# Thailand public transport EV transition

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/thailand-public-transport-ev-transition
> Updated: 2026-09-01T19:42:40.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2.

Thailand’s Ministry of Transport has initiated a large-scale plan to transition approximately 640,000 public and service vehicles to electric vehicles (EV). Supported by a 24 billion baht budget, the initiative targets various sectors including taxis, e-hailing services, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, buses, and transport trucks to reduce oil dependency and carbon emissions.

While the initial ministry plan excluded the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) due to separate budget allocations, the BMTA has since announced its own specific deployment schedule. The authority intends to replace 1,520 traditional non-air-conditioned buses with electric models by 2027. This rollout will occur in phases, with the first 500 buses expected by March 2027 and the full fleet deployed by May 2027. The BMTA aims to begin service during the Songkran festival, utilizing 12 new charging depots to support the fleet across 50 major routes.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-01: BMTA to deploy 1,520 electric buses in Thailand by 2027

The BMTA plans to deploy 1,520 electric buses in Thailand by 2027, starting with 500 units in March to replace older models and reduce annual costs by 4.1 billion baht.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bmta-to-deploy-1520-electric-buses-in-thailand-by-2027

### 2026-08-27: Thailand Ministry of Transport targets EV transition for 640,000 public vehicles

Thailand's Ministry of Transport plans to convert 640,000 public and service vehicles to EVs, aiming to reduce oil use by 212 million liters annually and lower carbon emissions.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/thailand-ministry-of-transport-targets-ev-transition-for-640000-public-vehicles

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Cite as: Thailand public transport EV transition. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/thailand-public-transport-ev-transition