Thai Smile Bus Co, part of the Thai Smile Group, is set to decommission its remaining natural gas vehicle (NGV) buses this month, moving towards a fully electric bus fleet in Bangkok. This transition aligns with the company’s goal of achieving net zero emissions and supporting Thailand’s low carbon emission efforts.
According to CEO Kulpornphat Wongmacharpinya, 95% of the company’s buses have already been decommissioned. An additional 57 NGV vehicles were decommissioned from the Pak Kret station on January 1, leaving only 16 NGV buses remaining to be phased out within this month.
In its effort to modernize and increase efficiency, Thai Smile Bus plans to introduce smaller, eight-meter electric buses to complement its existing 12-meter bus fleet. This addition aims to increase the frequency of buses for Bangkok commuters, in line with the Transport Ministry’s “Quick Win” policy to improve public transportation services.
Thai Smile’s sister company, Thai Smile Boat, is also gearing up to resume electric boat services on the Metro Line within the first quarter of this year. Among these are boat tours for city residents to visit nine temples in a day or explore the Bang Krachao jungle oasis, known as the “lungs of Bangkok.” (NNT)
