Thailand Proposes 17 to 45 Baht Fares Across Eight Bangkok Rail Lines From 2027

Eight rail lines, one fare calculation

Thailand's Transport Ministry plans to seek Cabinet approval on October 26, 2026, for fares of 17 to 45 baht per journey across eight rail lines in Bangkok and surrounding areas. The proposal would remove repeated entry charges when passengers change lines, with a planned start on January 1, 2027.

The ministry is seeking a first year budget of 5.85 billion baht, including 5.785 billion baht to compensate for reduced fares and 65 million baht for the fees involved in transferring refunds to passengers. Eligible riders would pay the normal fare first, then receive the difference through the Paotang app within three days.

Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat announced the plans on October 21 after a meeting of the committee overseeing rail fare policies. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn chaired the meeting. The package still requires Cabinet approval.

The proposed coverage includes the Red Line, Airport Rail Link, Blue Line, Purple Line, Yellow Line, Pink Line, Green Line and Gold Line. Benefits would be restricted to Thai nationals who register through Paotang and use an eligible Visa or Mastercard contactless card.

For commuters changing between rail networks, the central change would be how the journey is priced. Instead of paying another initial charge each time they enter a different participating line, eligible passengers would receive a refund bringing their journey within the proposed fare structure. The initial fare would be capped at 17 baht and the maximum at 45 baht per trip.

The Cabinet package would also extend the existing 40 baht daily fare measure on the Red and Purple lines. That would leave passengers choosing between a daily arrangement for those two lines and the broader fare measure for journeys across the eight participating services.

Passengers would pay first and receive money back

Paotang would connect registration with reimbursement. A passenger would register an eligible EMV card, use it to pay the ordinary fare, and receive the difference in their Paotang account within three days. Officials describe this timetable as T+3, meaning the transaction is followed by a refund within that period.

EMV is the payment standard used by compatible chip and contactless cards. For this proposal, the ministry has specified supported Visa and Mastercard cards, rather than every card currently accepted somewhere on Bangkok's rail network.

Siripong, explaining the registration requirement as deputy transport minister, said:

It is now clear that only EMV cards can be registered for the benefit,

The refund method matters to household budgets. Passengers would need enough money or available payment capacity to cover the normal fare at the time of travel, even though their final cost would be lower after reimbursement. Someone travelling repeatedly during the three day refund period could have several journeys awaiting repayment.

The nationality condition also shapes who benefits. Thai commuters meeting the registration and payment requirements would qualify, while foreign residents and tourists would remain outside this proposed subsidy.

Rabbit users would need another payment route

Rabbit cards, used on the Green and Gold lines, would not initially qualify for the refund system. Siripong said Krungthai Bank had confirmed that Rabbit transaction records did not yet meet the data standards required for the proposed connection.

Passengers using those lines would therefore need an eligible EMV card to claim the benefit until the necessary changes are completed. Siripong said future participation would depend on meeting the required payment standards.

The deputy transport minister described the condition for Rabbit cards to join:

If Rabbit cards obtain the required international certification in future, they will be able to join the system as normal,

The ministry and Krungthai Bank have discussed dedicated EMV payment channels on the Green Line, with five or six card readers planned at each station. Those additional payment points are intended to reduce crowding as passengers seek to use cards eligible for refunds.

The Green Line arrangements are a practical part of delivering the policy. Including a line in the fare proposal also requires passengers to have a working way to register their card and record the journeys that qualify for repayment.

Children would use a parent's refund account

Children aged 7 to 15 present a different registration problem: they can obtain Mangmoom rail cards but cannot independently open Paotang accounts, according to Siripong.

The ministry and Krungthai Bank are discussing a process under which a parent or guardian would verify their identity and link the child's card to the adult's Paotang account. Refunds for the child's travel would then go to that account.

The proposed registration system would accommodate both the adult's card and the child's card. Technical details remain under discussion, including how this arrangement would work alongside the general requirement to register an eligible EMV card.

For families, that would make the guardian responsible for receiving the child's fare refunds. The arrangement is intended to give eligible children access to the measure without requiring them to hold their own Paotang account.

How the 40 baht daily option would fit

The Red and Purple lines already have a maximum fare of 40 baht for a full day under a measure introduced on December 1, 2025. It is currently scheduled to expire on November 30, 2026.

The ministry wants to extend it by one year and one month, through December 31, 2027. Siripong said passengers would need to choose the measure that best suits their travel: the daily arrangement on the Red and Purple lines or the proposed 17 to 45 baht fare for journeys connecting more lines.

The two prices cover different amounts of travel. The 40 baht option applies across a day on two lines; the proposed maximum of 45 baht applies to a journey within the eight line scheme. A passenger making several qualifying trips on the Red and Purple lines could find the daily option more useful, while someone connecting to other participating lines would need to consider the broader scheme.

The ministry's planning outline lists December 30, 2027, as an endpoint for both measures, while Siripong described the trial and the daily fare extension as running through December 31. The Cabinet's final terms would need to settle the operating dates.

