At 12:45 p.m. on June 17 at Government House, Mr. Anukool Pruksanusak, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the Cabinet had approved a proposal from the Ministry of Transport as follows:

  1. Approval was granted to revise the Cabinet's April 9, 2013 resolution that had authorized the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) to purchase 3,183 natural gas (NGV) buses to replace existing diesel buses at a budget of 13.16 billion baht. This plan has been updated to a project for leasing 1,520 clean-energy electric buses (EVs) over seven years, ready for implementation, with a total investment of 15.36 billion baht. BMTA will manage the project, funded through the fiscal budgets from 2025 to 2032.
  2. Approval was granted for BMTA to proceed with the 7-year EV bus leasing project of 1,520 buses, with a total budget of 15.36 billion baht. The Ministry of Transport has instructed BMTA to consider inputs from the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), the Budget Bureau, and the Ministry of Finance for further implementation.

Mr. Anukool stated that the EV bus leasing project includes the following key details:

  • Total budget: 15.36 billion baht, covering vehicle rental (10.13 billion), maintenance (3.24 billion), and charging station rental (967.4 million). Of this, 368.4 million baht is covered under the 2025 budget, with the remaining 14.99 billion baht allocated from 2026 to 2031.
  • Project duration: 7 years.
  • Projected revenue: 52.65 billion baht from fare collection and advertising.
  • Projected expenses: 32.8 billion baht for bus leasing, charging station rental, and parking/charging area rentals.
  • The project is expected to generate a net profit of 19.86 billion baht over its duration.