The Minister of Transport confirmed that from 1 January 2027, Bangkok commuters will be able to use unified tickets with train 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 have BTS upgrade 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 confirmed that from 1 January 2027 onwards, train passengers will be able to use a unified fare system across all lines and colors with fares between 17 and 45 baht. Passengers can transfer across lines without paying additional entry fees. Initially, this policy will be approved on a year-to-year basis until the Green Line concession ends in mid-2029, after which a long-term plan will be considered. The government will bear the cost of compensating the fare difference exceeding 45 baht for actual routes, reimbursing passengers directly rather than the operators.
It was also concluded that Krungthai Bank will serve as the clearing house to prepare the backend system for managing funds and refunding fare differences to the public. Since the unified ticket fund under the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) currently lacks accumulated budget, approval for about 5 billion baht annually from the central government is necessary to subsidize the fare difference. This figure remains uncertain as negotiations with private operators will consider revenue increases from an expected nearly 20% growth in passengers, with the additional revenue returned to the unified ticket fund. The proposal is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval around November 2026.
Mr. Phiphat added that due to a limited timeframe of just three and a half months before enforcement, EMV card readers must be installed on all train lines promptly. Representatives from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) noted that replacing all Green Line card readers would take one to two years. Therefore, the meeting agreed to have BTS modify the Rabbit EMV system so passengers can tap their cards for use by early next year and across all lines. Krungthai Bank will continue discussions accordingly. After completing the train system integration, the Ministry of Transport plans to expand the unified ticket system to buses (BMTA) and boats as well.
Read more news " Government policy " additional