On May 20, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit announced that the Cabinet had approved a draft amendment to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) Act. The revised bill will now proceed to the House of Representatives for deliberation in three readings, expected to be completed by September 2025.
Suriya explained that the implementation of the 20-baht flat fare policy must align with a revised version of the Common Ticketing System Act, which currently limits the Common Ticketing Fund to only receive donations and prohibits it from borrowing. Therefore, the MRTA Act must also be amended to allow the fund to take out loans. This revision is currently under consideration in the second reading phase.
The Ministry of Transport is pushing for the synchronized approval of both acts to ensure the smooth implementation of the 20-baht fare policy as planned.
Previously, the MRTA had proposed using its accumulated profits from operating metro lines to support the policy. However, the Ministry of Finance rejected this proposal, as current regulations require all MRTA revenues to be remitted to the treasury. As a result, MRTA's reserves of 15–16 billion baht must be sent to the state before being reallocated through the national budgeting process.
Under the new mechanism, once MRTA remits its funds to the Ministry of Finance, the money can be loaned to the Common Ticketing Fund. This loan would not be recorded as MRTA debt.
Suriya also mentioned that the Ministry of Finance is expediting efforts to launch a Congestion Charge Fund, which will be used to finance the buyback of metro lines. Once in place, this would eliminate the need for MRTA subsidies.