Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and MTA Agree on Unified Rail Fare Structure and Network Transfer

Key summary

On October 21, Vice Governor Wisanu Thiphampong of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and officials from the Traffic and Transport Department attended the second meeting of the committee driving the policy to set unified rail fares aimed at reducing living costs. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. The session tracked progress on the development of a unified ticketing system and considered methods to reduce travel expenses, including setting unified fares and transferring BMA-managed rail projects to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MTA) for more efficient network management. The committee approved in principle a unified fare structure covering eight lines: Red Line, Airport Rail Link, Blue Line, Purple Line, Yellow Line, Pink Line, Green Line, and Gold Line. Under the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), existing concession agreements will be respected without modification, and no duplicate entry fees will be charged when transferring lines. The maximum entry fee is set at 17 baht, with a maximum total fare per trip capped at 45 baht for Thai citizens registered via the PromptPay app or paying with EMV Contactless cards. Additionally, project owners MTA and BMA were instructed to collect data on travel volume, actual revenue, and assess induced demand over six months after implementation to inform fair revenue sharing negotiations with operators. The committee also approved a draft MOU to transfer the main Green Line, its extension, and the Gold Line from BMA to MTA, aiming for single-state agency management of the rail network. This draft has passed legal sub-committee review and will proceed through legal procedures before being submitted to the Cabinet for consideration, with the goal of implementing measures by January 1, 2027.