BANGKOK, THAILAND – Deputy Transport Minister Siriphong Angkasakunkiat has set a hard deadline for rail reforms, pushing for a 40-baht all-day ticket and opening state tracks to private operators by 2027.
Minister knallt Frist auf den Tisch
Siriphong Angkasakunkiat, Deputy Transport Minister, issued an unusually stern directive during a visit to the Rail Transport Authority (DRT).
“The money for 2026 must be spent, and on time. No project may stall.”
said Siriphong Angkasakunkiat, Deputy Transport Minister.
For 2027, he demanded plans that squeeze every baht. Private investors will be brought in through the PPP model, and the Thailand Future Fund (TFF) will also be tapped. The minister wants to avoid new debt – it is about the citizens’ money.
40 Baht fĂ¼r den ganzen Tag
The great hope for millions of passengers is a ticket worth about 40 baht, valid from morning to night. The minister is accelerating the timeline, because the introduction depends on a single administration for all lines. Only when that is in place can serious negotiations begin.
The problem: Two private companies hold the concessions, and their contracts expire at different times. The authority must bring each one to the table individually. Siriphong’s directive is clear:
“The fare must not crush the people and must not burst the state treasury.”
said Siriphong Angkasakunkiat, Deputy Transport Minister.
Private rollen bald auf Staatsgleisen
A completely new plan is in place: The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is to lease its tracks to companies. They would then run their own trains – for passengers and freight. The pilot project is approaching, with July 2026 eyed as the start.
For the minister, it goes beyond transport. He has ordered that stations become places for the people – with markets and meeting points right by the tracks. The state wants less bureaucracy, more digital control, and an end to dirty diesel-locomotive trains.
GroĂŸe Projekte vor dem Stopp?
Siriphong warned his staff:
“Rising prices could burst contracts.”
said Siriphong Angkasakunkiat, Deputy Transport Minister. The authority’s chief, Pichet Kunathammarak, must now accelerate auctions and gather signatures under high pressure. Double-track lines, high-speed trains – the entire masterplan is at stake.
A committee to lower the cost of living is to be presented to the cabinet as early as May. Added to that are dreams of clean electric locomotives and an end to fine dust – but the timetable for this future leaves no room for failures.
Der Countdown fĂ¼r dein Portemonnaie
Here, a government is racing against the clock so that the commute to work does not become a luxury. It is a question of whether the state can reconcile private profits and public duty. Every month of delay hits people who have to turn every baht three times.
Do you think the 40-baht fare will arrive on time by January 1, 2027 – or will it remain an empty election promise? Tell us where the shoe pinches in local transport – and what you expect from this policy.