Bangkok is not known as a cycling city, but its shared bikes have just had a remarkable month. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), which runs the capital, says its bike-sharing scheme recorded 171,492 trips in October 2026, more than 64,000 up on September's roughly 107,000, a rise of about 60% in a single month.
The figures were released on 4 November by Aekvarunyoo Amrapala, an adviser to the Bangkok governor, through the BMA's public relations office, and were reported by Thai PBS, Thai PBS World, Post Today and Prachachat. When the scheme started in January 2024, it was logging about 1,700 trips a month.
What is driving the jump
City Hall credits a trend locals call Night Ride: evening bike tours of the old town on Rattanakosin Island, the historic district around the Grand Palace and the Giant Swing, where the temples and city walls are lit up after dark. The rides have spread on social media, especially among Gen Z, and the BMA says students and tourists are also big users. Rides are unlocked through an app and start at around 10 to 20 baht.
The BMA named its five busiest docks as MRT Sanam Chai, Bangkok City Hall by the Giant Swing, MRT Sam Yot, Suankularb Wittayalai School and Debsirin School. In other words, most of the action is in the old town and close to MRT stations, which fits the city's pitch for bikes as a way to cover the first and last kilometre of a journey.
How big the network is
There are now more than 719 docks in 35 of Bangkok's 50 districts, the BMA says, from Phra Nakhon, Samphanthawong and Dusit to business areas such as Pathum Wan, Sathorn and Khlong Toei, and university areas including Thung Khru and Lat Krabang. The operators Hello Ride and Anywheel are adding bikes and restocking busy docks more often. The city's Greener Bangkok website also lists geco among the bike-sharing apps.
For people who ride their own bikes, the BMA plans 850 more bicycle racks on top of the existing 4,888, taking the total past 5,500 with space for more than 48,000 bikes, and wants to turn spaces under footbridges and near transit stations into safe parking. Its long-term target is one million shared-bike trips.
If you want to try it
Download one of the operators' apps, register with a phone number and payment card, then scan the QR code on a bike to unlock it. City Hall's rules are simple: one rider per bike, a combined load of no more than 100 kg, no passengers on the rack or front basket, and always return the bike to a designated dock without blocking the pavement. Bangkok roads remain busy at night, so lights and care at junctions are worth the effort.