In a decidedly anticipatory strategy, the customary weekly Cabinet session was held a day early in the wake of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s impending visit to China. This maneuver was shared by Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit, who highlighted the implementation of the 20-baht fare policy, a crucial feature in the “Quick Win” election pledges that were made to the electorate by the dominant political party, Pheu Thai Party.
Before this modification, the tariff for the two railway lines varied, fluctuating between 14 baht and 42 baht, the determining factor being the journey distance. In this setup, a standard 20-baht rate was initially experimented with on two specific routes: the Purple Line running from Taopoon to Bang Phai, a distance of 23 kilometres hosting 16 stations, and the Red Line connecting Bang Sue to Taling Chan over 26 kilometres with 10 stations, and from Bang Sue to Rangsit, spanning 15 kilometres and incorporating four stations.
Shortly after, Suriya made a visit to Krung Thep Apiwat Central Station—the inaugural station on the Red Line—to supervise the deployment of the newly established fare. Originally intended as a New Year surprise for the people, the flat rate was introduced earlier to alleviate immediate pressures on the riding public. The Transport Minister then expressed optimism about the potential positive response to this modification. He predicted an increase in ridership by at least 10,000 commuters on the Purple Line and another 5,000 on the Red Line.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Suriya stated plans for the Transport Ministry to constitute a dialogue committee with the private operators of additional electric railways. The goal? To also embrace the 20-baht flat rate model. However, he explained that this endeavor would initially require drafting a bill to authorize a universal ticketing structure across all electric railways as a prerequisite to endorsing a flat fare application—something his ministry is currently working on.
The bill would be submitted for Cabinet sanction later this year, but it would take another year for it to be ratified by the House of Representatives, Suriya added. The proposed legislation is also designed to empower the Transport Ministry to formulate a ticket fund, acting as a buffer to compensate private operators for potential revenue loss following the tariff adjustment.
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