BTS Takeover of Green, Gold Lines Heads to Board

The Department of Railways is fast-tracking plans to transfer Bangkok's Green and Gold BTS lines back under the control of the Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited (BTS). Director-General Pichet Kundatharmmarak revealed that a policy committee meeting will be held this or next week to expedite the transfer of assets, liabilities, and related contract amendments.

Some lines can be transferred immediately, including the Gold Line's Krung Thonburi–Khlong San section, the Green Line's Sukhumvit extensions (Onnucha–Bearing and Mochit–Saphan Mai–Khukkot sections), the Bearing–Samut Prakan extension, and the Silom Line's Taksin–Bang Wa section. These transfers qualify as inter-agency accounting transfers and can proceed without delay.

The main Green and Gold line segments—Sukhumvit Line's Mochit–Onnucha section and Silom Line's National Stadium–Taksin Bridge section—currently operate under concession agreements expiring in 2029. The state is exploring ways to change the concession operator from the private sector to BTS, though if contract transition proves impossible, authorities will wait until the concessions expire.

Pichet confirmed that the nationwide 17–45 baht flat fare policy will proceed smoothly even while some lines remain under existing concessions, as the government will subsidize fare differences directly to riders. Regarding EMV card payment compatibility concerns on the Green Line, officials urged the public to gradually switch from Rabbit cards to EMV cards, which serve as a unified payment platform enabling real-time revenue clearing between operators and seamless cross-line travel verification. EMV systems will process fare refunds within three days of travel.

The Department of Railways is coordinating with Bangkok and operators to install additional EMV readers on the Green Line, starting with mobile card readers at disabled passenger doors to accommodate those claiming the 17–45 baht subsidy. Operators are also studying how to upgrade Rabbit cards to EMV standards in the future. The 17–45 baht subsidy will initially be limited to Thai nationals, as EMV systems can verify identity through linked credit or debit cards, with a goal of full multi-operator fare integration by early 2027.

Foreign visitors will continue paying standard fares. Officials expect public uptake of EMV similar to the Purple and Red lines, which saw increased ridership after flat-fare implementation. Additionally, private sector representatives proposed expediting connections to the Eastern Airport Rail Link during a meeting with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.