“Supachai” demands Pheu Thai clarify when the 20-baht electric train policy will be implemented immediately and where the subsidy budget will come from. He worries whether taxes from provincial residents will be used to support Bangkok residents and questions why “Suriya,” despite his long tenure as Transport Minister, did not implement it while in government.
On 7 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Supachai Jaisamut, a party-list MP candidate and leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, questioned Pheu Thai’s election campaign policy displayed on billboards across Bangkok about a 20-baht flat fare for the entire electric train line implemented immediately. He said it is interesting whether the 20-baht immediate implementation is realistic because Mr. Suriya Juangroongruangkit served continuously as Minister of Transport from the governments of Mr. Srettha Thavisin to Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, yet no 20-baht flat fare electric train has materialized. Therefore, he asked whether it is truly feasible.
Mr. Supachai added that implementing fare price policies involves three relevant laws: the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand Act, the Rail Transport Act, and the Integrated Ticketing Act. Any fare reduction must comply with these legal frameworks.
“The question today is if current passengers pay 30–40 baht fares but suddenly the fare drops sharply to 20 baht, does that mean fares have been previously overcharged? Or if fares have been correctly charged by distance, how will Pheu Thai, if they come into government, subsidize the difference? Will the funds come from the national budget or taxes from people in provinces like Su-ngai Kolok, Kanchanaburi, Chiang Rai, or other rural areas who do not use the electric train? Or will taxes from the entire country be used to subsidize only Bangkok residents? They must explain how this will be done to reassure both Bangkok residents and the whole country. It is not enough to just put up campaign billboards without explanation. Since you have been Minister of Transport from the start, why didn’t you implement this earlier? Why plan to implement it immediately only now?”