Govt to cap electric train fares at 45 baht by 2027

Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has announced a major overhaul of the capital’s public transport system, spearheaded by a new common ticketing plan with fares limited to between 17 and 45 baht per trip, set to launch in early 2027.

Speaking after a Ministry of Transport workshop, Phiphat stated that the new fare structure aims to reduce the cost of living for commuters significantly and encourage greater use of public transit.

Under the scheme, passengers will only be charged a single entry fee, even when transferring between different rail lines.

“To facilitate the rollout, the ministry will accelerate the transition from the current Rabbit card system to the open-loop EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) standard,” Phiphat said.

“This upgrade will allow commuters to tap in and out across all lines using standard credit or debit cards,” he added.

Meanwhile, the existing 40-baht daily flat-fare ceiling for the Red and Purple lines is expected to be extended for another year, until October 2027.

The common ticketing system is planned to expand to public buses and passenger boats by mid-2027.

This timeline aligns with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority’s (BMTA) acquisition of 1,520 new electric buses between March and June 2027, which will be deployed as feeder services for the electric rail network.

To streamline fare management and subsidise operators efficiently, the government plans to position the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) as the ‘single owner’ of the entire network.

This includes absorbing the Green and Gold lines, along with their associated debts, from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), though full management of the Green Line will have to wait until the current concession expires in 2029.

The Department of Rail Transport estimates that the 17-to-45-baht fare policy will require an initial tax payer funded subsidy of approximately 600 million baht per year.

The fare restructure forms part of a massive infrastructure push, with the ministry mapping out 262 urgent projects for the 2027 fiscal year, budgeted at 229.7 billion baht.

An additional 51 long-term projects worth 593.4 billion baht are slated for development between 2028 and 2030, to establish rail as the backbone of the country's transport network.