Bus fares cut to compete budget airlines

BANGKOK: The Transport Ministry has agreed to adjust maximum fare ceiliny for inter-provincial bus services by 20 percent so as to enable more flexibility for bus operators to cut fares to compete with air fares of low cost airlines.

The new fares will become effectible before the New Year festival.

The fare cut was revealed by the deputy permanent secretary for Transport Mr Darun Saengchai after a meeting of the ministry’s bus fare committee

He said the committee has decided to lower ceiling fares for bus services operated between Bangkok and other provinces and between two provinces by state-owned Transport Company and its concessionaries or private pool bus operators by 20 percent.

He said the new ceiling price would give bus operators more flexibility to adjust their fare to attract more passengers, especially when the transport is becoming more competitive.

The new ceiling will also enable bus operators to compete against low-cost airlines to attract customers back to bus travels, he added.

From the adjustment, bus fare from Bangkok to Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat province should decrease from 1,200 baht to 800 baht while a standard bus service from Bangkok to Chiang Mai province in the North should be lowered from 700 baht to 500 baht.

The new rate should take effect before the New Year festival next year.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bus-fares-cut-to-compete-budget-airlines

-- Thai PBS 2015-10-29

good idea really , sometime with lion air you can pay for 500b a chiang mai bkk

Would the road safety standards of those rolly Polly in the ditch and the ravines buses will also be lowered as results

of less revenues I wonder.....

If they flew to Phetchabun I would never use the bus again irrespective of any cost cutting,alas it's only used by VIPs and I'm not on the list.

Edited October 29, 201510 yr by stoneyboy

Would the road safety standards of those rolly Polly in the ditch and the ravines buses will also be lowered as results

of less revenues I wonder.....

Safety standards?

Seriously, could they be any lower?

Edited October 29, 201510 yr by WhizBang

How does cutting the maximum-fare for the bus magically make it easier for them to compete ?

Why couldn't they cut their fares anyway, to less-than-the-maximum, already ?

If they wanted to ...

Some months ago the buscompany's asked the government to raise the prices of airflights.

It seems they gave up on that

Wondering if they compete over speed as well.. ehm.. on second thought, they already do..

Why are bus fares even close to those of an airline?

what about reducing the cost of train fares, i travel to BKK from Buriram and return each week, it is cheaper and a whole lot quicker by air, only the wife won't go anywhere near a plane.

what about reducing the cost of train fares, i travel to BKK from Buriram and return each week, it is cheaper and a whole lot quicker by air, only the wife won't go anywhere near a plane.

Or, you can fly and let 'her indoors' come back by bus...

Diesel price went down 25 % even with the more taxes on it , but busfares got more expensive , somebody is making more profit...

Why would anyone, regardless of fare. want to spend several hours on a bus

instead of just 1 hour on a plane, ( non Thai plane that is ) ?

Some months ago the buscompany's asked the government to raise the prices of airflights.

It seems they gave up on that

That's right, anyone got a link for this ?

Why are bus fares even close to those of an airline?

Because with increased competition, the Low-cost-airlines have become even cheaper, at certain times-of-the-day or mid-week.

Whereas buses have continued to keep their prices very high, despite cheaper fuel, and seem happy to stick to the traditional-model of long overnight trips, while their passengers might prefer a daytime journey..

On the other hand, buses do have an inbuilt-advantage, that they can pick-up/drop-off at many points along-the-way, and can sometimes offer to carry more-luggage for passengers at no extra charge.

I recently flew from Don Mueang to Chiang Rai with Air Asia for 800baht...time in the air 1 hour 30 minutes (a safe pleasant quick journey with pleasant smiling aircrew

Why would you want to travel on a bus from Mochit to Chiang Rai....400 to 650b (approxiametly) travel time 16 hours (all going well)....(often with the 12 track stereo blaring at level 20........constantly wondering whether Somchai the driver is going stay awake and is not pumped up on Red Bull or worse.....wondering whether the bus has had a full maintenance check prior to the journey....tolerating the grumpy impolite bus hostess...

......and while sitting in the bus you suddenly recall (as the bus takes a sharp left corner) that you read somewhere that buses in Thailand have unqualified drivers....and the buses themselves do not meet international safety standards (height versus axle width)

They can drop the bus price to Chiang Rai to 10baht if they wish....I will not travel on these death traps

Why are bus fares even close to those of an airline?

Because the airlines like Thai Lion Air are selling seats at way way below cost. They are trying to forge themselves a loyal slice of the market so that they can ultimately raise prices at sensible profit margins.

History says these airlines will go bust before that happens (remember the trans Atlantic route and cheapo Freddie Laker Skytrain fares if you are a Brit? + it's been a repeated cycle of failures in the US airline industry).

Unfortunately Thai Lion will drag Nok Air down with them.

Called the owner of Chan tour from one of their buses while enroute after dark from KK to BKK because the driver had no exterior lights on during a cloudy moonless night. The owner said she only hired professional drivers, not to worry. Even after hearing that it was as much about not being seen as it was about not being able to see, she was adamant that this was okay. You pays your money and you takes your chance.

I recently flew from Don Mueang to Chiang Rai with Air Asia for 800baht...time in the air 1 hour 30 minutes (a safe pleasant quick journey with pleasant smiling aircrew

Why would you want to travel on a bus from Mochit to Chiang Rai....400 to 650b (approxiametly) travel time 16 hours (all going well)....(often with the 12 track stereo blaring at level 20........constantly wondering whether Somchai the driver is going stay awake and is not pumped up on Red Bull or worse.....wondering whether the bus has had a full maintenance check prior to the journey....tolerating the grumpy impolite bus hostess...

......and while sitting in the bus you suddenly recall (as the bus takes a sharp left corner) that you read somewhere that buses in Thailand have unqualified drivers....and the buses themselves do not meet international safety standards (height versus axle width)

They can drop the bus price to Chiang Rai to 10baht if they wish....I will not travel on these death traps

paranoid.com ???

in most countries in the world the requirments for driving a <deleted> bus i only the right lisence nothing else.. nannystate boy

Would the road safety standards of those rolly Polly in the ditch and the ravines buses will also be lowered as results

of less revenues I wonder.....

That is the worry, passenger safety is not really a high priority already. Still probably the same applies to the aircrafts?

Why would anyone, regardless of fare. want to spend several hours on a bus

instead of just 1 hour on a plane, ( non Thai plane that is ) ?

That is OK if you live right next door to the airport at each end. If you don't of course you will need to take a bus or a taxi at an extra expense to get you to the airport at each end.

Also depending on where you want to fly from and to you may only find 2 or 3 flights a day and if you want to fly east to west you may have to go via BKK as there are few across country flights.

Thanks but NO thanks, If I can fly I will pay a little more. I never feel safe on these buses on the roads of death !