The Bangkok Metropolitan Council is urging the Ministry of Transport to implement a 20-baht fare cap for all electric railway systems within the next year to encourage the use of public transport and lower air pollution levels.
Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit, an adviser to Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit, met with city councilors to discuss the proposed fare cap. The Ministry of Transport recently received a report from the Department of Rail Transport, which highlighted a 26% year-on-year increase in passengers on the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Red Line and the Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) Purple Line. The report attributed this growth to the 20-baht maximum fares introduced in October last year.
Pongkawin mentioned that a draft of the Common Ticketing System Management Act is underway. Once enacted, it will standardize fares on all electric rail lines to a 20-baht maximum, expected to be effective by September next year.
Currently, fares on Bangkok’s mass transit systems vary by distance, ranging from 17 to 43 baht on MRT routes and 15 to 62 baht on the BTS Skytrain system. A common ticketing system fund is also being proposed to provide compensation to businesses operating rail lines affected by the new fare policy. This fund is expected to be established by March 2026. (NNT)
