Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, accompanied by deputy ministers, arrived at the Ministry of Transport on his first day, announcing good news for the Songkran festival. He confirmed no fare increases across all systems and revealed plans to launch measures to help citizens cope with high oil prices. He highlighted key policies including pushing forward the 40-baht unified BTS ticket and guaranteeing the completion of the Rama 2 expressway within this year.
Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, along with deputy ministers Siripong Angkasungkleaw, Pattharaphong Pattharaprasit, and Sanphet Boonyamanee, began their duties at the Ministry of Transport today, receiving a warm welcome from officials and affiliated agencies.
Mr. Phiphat stated that his focus in this role is to resolve problems facing the public, especially the impact of energy prices, while simultaneously enhancing the nation's competitiveness through the foundation of transportation infrastructure. He outlined four main goals:
Reducing expenses for the public.
Stimulating cash flow in the industrial sector.
Promoting clean energy use in public transport to reduce PM 2.5 dust and lower oil consumption.
Establishing sustainable transportation foundations and developing infrastructure to encourage investment while reducing public debt burdens.
The Ministry of Transport firmly confirmed that from now through the Songkran festival, there will be no fare increases across all systems to reduce travel expenses for people returning to their hometowns. Should there be budget shortfalls needing subsidy, the Department of Land Transport has been instructed to initially support funding from the Road Safety Fund.
Additionally, after Songkran, discussions will be held to develop approaches to address the impacts of rising oil prices, considering appropriate assistance measures for each group, especially vulnerable populations. The Prime Minister is scheduled to officially announce policies and support measures on 9-10 April.
Regarding key transport system development, the ministry plans to proceed with the high-speed train project linking three airports (Suvarnabhumi-Don Mueang-U-Tapao) to attract passengers to U-Tapao and build investor confidence for a world-class theme park in Thailand.
Simultaneously, efforts will accelerate the development of a unified ticket system allowing the public to travel across all systems with a single ticket priced at 40 baht, expanding from the current pilot on the Red and Purple MRT lines, to maximize travel efficiency. He concluded by confirming that construction on the Rama 2 expressway will officially open this year without fail.
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