The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) reduced the advance ticket sales period from 180 days to 90 days today, April 24, to improve seat management and reduce unused bookings.
The SRT announced the adjustment on its official Facebook page today, April 24, saying the revised booking period is intended to make seat reservations more efficient and better reflect current passenger travel behaviour.
The agency said it had monitored and analysed reservation data through its D-Ticket booking system. It found that many passengers changed travel plans or cancelled tickets at higher rates when bookings were made far in advance.
The SRT said long advance bookings sometimes caused seats to be reserved but not used. This affected other passengers who needed to travel but could not secure seats.
Under the revised rules, passengers can book tickets up to 90 days before travelling in commercial rapid, express and special express trains. The advance booking period will depend on the distance of each route.
The SRT said the change would improve service efficiency, expand access to rail services, and support fairer seat allocation for passengers.
The railway agency recently added a special route between Don Mueang in Bangkok and Ayutthaya with fares priced between 30 and 50 baht. The SRT said the weekday service offers another option for passengers from Monday to Friday.
The route uses KIHA 40 and KIHA 48 diesel trains provided by Japan. The feeder service is being trialled from April 20 to October 31 before an official launch.
In a related development, train passenger numbers reportedly increased during the recent Songkran holiday. Rising fuel prices and fuel shortage concerns were cited as key reasons for more people choosing rail travel.
Some Thai travellers used public transport instead of driving private cars to their home provinces to reduce costs. Others were concerned about whether they would be able to refuel during long journeys.
Channel 3 reported that travel from Bangkok to Khon Kaen by air-conditioned train costs about 357 baht. A trip by private car on the same route could cost between 2,000 and 3,000 baht, and trains on the route were reportedly fully booked during Songkran.
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