Cabinet Caps Bangkok Electric Train Fares at 45 Baht
The Thai Cabinet has approved a capped fare of 45 baht per trip for all electric train lines in Bangkok and surrounding provinces for 2027. The measure, running from January to December with a 5.8-billion-baht budget, eliminates duplicate entry fees when transferring between lines and aims to reduce living costs for commuters.
The Cabinet approved a unified fare measure for all electric train lines in Bangkok and surrounding provinces from January 1 to December 31, 2027, capping the initial fare at 17 baht and the maximum fare at 45 baht per trip, with a budget framework of 5.807 billion baht.
On November 3, 2026, Ms. Phloythale Lakkhameisangchan, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the Cabinet meeting had approved and acknowledged the Ministry of Transport's proposal to implement measures reducing the cost of living through unified electric train fares. The measure covers all electric train networks in Bangkok and surrounding provinces between January 1 and December 31, 2027.
The measure stipulates that the initial fare follows existing contracts, not exceeding 17 baht, and sets the maximum total fare at no more than 45 baht per trip. No duplicate initial fares will be charged when passengers transfer between different electric train systems, reducing travel costs and increasing convenience for the public.
This follows the resolution of the Committee on Driving the Policy on Electric Train Fares to Reduce the Cost of Living at its meeting No. 2/2026 on October 21, 2026. The Cabinet assigned relevant agencies — the Department of Rail Transport, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), and Krungthai Bank — to expedite implementation according to plan.
For the 2027 fiscal year budget, the total framework is 5.807 billion baht, divided into 5.785 billion baht for fare subsidies and 22 million baht for transaction fees for refunding passengers. OTP is tasked with proposing a budget allocation from the central budget's emergency reserve for FY2027 to support the public under this measure, and will serve as the lead agency managing subsidy payments based on actual expenses incurred.
Additionally, the Cabinet assigned MRTA and BMA, as project owners, to collect data on actual passenger numbers and revenue generated from the measure, including assessing induced demand after six months of operation. This data will be used to negotiate fare revenue sharing with electric train operators to ensure the state receives a fair and appropriate share of revenue, with progress reported back to the Cabinet.
