Passenger transport in Thailand - statistics & facts

In Thailand, various modes of passenger transport are available, from buses, trains, boats, ferries, and car taxis to motorcycle taxis, tuk-tuks, and songthaew pickups or trucks with wooden benches for passenger seats. Although commuters have various options to travel around, Thailand’s passenger transport network is dense and compact instead of inclusive, especially in Bangkok. Commuters in the upcountry sometimes find it inconvenient to travel without private vehicles. Thus, the Thai transport authority has been pushing for a more organized transport system, expanding the network, and investing more in transport solutions. Since 2016, the Ministry of Transport’s budget expenditure had been increasing, with 2020 breaking this trend, which can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The dense public transportation network in Bangkok

With a population of more than ten million, Bangkok has an extensive public transportation network. Bangkok residents enjoy the convenience of a variety of public transport options, especially in the city center. As of March 2022, approximately three thousand public buses are operating under the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority in Bangkok and its suburban provinces. However, to avoid delays caused by road congestion, many commuters opt for sky trains and subways, or even boats and ferries to cross to the other side of the city. As for the number of BTS sky train commuters, it registered at around 74 million passengers in 2022. Unsurprisingly, these numbers drastically decreased over the past two years due to COVID-19 measures such as curfews. The numbers are expected to rise again, after the government lifted these measures and international tourism is returning to Thailand’s capital in 2023.

Ride-hailing in Thailand

Apart from the conventional modes of public transport, ride-hailing options are also available in Thailand. Nonetheless, ride-hailing is still a nascent segment in public transportation in the kingdom. This service is still unable to compete with established registered taxis, which provide round-the-clock service due to their larger fleet sizes. While Grab is the most used ride-hailing app in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Estonian ride-hailer Bolt joined the market in Thailand in mid-2020. Bolt quickly established a reputation for lower prices by offering zero driver commission for the first six months and setting lower fares. Another newcomer to the ride-hailing market in Thailand is inDrive. Compared to Grab, it only operates in Bangkok and selected tourist areas in the country but offers a unique feature, allowing customers to negotiate their fair in the app. Nevertheless, InDrive still has a small market share and needs to compete against Thailand’s two biggest market players, Grab and Bolt.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Dec 20, 2023

Key insights

Budget expenditure of Ministry of Transport in Thailand
180.3bn THB
Share of registered private motorcycles in Thailand
52.66%
Ride-hailing operator with the highest market share in Thailand
Grab
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of new registrations of private cars in Bangkok in Thailand from 2013 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Passenger Cars

New registrations of private cars Bangkok Thailand 2013-2023

Number of daily Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) passengers in Bangkok and its perimeter in Thailand from 2021 to September 2023 (in 1,000s)

Public Transportation & Mobility Services

Number of daily BTS's commuters in Bangkok Thailand 2021-2023

Share of registered passenger vehicles in Thailand in 2023, by category

Passenger Cars

Share of registered passenger vehicles Thailand 2023, by category

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Overview

4

Overview

Private vehicles

4

Private vehicles

Bus

6

Bus

Railway

5

Railway

Water transport

6

Water transport

Taxi

3

Taxi

Ride-hailing

3

Ride-hailing

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