Bangkokians are in for a treat as Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit confirms the roll out of its 20 baht per trip on eight Bangkok railway lines starting September 30.
In a The Nation report, the announcement was made Thursday, April 10, which confirms the new pricing scheme. In order to avail of the 20 baht fair, Thai citizens should register via the Thang Rath application, developed by the Digital Government Development Agency (DGDA) beginning August. “Registration is required to be eligible for the 20-baht flat fare on electric railways”, said the report.
As of present, the 20-baht flat fare has been applied to MRT Purple Line (Tao Poon to Khlong Bang Phai) and SRT Red Line (Bang Sue to Rangsit and Bang Sue to Taling Chan). The expansion of the 20-baht flat fare, which will start on September 30, will include BTS Green Line, BTS Gold Line, MRT Pink Line, MRT Blue Line and the Airport Rail Link system.
Again, only Thai nationals with valid Thai ID cards will be eligible for the scheme, once they register through the Thang Rath app.
In the first phase, commuters will need to register their Europay, Mastercard or Visa (EMV) card, their Rabbit card, or any, depending on the lines they frequent. Passengers will still be using the appropriate cards as per which train system they use.
Once they are registered, the Central Clearing House (CCH) system, which is under the DGDA, will identify the card usage and avoid charging a second fare if the commuter will be changing line systems. Again, this only happens once cards are successfully registered to the system.
In successive phases, the DGDA will now allow direct payment via bank applications. This means commuters will only have to scan the QR code without the need of their EMV or Rabbit card.
Suriya says that the government will be subsidising about 8 million baht annually to pay for the private operators in support of this program. Initial funding will come from the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTAT), which holds about 16 billion baht.