Bangkok has always been a city of contradictions: glass towers beside crumbling shophouses, high-speed rail hovering above traffic that hasn’t moved in half an hour. Yet one constant has been the BMTA’s ageing fleet of buses – often too hot, too loud and too old. Now, after years of half-promises and trial runs, change is finally on the horizon.
The BMTA has announced that 1,520 ageing, non-air-conditioned buses will be reincarnated as electric vehicles, part of a plan titled ‘Electric Bus (EV) to Improve Service Quality, Reduce Pollution, and Establish a New Standard.’ Titles aside, it’s a significant shift. The numbers tell the story: fuel costs down 70 percent, over B1.4 billion saved every year, and a cleaner commute for half a million daily passengers who have long accepted the city’s buses as both indispensable and unbearable.
The rollout won’t happen overnight. The wheezing non-aircon fleet will continue to circle the city until September 2026, when the first EV buses are expected to arrive. The government has also promised not to bump up the fare – keeping rides at B8 – to spare commuters an extra squeeze on their wallets.
For a city where public transport often feels like an afterthought, the shift matters. Bangkok isn’t short on infrastructure dreams, but most have a habit of unravelling in bureaucracy. This project, if it holds together, could set a new standard for daily travel in a city where the gap between the sleek BTS and the rickety bus has long been a metaphor for inequality.
The BMTA has already been tinkering with upgrades – GPS trackers linked to its app, electronic payment systems that spare passengers from fishing for coins while clinging to a railing. Still, the real test lies ahead. Can Bangkok’s buses become not just bearable but reliable, safe and maybe even something you wouldn’t mind waiting for?
If the promise delivers, it won’t just be about buses. It’ll be a small sign that Bangkok is capable of taking the air quality crisis, the cost of living squeeze and the dignity of everyday travel seriously. After decades of being left to rattle, the city’s commuters might finally be getting the ride they deserve.