private vehicles off the overcrowded roads. 

Of course the "experts" and deniers are already coming out of the woodwork with the usual negativity and silly claims about battery life and charging times,  as if literally thousands of cities around the planet weren't already using electic buses. Someone even expressed surprise that one of these small 23 seater buses were cheaper than a new double decker London bus!

It seems after decades of talk only,  something positive is finally happening about Phuket transport.

[richard_smith237]

18 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

I don't think it's old tech. They use Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO₄) batteries which is good for safety and durability. I am guessing they have a moderate capacity as that was deemed to be the sweet spot between price, performance, range, weight, and charging times as they are only pootling around the island, starting and stopping, and not travelling long distances so don't need a larger capacity.

 

Valid points...    is 150 kmh sufficient ?? - as you highlighted - perhaps thats sufficient for the 6-8 circuits (or however many per day) they make.

 

 

[quake]

5 hours ago, ignore it said:

The LGBTQ community is demanding these the buggies be painted rainbow.

 

Nah.

 

[Pompeygeezer]

I wonder if they're on the same timetable as the pink buses..... Turn up when they feel like it!

[still kicking]

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

It maybe be greener on the road, but to the environment?

Think about all the people who die in mines harvesting materials to make a battery.

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, still kicking said:

Think about all the people who die in mines harvesting materials to make a battery.

Think of all the people killed in mines harvesting materials to make the lead-acid battery that is in every ICE vehicle. Think of all the people who died in mines harvesting materials for your ECU and all the processors and computers in every ICE car: silicone, copper, gold and a load of rare earth materials. And how many people have been killed in the oil and gas industries? And how many killed from the pollution caused by oil and gas?

But yeah, the EVs....

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, still kicking said:

Think about all the people who die in mines harvesting materials to make a battery.

Not just batteries, all the mines over the whole world, for centuries we've been digging up the planet just for profit or convenience of life.

And we're all sitting on top of it.

[Old Croc]

12 hours ago, still kicking said:

Think about all the people who die in mines harvesting materials to make a battery.

Think about all the people who have been dumbed down to the intellectual level of a fence post through religious brain washing.

[animalmagic]

On 6/23/2025 at 3:50 PM, PopGun said:

This is a very expensive transition.

Depends what the bus identifies as.

[wensiensheng]

On 6/23/2025 at 9:47 PM, still kicking said:

Think about all the people who die in mines harvesting materials to make a battery.

Take a look at the exhaust fumes from those old buses. In 20 years of use and negligible maintenance they belch a ton of fumes out.