Thailand bus passengers projected to reach 180,000 before Songkran
Thailand’s main interprovincial bus operator says April 10 is likely to be the busiest day before the long holiday, with up to 180,000 travellers expected.
- An estimated 160,000 to 180,000 people are expected to travel by bus during the peak period before the Songkran holiday.
- More than 7,000 to 8,000 bus trips are being operated from terminals like Bangkok's Mo Chit 2 to handle the rush.
- To meet the high demand, The Transport Company has prepared approximately 1,200 additional non-regular buses.
Atthawit Rakjamroon, President of The Transport Company Limited, said the travel atmosphere during Songkran 2026 on April 10 remained busy, with people continuing to use Bangkok Bus Terminal (Chatuchak), commonly known as Mo Chit 2.
He said passenger traffic for outbound and return journeys was expected to be at its heaviest at around 160,000 to 180,000 people, using more than 7,000 to 8,000 bus trips operated by the company and affiliated operators.
As it is the final working day before the Songkran 2026 holiday period, the company has prepared around 1,200 additional non-regular buses (Route 30 licence) to accommodate travel demand during the festival.
For travel operations yesterday (April 9, 2026), 58,431 passengers departed from Bangkok and 45,461 returned, bringing the total to 103,892.
A total of 3,067 outbound bus trips and 3,029 return trips were operated, or 6,096 trips altogether.
The company said services were managed sufficiently and no passengers were left stranded.
However, during Songkran 2026, BKS stressed that passengers should not fall for ill-intentioned people trying to deceive them.
It advised people to buy tickets only at official ticket counters to avoid loss of property and unsafe travel.
If passengers notice anything unusual or believe they are at risk of being exploited while using public bus services, they should immediately alert officials or police on site, or report the matter to the Department of Land Transport on 1584 or the BKS Passenger Protection Division on 02-936-2834.
