20-baht fare extension sought for Red Line

The operator of the Red Line is seeking to extend its 20-baht flat-rate fare for a second year after the current trial expires in November, as it has led to a big increase in ridership.
The latest study showed passenger numbers on the Red Line had increased by about 50% since the 20-baht fare was introduced in October 2023, said Suthep Punthupeng, the CEO of SRT Electrified Train Co, a company set up by the state-run State Railway of Thailand. He said the number exceeded the estimated 10-15% increase, or 20% maximum, previously presented to the cabinet.
The company will submit its annual report to the SRT board next Monday before presenting it to the Ministry of Transport and then to the cabinet for approval of the 20-baht fare extension, he said on Tuesday.
Mr Suthep said the extension should boost the number of passengers in 2025 by another 10%.
Introduced by Transport Minister Suriya Junrungreangkit, the flat rate was offered on the Purple Line and Red Line to help Bangkok residents reduce living costs and to promote use of mass transit to reduce pollution from fossil-fuel vehicles.
According to Mr Suthep, the Red Line’s two sections — Bang Sue-Rangsit and Bang Sue-Taling Chan — can handle up to 200,000 passengers a day.  
This year, an average of 30,000 people a day have been using the line. At the end of last month, the number reached a record 42,000.
Mr Suthep said the number has also improved from last year’s average of 19,000, adding that the average next year should reach 40,000 a day.
The company is also launching feeder bus routes to accommodate Red Line commuters, he said. The first weekend trial run on Oct 5 will operate between the Krungthep Apiwat station and Chatuchak Market.
Mr Suriya has said that the government would like to see a 20-baht cap across all rail lines in Greater Bangkok by March 2026. One way to achieve this could involve the government buying back the concessions of some operators.
The 20-baht limit currently applies only on the Purple and Red lines operated by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority and the SRT, respectively.
Fares on the two most widely used mass-transit systems vary by distance, ranging from 17 to 43 baht on the MRT routes and 15 to 62 baht on the BTS Skytrain system.