Cabinet approves new daily flat fare for Red and Purple Line trains starting December
The Thai government approves daily flat fare passes for the Red and Purple Line urban trains from December 1, with rates varying for general passengers and students, capped at 40 baht.
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the introduction of a daily flat fare pass for the Red Line urban train (Krung Thep Apiwat – Taling Chan and Krung Thep Apiwat – Rangsit routes) operated by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), and for the Purple Line train (Tao Poon – Khlong Bang Phai route) operated by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA).
Government Spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat announced that the scheme will run from December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026, as the current 20-baht flat fare for the entire electric train system will end on November 30, 2025.
For the Red Line urban train, the SRT will request budget allocation from the government to compensate the actual fare revenue shortfall, in line with the State Fiscal and Financial Disciplines Act 2018.
Siripong continued, saying the Ministry of Transport has been tasked with annually reviewing the measure, taking into account various factors such as passenger volume and revenue, which will affect the government’s compensation burden. The ministry will also consider the convenience of travel and efforts to ease the financial burden on commuters.
The Ministry of Transport has estimated a 172-million-baht loss in revenue from both the Red and Purple Lines under the new 40-baht all-day fare scheme. Of this, 142 million baht will be lost from the Red Line and 30 million baht from the Purple Line. This is a 229-million-baht reduction compared to the previous scheme of 20 baht for all lines, which resulted in a total loss of 401 million baht across both lines, with 129 million baht lost from the Red Line and 272 million baht from the Purple Line.
As for the passes, the scheme will only apply to EMV Contactless cards. For general passengers, the maximum daily fare is set at 40 baht, with no limit on the number of trips per day. For students, the fare is discounted by 10%, up to a maximum of 30 baht per day, with no limit on the number of trips. If the total fare for the day is less than 40 baht or 30 baht, passengers will pay the actual fare for that day.
