The Minister of Transport confirmed that from 1 January 2027, Bangkok residents will be able to use a unified BTS ticket with fares ranging from 17 to 45 baht across all lines and colors. The government plans to propose a central budget of 5 billion baht for subsidies, appoint Krungthai Bank to manage the clearing house, and instruct BTS to update the Rabbit EMV card system.
Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, said after chairing the unified ticket committee meeting that the Ministry of Transport confirms that starting 1 January 2027, commuters using the BTS will be able to use a unified fare system across all lines and colors on all routes with fares between 17 and 45 baht. Passengers can transfer across lines without paying an initial entry fee. Initially, the unified ticket policy will be approved on a yearly basis until the concession for the central section of the Green Line expires in 2029, after which long-term plans will be reviewed. The government will bear the cost of subsidizing fare differences exceeding 45 baht for passengers and users but will not compensate operators directly.
It was also concluded that Krungthai Bank will act as the clearing house to prepare backend systems for managing funds and reimbursing fare differences to the public. Since the unified ticket fund under the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) currently has no accumulated budget, it is necessary to seek government approval for a central budget of about 5 billion baht per year to subsidize the fare difference. This budget estimate is not fixed as negotiations with private operators on increased revenue from a nearly 20% growth in ridership are ongoing, with the additional income expected to be returned to the unified ticket fund. The proposal is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval in November 2026.
Mr. Phiphat added that because there are only about three and a half months before the implementation date, the installation of EMV card readers on all BTS lines must be expedited. For the Green Line, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) representatives noted that replacing all card readers would take about 1 to 2 years. Therefore, the meeting concluded that BTS should modify the Rabbit EMV card system to allow passengers to tap and use the card as scheduled early next year, enabling the Rabbit EMV card to be used across all BTS lines. Krungthai Bank will continue discussions on this matter. Furthermore, once the BTS unified ticket system is complete, the Ministry of Transport plans to extend the unified ticket system to BMTA buses and passenger boats in the future.
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