MRTA revises Purple Line fares and expands passenger concessions
New rules taking effect on July 3, 2026, allow lower transfer charges, half-price travel for Thai seniors and free journeys for children and disabled passengers.
- Senior citizens (Thai nationals over 60) will receive a 50% fare discount, while children under 120cm and people with disabilities will be exempt from paying.
- A transfer discount will be implemented, charging passengers the entry fare only once when switching between MRTA rail lines at designated interchange stations.
- The MRTA board is now authorized to introduce special fare products like monthly passes, ticket bundles, and temporary fare reductions to encourage public transport use.
- The new fare structure and passenger concessions for the MRT Purple Line are scheduled to take effect from July 3, 2026.
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) has issued a new regulation restructuring fares on the Chalong Ratchadham Line, or MRT Purple Line, in line with amended legislation and government policy on mass transit.
Published in the Royal Gazette, the regulation covers fare rates, fare collection methods and categories of passengers exempted from paying fares on the MRT Purple Line.
It will take effect from July 3, 2026.
The regulation was issued under the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand Act 2000 and its amendments to update fare collection rules in accordance with the law and the state’s public transport policy.
Under the new rules, a “senior citizen” is defined as a Thai national aged over 60.
Eligible passengers will pay half the normal fare.
If the calculation results in a fraction of a baht, the amount will be rounded up to the next full baht, as stipulated in the regulation.
The measure is intended to ease living costs and encourage older people to make greater use of public transport.
Children no taller than 120 centimetres and people with disabilities who present a state-issued disability card before using the service will be exempt from fares.
The exemptions are part of a policy to promote equal access to public transport and reduce travel costs for vulnerable groups.
The regulation also allows the MRTA board to designate interchange stations and connecting routes between rail lines under the authority’s responsibility.
Passengers will receive a transfer discount under the principle of “charging the entry fare only once”, a move aimed at reducing public travel costs.
Where interchange stations have separate paid areas, the board will set the maximum time allowed for passengers to transfer between systems.
The MRTA board is also authorised to introduce fare products below normal rates, including monthly passes, ticket bundles and special-price tickets, to encourage wider use of electric rail services.
It may also approve temporary fare reductions or exemptions to support government policy or when necessary in the public interest.
The MRT Purple Line runs for about 23 kilometres on an elevated route with 16 stations, linking Nonthaburi and Bangkok from Khlong Bang Phai to Tao Poon, a key interchange with the wider rail network in Bangkok and surrounding provinces.
