Thailand Launches “Khon La Khrueng Plus” Transport-Focused Co-Payment Scheme with Millions Participating on Day One
New government initiative allows Thai citizens to use half-cost subsidies on public transit via the “Pao Tang” app starting October 29, 2025
The Thai government officially launched its expanded co-payment programme, known as “Khon La Khrueng Plus”, on October twenty-ninth, 2025, marking the first day in which eligible citizens could exercise travel benefits across public transportation.
The scheme—accessible via the “Pao Tang” mobile application—was met with strong nationwide participation, especially in the uptake of electric-trains, buses, boats and inter-provincial coach services.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, confirmed that the Ministry of Transport has fully implemented this phase of the government’s policy to reduce living costs and boost purchasing power.
He emphasised that the programme is a significant measure to support the grassroots economy and to dovetail with the country’s efforts to develop its transport system.
Under the scheme, eligible travel modes include urban electric-train lines such as the Blue, Purple, Pink, Yellow, Green (including extensions), Red Line, Airport Rail Link and Gold Line; water transport like the Chao Phraya Express Boat and electric boats within Bangkok; bus services from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMTA), Bor.Kor.Sor.
buses and privately-operated coaches authorised by the Department of Land Transport; and participating private coach companies including Nakhonchai Air, Piya Rungrueng Tour, Sri Suthep Tour, Rayong Tour, Nex Express and Sawaeng Transport Services 2499, with further operators pending approval.
Specific conditions apply to use of the subsidy for electric-train fares: only single-journey tickets are eligible; payment must be made via the Pao Tang app by scanning the merchant’s Tung Ngern QR code; the daily cap for subsidy use is 200 baht per person; and rights can be exercised between 06:00 and 23:00 hours.
The subsidy cannot be used to top up or add rides on Rabbit Cards—ticketing staff must issue a separate single-journey ticket for use under the programme.
On the first morning of the scheme’s activation, the Ministry of Finance reported a high level of uptake.
By 8:00 a.m., roughly two hours after the programme began, about 470,000 people had made payments via QR scan, generating spending of approximately 84 million baht.
The regional breakdown showed the Northeast (Isan) region accounting for 21 per cent of usage, followed by the South at 15 per cent, Bangkok and its metropolitan area at 14 per cent, the Central region at 13 per cent, the North and East each at 10 per cent, and the West at 4 per cent.
By midday (12:30 p.m.), the programme had recorded over 2.49 million individual payments, with total spending exceeding 501.11 million baht.
Of that amount, 252.40 million baht came from the public portion of payments and 248.71 million baht from the government’s matched share.
In terms of merchant readiness, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance noted that 133,000 stores were live and prepared to accept scheme payments on day one, out of a total of 638,000 registered nationwide.
Among these, approximately 300,000 are food and beverage vendors, 148,000 are Blue Flag Pracharath shops, with the remainder comprising other categories of business.
Registration for additional merchants remains open until December nineteenth, 2025, and the state-run Krungthai Bank will provide weekend outreach support for merchants encountering difficulties with the application process.
Looking ahead, Phase 2 of the Khon La Khrueng Plus scheme is already in planning.
The Ministry of Finance is reviewing criteria and will introduce new features aimed at higher engagement from both the public and participating merchants.
The travel-benefit window for the programme runs from October 29 to December 31, 2025, between 06:00 and 23:00 daily.
Usage is via the G-Wallet function in the Pao Tang app, and participants are not required to spend their full daily entitlement of 200 baht.
The launch marks a major step in Thailand’s ongoing efforts to stimulate consumer purchasing power and support its transport-and-retail ecosystem at the grassroots level.
The scheme—accessible via the “Pao Tang” mobile application—was met with strong nationwide participation, especially in the uptake of electric-trains, buses, boats and inter-provincial coach services.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, confirmed that the Ministry of Transport has fully implemented this phase of the government’s policy to reduce living costs and boost purchasing power.
He emphasised that the programme is a significant measure to support the grassroots economy and to dovetail with the country’s efforts to develop its transport system.
Under the scheme, eligible travel modes include urban electric-train lines such as the Blue, Purple, Pink, Yellow, Green (including extensions), Red Line, Airport Rail Link and Gold Line; water transport like the Chao Phraya Express Boat and electric boats within Bangkok; bus services from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMTA), Bor.Kor.Sor.
buses and privately-operated coaches authorised by the Department of Land Transport; and participating private coach companies including Nakhonchai Air, Piya Rungrueng Tour, Sri Suthep Tour, Rayong Tour, Nex Express and Sawaeng Transport Services 2499, with further operators pending approval.
Specific conditions apply to use of the subsidy for electric-train fares: only single-journey tickets are eligible; payment must be made via the Pao Tang app by scanning the merchant’s Tung Ngern QR code; the daily cap for subsidy use is 200 baht per person; and rights can be exercised between 06:00 and 23:00 hours.
The subsidy cannot be used to top up or add rides on Rabbit Cards—ticketing staff must issue a separate single-journey ticket for use under the programme.
On the first morning of the scheme’s activation, the Ministry of Finance reported a high level of uptake.
By 8:00 a.m., roughly two hours after the programme began, about 470,000 people had made payments via QR scan, generating spending of approximately 84 million baht.
The regional breakdown showed the Northeast (Isan) region accounting for 21 per cent of usage, followed by the South at 15 per cent, Bangkok and its metropolitan area at 14 per cent, the Central region at 13 per cent, the North and East each at 10 per cent, and the West at 4 per cent.
By midday (12:30 p.m.), the programme had recorded over 2.49 million individual payments, with total spending exceeding 501.11 million baht.
Of that amount, 252.40 million baht came from the public portion of payments and 248.71 million baht from the government’s matched share.
In terms of merchant readiness, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance noted that 133,000 stores were live and prepared to accept scheme payments on day one, out of a total of 638,000 registered nationwide.
Among these, approximately 300,000 are food and beverage vendors, 148,000 are Blue Flag Pracharath shops, with the remainder comprising other categories of business.
Registration for additional merchants remains open until December nineteenth, 2025, and the state-run Krungthai Bank will provide weekend outreach support for merchants encountering difficulties with the application process.
Looking ahead, Phase 2 of the Khon La Khrueng Plus scheme is already in planning.
The Ministry of Finance is reviewing criteria and will introduce new features aimed at higher engagement from both the public and participating merchants.
The travel-benefit window for the programme runs from October 29 to December 31, 2025, between 06:00 and 23:00 daily.
Usage is via the G-Wallet function in the Pao Tang app, and participants are not required to spend their full daily entitlement of 200 baht.
The launch marks a major step in Thailand’s ongoing efforts to stimulate consumer purchasing power and support its transport-and-retail ecosystem at the grassroots level.
