Thailand by numbers: what Bangkok's 40-baht Red and Purple line day cap did to ridership, and will it last past 30 November?

Since 1 December 2025, a day of unlimited rides on Bangkok's Purple Line and the SRT Red Line suburban railway has cost no more than 40 baht for a standard adult paying by contactless card. Government figures released on 25 October 2026 show contactless journeys on the two lines have more than doubled since the cap began. The catch is the date: the measure is due to end on 30 November 2026.

So did it work, will it be extended, and can you use it if you are not Thai? Here is what the official numbers and notices actually say.

Thailand by numbers: the 40-baht day cap

Two things the numbers tell us

• Revenue rose faster than ridership. On both lines, average daily fare revenue from contactless cards grew more than twice as fast as contactless journeys, so the cap has not simply given rides away.
• The Purple Line carries most of the gain. Of the 37,113 average daily contactless journeys, 27,653 were on the Purple Line, almost three in every four.

How the cap works

According to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), the cap applies to the MRT Purple Line and the SRT Red Line suburban services, the Nakhon Withi line from Krung Thep Aphiwat to Taling Chan and the Thani Ratthaya line from Krung Thep Aphiwat to Rangsit. You pay the normal fare at the gate with the same card all day, and anything above 40 baht is refunded to that card within three working days. Students pay a maximum of 30 baht a day. If your day's fares come to less than the cap, you simply pay the actual fare.

• Eligible cards: the MANGMOOM EMV card, the MRT EMV card, or a bank credit or debit card with contactless (EMV) payment.
• Use the same card for every tap in and tap out that day. Journeys with incomplete tap data lose the cap for that day, according to the Purple Line operator's FAQ.
• Elderly, disabled, child and state welfare card discounts continue under their existing rules.

Will it last past 30 November?

On 25 October the Prime Minister's Office said the committee that oversees rail fare policy had considered extending the cap to 31 December 2027, and that the Ministry of Transport would put the proposal to the Cabinet. As of the morning of 1 November 2026, MEM had not found a published Cabinet resolution approving the extension, so treat 30 November as the end date until one appears.

Separately, the ministry is preparing a wider scheme, targeted to start on 1 January 2027, that would limit fares across Bangkok's rail lines to between 17 and 45 baht a journey. Under that plan, passengers pay the normal fare and the difference is refunded later through the Paotang app to Thai citizens who register, so it is designed for Thai nationals.

Can foreigners use the 40-baht cap?

The MRTA's announcement of the cap lists bank contactless credit and debit cards among the eligible cards and does not mention a nationality condition. The MRTA's card FAQ also says foreigners cannot yet register a MANGMOOM card, because registration runs through the Paotang app, which is for Thai nationals only, but can pay with Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay credit cards, or Visa or Mastercard debit cards from six named Thai banks.

What it means if you live along the lines

• A commute from Nonthaburi or Rangsit into Bang Sue that would cost more than 40 baht a day in normal fares is where the cap saves the most.
• If you change onto the Blue Line, BTS or Airport Rail Link, those fares are not covered by the 40-baht cap.
• Watch for a Cabinet decision before 30 November. MEM will update this page if the extension is approved.