The Thaiger
Thailand plans flat rail fares and 200bn-baht buy-back of train concessions
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 outlet. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
Thailand’s transport minister has set out a two-stage plan to overhaul fares on Bangkok’s electric train network, beginning with a flat fare of between 17 and 45 baht per journey from the start of 2027 and eventually buying back the private operating concessions for an estimated 200 billion baht.
Key facts
- Thailand’s transport minister has set out a two-stage plan to overhaul fares on Bangkok’s electric train network, beginning with a flat fare of between 17 and 45 baht per journey from the start of 2027 and eventually buying back the
- Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, who is deputy prime minister and minister of transport in the cabinet of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, said the long-term goal of placing every line under a single state owner could not happen yet because of
- The Common Ticketing Act and the Rail Transport Act have both come into force, allowing the state to introduce the capped fare of 17 to 45 baht per trip, with the New Year of 2027 as the target start date.
- The plan would later extend to buses, beginning after the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority starts receiving electric buses from March 2027, and eventually to passenger boats, through further negotiations with operators.
- Once the money is raised, the government intends to begin the buy-back of all lines without waiting for BTSC’s Green Line concession to expire in 2029, calculating compensation based on the time left on each contract.
Summary
Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, who is deputy prime minister and minister of transport in the cabinet of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, said the long-term goal of placing every line under a single state owner could not happen yet because of Thailand’s high level of public debt. Instead, the government will start with a common ticketing system that lets passengers move between lines on one fare.
The legal groundwork is already in place. The Common Ticketing Act and the Rail Transport Act have both come into force, allowing the state to introduce the capped fare of 17 to 45 baht per trip, with the New Year of 2027 as the target start date.