20-baht flat fare on Bangkok trains postponed to November
Train scheme faces delay as relevent bills stall in Parliament
The Transport Minister postponed the launch of Bangkok’s 20-baht flat train fare scheme from October to November, admitting that two relevant bills cannot be approved in time.
The registration for the 20-baht train fare policy was announced yesterday, August 25, allowing Thai citizens to travel on the BTS and MRT networks for a flat fee. The initiative is aimed at reducing the cost of living and encouraging greater use of public transport.
The Transport Ministry confirmed that registration has no closing date and that all Thai citizens are entitled to the benefit. Although applications are open, the scheme was initially scheduled to take effect on October 1.
Many commuters, particularly those disappointed by delays to the government’s digital wallet scheme, voiced concerns about the timing, as three related bills had not yet been finalised. Without this approval, the government would be unable to subsidise the scheme, raising fears it could be postponed or cancelled.
Those fears were realised when Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit confirmed today, August 26, that Parliamentary consideration of two key bills, the Common Ticket System Management Act and the Railway Transport Act, would not be completed before October 1.
Suriya said he would push for the bills to be passed as quickly as possible before they are sent to the Senate, expressing confidence that the upper house would expedite its decision in the public interest. After Senate approval, the bills would require royal assent and a public hearing, a process expected to take around 15 days.
He also suggested that the public hearing stage might be skipped, arguing that the public would not oppose legislation designed to benefit them directly.
The minister said he expected the 20-baht flat fare policy to come into force by mid-November.
“If you ask if it’s a little late, it’s a little late,” Suriya admitted. “But compared with the benefits the public will receive, it’s a lot. I apologise for that.”
He also gave an update to Bangkok Biz News, reporting that 180,000 people had already registered since the scheme opened yesterday. He expressed confidence that the number would rise sharply, noting that commuters make more than 44 million train journeys daily.
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