"Phiphat"Pushes forward the unified ticket fare policy of 17-45 baht, aiming to cover 8 lines by early 2027, while preparing to raise 200 billion baht and expecting to buy back metro systems within two years.
Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Transport, revealed that the Ministry of Transport is ready to accelerate the implementation of the unified ticket policy as soon as possible. The policy proposing metro fares of 17-45 baht per trip will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval, along with a plan to transfer the Green, Gold, and Red metro lines under the supervision of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA). Currently, the government faces public debt limitations, so it cannot immediately use the budget to buy back metro lines from operators. Therefore, the Ministry of Transport is coordinating with the Ministry of Finance to find a funding method that does not affect public debt, using a fund model similar to the Thailand Future Fund (TFFIF), aiming to raise about 200 billion baht to repurchase metro concessions before their expiry. The fundraising process is expected to take about 1.5-2 years.
Mr. Phiphat added that in the first phase, the Ministry will focus on establishing metro fares of 17-45 baht per trip, aiming to cover all 8 lines by early 2027 as a New Year gift for the public. The compensation amount to operators is still being finalized; initially, funds from the MRTA will be used for compensation, and negotiations with operators will seek revenue sharing or additional benefits for the government if passenger numbers increase due to the unified ticket policy. For the Green and Gold lines, which currently do not support EMV cards, once transferred to MRTA, it will invest in installing card reader systems to enable unified ticket use.
Mr. Phiphat also stated that in phase 2, after fundraising is complete, the ministry will buy back metro concessions, without waiting for the original concessions to expire, by negotiating to purchase the remaining concession periods. It is uncertain whether the buyback will be completed within this government’s term, depending on funding readiness. Phase 2 will implement zone-based fare collection, charging lower fares for short distances and slightly higher fares for longer trips to reduce the financial burden on the government. There are also plans to expand the unified ticket system to buses and ferries to ensure comprehensive integration of all public transport modes.
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