Bangkok Red Line launches August 2 free rides for 3 months

If you’ve ever spent time in Bangkok, you know it’s easy to be taken for a ride. But for once, this is a good thing, as the Thailand Transport Ministry announced today they are giving free rides to many commuters to launch their new service line. Bangkok’s Red Line rail route is ready for its soft launch next month and will accept riders for free for the first 3 months.

The Transport Ministry has announced the commencement of the Red Line that spans the greater Bangkok Area with a soft launch on August 2. The line runs from the Rangsit campus of Thammasat University to Bang Sue and Taling Chan. The Red Line expansion has been long in process and finally ready to launch after a delay from the originally planned start date in March.

To celebrate the launch, the Red Line will be giving all the commuters who ride the train for the first 3 months free rides. After that, the fares have not yet been precisely confirmed but will be based on distance travelled. The rates are planned to start at 15 baht and max out at 42 baht to ride the length of the service line.

In addition to the new line, the Transport Ministry plans to link up the rail service to shuttle buses. The plan is to circumvent inconveniences caused by the revisions being made on the Hua Lamphong routes. The Expressway Authority of Thailand and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand will work in conjunction with the Transport Ministry to schedule and operate connecting shuttle bus service to the Red Line.

The 3 months of free ridership should establish the new Red Line and also be helpful to many struggling workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, Bangkok Mass Transit System. reported that starting Thursday the Khon Khrueng half-half co-payment programme and government welfare cards can be used on BTS sky trains.

SOURCE: NBT World