Why the ministry needs a central budget

The detailed funding proposal totals 5.85 billion baht. Fare compensation accounts for 5.785 billion baht, or about 98.9% of that amount, while refund transfer fees account for the remaining 65 million baht.

Siripong described the funding request as a spending ceiling, with money drawn against actual compensation costs rather than paid out as a single lump sum. The final expense would depend on use of the scheme and the reimbursements required.

The ministry plans to request funding from the 2027 central budget's reserve for emergency and necessary expenditure. The Joint Ticket Promotion Fund has not yet received its initial capital allocation and is still preparing the regulations and announcements needed to operate.

Siripong also said the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, known as MRTA, had committed funds to the Orange Line project and was waiting for the next round of budget support to replenish them. Central funding would allow the fare trial to proceed while the longer term financing arrangements are prepared.

The proposed budget therefore has two jobs: paying the fare differences owed to participating passengers and covering the cost of sending those refunds. Its use would be tied to actual claims during the trial.

More passengers could affect payments by operators

Siripong expects lower fares to attract more passengers than private operators had forecast. The government and operators have discussed payments to the state linked to that additional traffic.

The ministry plans to assess the criteria about three months after the scheme begins, comparing passenger numbers with the previous year's figures. If the January launch proceeds, that would put the review around April 2027.

Officials describe the expected extra travel as induced demand. In simple terms, cheaper journeys may encourage some people to take the train more often or start using it. Those extra trips would need to be considered when calculating the financial arrangements between the state and operators.

Siripong said payments connected with increased passenger numbers could reduce the public funding required, so the full spending ceiling might not be used. The payment formula and contractual arrangements are still being developed, making the review an important step in determining the trial's cost.

What the Red and Purple line figures show

Department of Rail Transport Director General Pichet Kunadhamraks presented figures on EMV journeys following the introduction of the 40 baht daily measure. The cumulative data through the end of August 2026 showed increases in contactless card use and fare revenue on both lines.

The Red Line averaged 9,460 EMV passenger journeys a day, up 89.01%, with average daily fare revenue of 310,000 baht, up 212.43%. The Purple Line averaged 27,653 EMV journeys a day, up 135.41%, and daily fare revenue of 600,000 baht, up 275%.

Together, the lines averaged 37,113 EMV journeys and 910,000 baht in EMV fare revenue each day. Pichet put the combined increase in EMV journeys at 121.54% and cited the results as support for extending the daily fare measure.

The Purple Line accounted for about 74.5% of the two lines' combined EMV journeys, calculated from its 27,653 journeys out of 37,113. Its average was nearly three times the Red Line's 9,460 journeys.

Those figures track journeys paid for with EMV cards. They give the ministry a concrete record of use under an existing fare measure as it prepares a much wider trial with the same type of payment technology.

The decisions needed before January

The October 26 Cabinet submission is expected to cover three matters: funding for the new fares, an extension of the Red and Purple line daily measure, and progress on transferring rail administration.

The transfer work includes a draft memorandum of understanding between MRTA and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The draft is being prepared for review by the Office of the Attorney General before the signing and reporting process proceeds.

Siripong acknowledged that the Joint Ticket Act and the proposed single ownership framework had fallen behind schedule. The framework would bring electric rail projects under MRTA management. The position was reported to the Cabinet on October 20.

The planned sequence is:

• October 20, 2026: The Cabinet was informed about delays to common ticketing and the single ownership framework.
• October 21, 2026: The fare policy committee discussed the package and Siripong announced the proposed arrangements.
• October 26, 2026: The ministry plans to submit the funding, fare extension and rail administration matters to the Cabinet.
• January 1, 2027: The eight line fare trial is scheduled to begin, subject to approval and readiness.
• About three months after launch: The ministry plans to assess passenger growth and criteria for payments by private operators.
• 2028: The ministry plans a transition to the joint ticket system.

A working group chaired by the deputy permanent secretary for transport responsible for the transport mission group would monitor implementation, assess results and prepare proposals to change contractual arrangements. It would report progress weekly to help keep the January launch on schedule.

The immediate task is to align funding, registration, payment equipment and operator agreements. Passengers would experience the reform through a practical sequence: registering a card, paying at the station and receiving the correct refund on time.

Key Points

• The ministry plans to seek Cabinet approval on October 26, 2026, for fares of 17 to 45 baht per journey across eight Bangkok area rail lines.
• The proposed launch is January 1, 2027. Eligible Thai nationals would register through Paotang, pay normal fares with supported EMV cards and receive refunds within three days.
• The detailed budget request totals 5.85 billion baht, with spending based on actual compensation costs.
• Rabbit cards would initially be excluded. Additional EMV payment points are planned on the Green Line.
• A process for linking children's fare cards to a parent's or guardian's Paotang account is being discussed.
• The ministry also wants to extend the Red and Purple lines' 40 baht daily fare through the end of 2027.
• The trial would bridge preparations for a planned joint ticket system in 2028.