Thailand plans to increase public transport use in Bangkok by 2047

The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) has unveiled an integrated development plan for public transportation in Bangkok and its surrounding metropolitan areas. The initiative aims to increase the proportion of public transport usage from the current 18% to 28% by 2047, with Bangkok specifically targeting a rise to 37%.

A key objective of the plan is to boost daily electric train ridership from 1.55 million trips to 4.5 million trips. To achieve this, the OTP is focusing on three development phases between 2027 and 2037, emphasizing improved accessibility, seamless connectivity between rail, bus, and water transport, and the expansion of feeder systems to reach more communities.

Proposed measures include the implementation of a common ticketing system, which is expected to increase electric train usage by approximately 20%. The plan also explores studying congestion charges for private vehicles to subsidize public transit fares and upgrading pedestrian skywalks at seven critical locations to improve the first-and-last-mile experience.