Starting September 30, a 20-baht flat fare will be implemented on all electric train lines, with Thai passengers required to sign up through the Tang Rat application, as announced by Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
This initiative will enable Thai nationals to use any train line for just 20 baht per journey, regardless of the number of lines traversed.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Mr. Suriya explained that the Tang Rat app will function as a central processing unit to ensure equitable earnings across all train lines.
Registration begins in August, during which passengers must link their EMV (Europay, MasterCard, or Visa) contactless cards or existing transit cards such as Rabbit or MRT Plus.
The application will monitor travel paths to calculate fares, capping charges at 20 baht and enabling the government to offset any fare discrepancies.
Currently, passengers must use multiple cards for different lines due to the various card systems supported by each operator.
For instance, the BTS Skytrain accepts only Rabbit cards, while six other lines, including the Red, Blue, Purple, Pink, and Yellow Lines, accept EMV cards.
To finance this system sustainably, the government plans to set up a joint ticketing fund, supported by approximately eight billion baht annually from the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand’s (MRTA) surplus of 16 billion baht, along with additional national budget funds.
Amendments to the law will be made to allow the MRTA to use its reserves for this fund, with completion aimed for by September.
Additionally, the agency will renegotiate existing contracts with private operators of the Blue, Yellow, and Pink Lines to align with the 20-baht fare initiative.
The government’s long-term strategy includes repurchasing concessions from private operators of electric train lines within the next two years.
By the end of next year, the system is expected to support QR code payments through mobile phones, enhancing user convenience.
The flat fare program will be exclusive to Thai citizens, with foreign tourists and welfare cardholders required to pay regular fares.
