Khlong Saen Saep boat fares to rise this week as fuel crisis bites
Bangkok’s Khlong Saen Saep boat service will raise fares by 1 baht across all fare bands this week after diesel costs and wages drove daily losses into the tens of thousands of baht.
Fares on Bangkok’s Khlong Saen Saep boat service will rise by 1 baht across each fare band this week, with prices increasing from 11-21 baht to 12-22 baht depending on distance, after the operator said it could no longer absorb mounting losses from higher labour and fuel costs.
Chaovalit Metayaprapas, managing director of Family Transport (2002), said the service was now losing tens of thousands of baht a day, with diesel accounting for more than half of operating costs. He said the company would raise fares as slowly and as little as possible to limit the impact on passengers, most of whom were low-income earners, though a further review could follow if diesel prices rise again.
The fare increase comes amid a broader fuel crisis linked to the Iran war and wider Middle East tensions, which have driven oil prices sharply higher and tightened fuel markets across Asia. Reuters reported last week that Brent crude had climbed above $100 a barrel as the conflict disrupted oil flows, while additional supply strains have rippled through regional fuel markets.
In Thailand, the government said the diesel price ceiling would be lifted to 33 baht a litre from March 18, with an immediate increase of no more than 1 baht per litre, as the Oil Fuel Fund remained under heavy financial strain. Reuters also reported that Bangkok had discussed securing additional crude supplies, including possible purchases from Russia, as it sought to manage the energy shock.
