Bangkok's 20 Baht Flat Fare Does Not Apply to Tourists. Here Is What You Pay

Thailand launched a 20 baht flat fare across Bangkok's electric rail network. Headlines went everywhere. Travel forums filled with people planning cheap days out.

Tourists do not get it.

The short version

  • The 20 baht cap started 30 September 2025 across eight Bangkok-area lines.
  • To get it you register in the Tang Rat app, and registration verifies Thai nationality.
  • Unregistered riders pay standard fares. That means visitors pay 17 to 65 baht as before.
  • BTS and MRT are different companies. No transfer discount, and a Rabbit Card does not work on the MRT.
  • For a short trip, skip the stored-value card and buy single journeys.

What the fare cap actually is

The policy covers eight lines in and around Bangkok. Riders link an EMV contactless card or a registered Rabbit Card through the Tang Rat app, and the app checks Thai nationality during sign-up.

People who do not register still travel. They just pay the normal fare.

So the honest version for a visitor is this: the cap exists, it is real, and it is not for you. Budget for the standard fares.

What you will actually pay, September 2026

LineFareCardNotes
BTS Sukhumvit and Silom17-65 bahtRabbit CardThe two lines tourists use most
BTS Gold Line15 baht flatRabbit CardShort line to ICONSIAM
MRT Blue Line17-45 bahtMRT card or tokenRabbit Card does not work
MRT Purple Line14-42 bahtMRT card or tokenOuter suburbs
Rabbit Card to start200 baht100 issue + 100 storedIssue fee is not refundable
Top up100 baht minimum4,000 baht max balance
Operating hours05:15 to 24:00Midnight is the last train
Rush hour07-09 and 17-19Do not do this with luggage

The mistake almost everyone makes

BTS and MRT are run by two different companies. Separate tickets, separate cards, and no transfer discount between them.

Get off a BTS train, walk to an MRT platform, and you pay from zero again. If you are used to a city where one card covers everything, this will quietly cost you.

When you plan a route, a slightly longer trip that stays on one operator can come out cheaper than the direct one that switches.

A full, current network map is worth having on your phone. bangkoktransitmap.com keeps an up-to-date Bangkok transit map with every line on it, and it is the cleanest one I have found.


Should you buy a card

Three or four days in Bangkok: no. The Rabbit Card costs 200 baht to start, 100 of which is a non-refundable issue fee. You will not ride enough to earn that back.

A week or more, or daily commuting: yes. It saves queueing more than it saves money.

Either way the card only covers BTS. The MRT needs its own token or card.

Practical bits

Trains run from 05:15 to midnight. Weekday rush hours are 07:00 to 09:00 and 17:00 to 19:00, and they are genuinely packed.

No food or drink on board. Not even water.

Air conditioning is aggressive. Carry a light layer regardless of the season.

Some single-journey machines take coins only. If you only have notes, change them at the booth first.

Station names are signed in English and Thai, and announcements are in English. Navigating is the easy part.


Fares and policy as published in September 2026. Thai transit fare policy is changing frequently. Check current rules before you travel.

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