Thailand Ministry of Transport Reviews Extension of Flat Daily Fare for Red and Purple Lines

Key summary

On October 17, 2026, Deputy Minister of Transport Siripong Angsakulkeart stated that the Ministry is considering extending the flat daily fare of 40 baht for the suburban railway's Red Line (Bang Sue–Rangsit and Bang Sue–Taling Chan) and the Purple Line (Khlong Bang Phae–Tao Poon), currently set to expire on November 30. The Department of Rail Transport is tasked with determining an appropriate extension period, with a decision expected by October before submission to the Cabinet in November. Regarding the concurrent fare system of 17-45 baht per trip for cross-line travel, the Ministry will evaluate passenger benefits and revenue impacts first. The flat 40-baht daily pass is intended as an option specifically for users traveling only on the Red and Purple lines, while passengers transferring to other lines will use the concurrent fare system, targeted to begin on January 1, 2027. To fund the one-year concurrent fare measure, the Ministry plans to request approval from the Cabinet for a mid-term budget with a cap of 5,800 million baht. Current average daily ridership is approximately 72,000 passengers on the Purple Line and 40,000 on the Red Line on weekdays.