Decharat, Director of the Policy Center for the Future of the People’s Party, calls on the government to freeze fare prices so the public does not bear the travel burden during Songkran, while also subsidizing ticket prices for buses and minibuses.
On 6 April 2026, Mr. Decharat Sukgamnerd, Director of the Policy Center for the Future (Think Forward Center) of the People’s Party, commented on the government’s preparations for the public made last week, noting that the preparations remain unclear. Meanwhile, diesel prices continue to rise, surpassing 50 baht per liter, with the Songkran festival just a week away.
Mr. Decharat said Songkran is a festival of happiness when people travel back home, sometimes by private car, and often by public transport from Mo Chit or other bus terminals to various provinces, frequently using minibuses and vans to reach their home districts and subdistricts.
However, rising fuel prices directly affect bus fare rates for the many citizens traveling home. Although the Land Transport Regulatory Commission has frozen fares for large buses and joint service vehicles (until 20 April 2026), it has set new fares for 3,000 vans and minibuses, effective 6 April 2026. These new fares are based on diesel priced at 38.99 baht per liter, but current diesel prices have already exceeded 50 baht per liter.
With operators’ fuel costs rising about 10 baht per liter above the calculation base, and uncertainty whether prices will rise further next week, pressure arises from two directions.
One is that if the fares are frozen at the previous rates (as with buses), service providers will incur losses and may reduce the number of bus trips available to the public during the festival.
The other is that transport operators will demand fare increases to match higher costs, which would increase the financial burden on public transport users.
Mr. Decharat believes the government can avoid both pressures by maintaining the new fare rates but subsidizing operators for increased fuel costs. Subsidies could be calculated based on (a) each route, (b) travel date (since fuel prices fluctuate daily), and (c) the number of passengers per day per route.
This approach would reduce the risk of operators cutting service trips due to losses if fares remain unchanged, while avoiding fare hikes during Songkran, thus easing the public’s financial burden. It also prevents creating a dual fuel price market or encouraging fuel hoarding that the government cannot control. This method could continue post-Songkran, encouraging citizens to shift from private to public transport, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
Mr. Decharat emphasized his hope that the government will consider the People’s Party’s proposal at the upcoming Cabinet meeting and decide accordingly to alleviate public concerns during Songkran, a time when returning home holds special significance in Thai society.