The Thaiger
Bangkok cream-red buses survive EV shift as reserve fleet
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Bangkok’s ageing cream-and-red buses will not disappear entirely when the capital shifts to electric public transport, with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) planning to retain around 700 vehicles for floods, emergencies and other special assignments.
Key facts
- Bangkok’s ageing cream-and-red buses will not disappear entirely when the capital shifts to electric public transport, with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) planning to retain around 700 vehicles for floods, emergencies and other
- BMTA Director Kittikan Chomdoung Charuworapolkul said the agency will select the strongest vehicles from its remaining fleet of about 1,520 Bangkok cream-red buses by December
- The authority is due to receive 1,520 air-conditioned EV buses under a seven-year lease, with the first 500 scheduled for delivery in March 2027, another 500 in April and the remaining 520 in May.
- The government is also pursuing another 800 electric buses , with the wider plan intended to move BMTA’s normal operations entirely towards EVs by the end of 2027.
Summary
BMTA Director Kittikan Chomdoung Charuworapolkul said the agency will select the strongest vehicles from its remaining fleet of about 1,520 Bangkok cream-red buses by December. Those chosen will undergo major refurbishment, including engine work and exhaust-system improvements to meet environmental standards.
The non-air-conditioned buses have been in service for around 35 years. They were previously expected to be phased out as BMTA introduces a new electric fleet, but their performance during recent flooding has prompted the agency to reconsider.