The Transport Ministry will today (Tuesday) seek cabinet approval in principle for a plan to place Bangkok's electric rail network under a single management model overseen by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA).
The move would pave the way for a common ticketing system and a 40-baht integrated fare across the network from Jan 1, 2027.
Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said on Monday the ministry would ask the cabinet to endorse a framework to transfer management rights for all rail transit lines to the MRTA under a "single ownership" model aimed at centralising oversight and supporting the government's common ticket policy.
The ministry is currently examining how management rights and operational authority for some projects, including rail lines overseen by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), could be transferred to the MRTA to enable network-wide management.
"This will be the starting point for setting a common fare structure across the electric rail system," Mr Siripong said, adding that cabinet approval in principle is needed to establish a framework for cooperation among relevant agencies.
A Transport Ministry source said that if the cabinet approves the proposal in principle, negotiations would begin with private concessionaires and the BMA to transfer operating rights to the MRTA.
The ministry insists the plan would not require state budget spending or increase public debt, as it would involve restructuring concession agreements, with the MRTA replacing the BMA or other agencies as the contracting authority.
The restructuring would also shift concession terms from a public-private partnership net cost model to a PPP gross cost model, under which private firms would be hired to operate services rather than collect fare revenue directly. Officials say the unified model is key to launching the long-delayed common ticketing system.
