The mass rapid transit system in Bangkok is complex and consists of several separate metro systems with different tickets that can be used for the journey. To get an idea about the best way to pay for traveling on public transportation, explore the Bangkok MRT ticket options with single journey tickets, various cards, ticket prices, and the process of purchasing Bangkok metro tickets.
Bangkok Metro Ticket Types
The Bangkok mass rapid transit system is reliable and relatively easy to use. However, Bangkok metro lines have no unified ticketing system, so you need to buy a new ticket when transferring between the lines operated by different companies. There are several types of Bangkok metro tickets that can be used for traveling on different lines:
- Single Journey Ticket.
- Rabbit Card.
- MRT Card / MRT Plus Card.
- MRT EMV Card.
- Mangmoom EMV Card.
- Airport Rail Link Card.
- SRT Red Line Card.
- BTS One-Day Pass.
- EMV Contactless Card.
1. Single Journey Ticket
The most popular way to pay for a ride in Bangkok is purchasing a single journey ticket. These tickets can be purchased at ticket-vending machines or at the ticket counter of the metro station. Depending on the operator, single journey tickets come as a token or as a thin plastic card.
Tokens are used on the following Bangkok metro lines:
MRT Blue Line & MRT Purple Line (the same token is used when transferring between the lines)
SRT Red Line (the same token is for SRT Dark Red Line and SRT Light Red Line)
Thin plastic cards as tickets are used on the following Bangkok SkyTrain lines:
BTS Green Line (the same card for BTS Sukhumvit Line and BTS Silom Line)
After the latest update, it is now possible to buy one ticket when transferring between the BTS Green Line, the MRT Yellow Line, and the MRT Pink Line. However, the fare is calculated for each line separately and the ticket costs the same as separate tickets.
The price of a single journey ticket varies by the line and the distance traveled. Detailed information about ticket prices can be found here: Bangkok MRT Fare.
Pay attention that single journey tickets are valid for travel on the date of purchase only!
2. Rabbit Card
To make traveling easier, it is also possible to get a prepaid card that can be topped up and used for tapping in and out at the station. The Rabbit Card is the most popular Bangkok metro card, as it can be used as a ticket on the most popular SkyTrain lines and also for getting special deals at a wide range of shops and restaurants around Bangkok.
Bangkok metro lines that accept Rabbit Card as a ticket are the following:
The Rabbit Card can be used not only for both BTS Green lines, MRT Yellow and Pink lines, and the Gold Line, but also for the Chao Phraya Express Boat.
The price of the Rabbit Card is 200 THB, including 100 THB card issuance fee and 100 THB initial value that can be used for the rides.
Rabbit cards can be bought at the ticket office of any BTS, MRT Yellow Line or MRT Pink Line station. You can book a Rabbit Card online and conveniently pick it up at the airport on arrival.
3. MRT Card / MRT Plus Card
At the ticket office of the MRT Blue Line, you can buy a stored value MRT Card - a contactless smart card used for multiple journeys and can be topped up by value or trips to pay for fare.
The MRT Plus Card is a similar smart card, issued on the MRT Purple Line system.
Both these smart cards can be used for multiple rides on the MRT Blue Line and Purple Line only.
The price of MRT Card and MRT Plus Card is 180 THB, including 100 THB travelling value, 50 THB deposit at 50 Baht, and 30 THB issuance fee.
4. MRT EMV Card
Recently, they have started issuing the new MRT EMV Card, which is a Prepaid Card type of the Europay Mastercard and Visa standard card that has contactless payment logo on the front or the back of card. The card is used for multiple journeys and can be topped up by value to pay for fare.
As the new card is EMV, it can be used not only on the MRT Blue Line and Purple Line, but also on other Bangkok metro lines that accept EMV contactless cards:
The price of MRT EMV Card is 250 THB, including 100 THB initial top-up value and 150 THB issuance fee.
5. Mangmoom EMV Card
The Mangmoom EMV Card is a new contactless fare card developed by Krungthai Bank and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA). The card can be purchased at all MRT Purple Line ticket office, as it is an upgrade to the old MRT Plus Card.
The users of Mangmoom EMV Card can pay fares on all MRT lines (Blue, Purple, Pink, and Yellow), SRT Red Line and the Airport Rail Link. The card can also be used for retail purchases in stores that accept EMV contactless payments.
The standard price of Mangmoom EMV Card, when it is issued at the MRT station, is 250 THB, including 100 THB initial top-up value and 150 THB issuance fee.
The card issued via Paotang Pay on the Paotang app is cheaper as you only need to pay 50 THB card issuance fee and 42 THB card delivery fee. However, the card comes with no initial top-up value.
6. Airport Rail Link Stored Value Card
At the Airport Rail Link, it is also possible to purchase a Stored Value Card (Smart Pass) - a smart card that can be topped up for multiple rides.
Stored Value Card can be bought and topped at any Airport Rail Link Station Ticket Office. The card can also be topped up using the ticket vending machine.
However, this card can only be used on the Airport Rail Link.
7. SRT Red Line Stored Value Ticket Card
The Bangkok SRT Red Line also has its own Stored Value Ticket Card (SVT Card) - a smart card that can be topped up to be used for multiple rides on both, the SRT Dark Red Line and the SRT Light Red Line.
The price of the Stored Value Ticket Card is 300 THB. The initial card selling price consists of a 200 THB value stored on the card, a 50 THB deposit, and a 50 THB card issuance fee. The stored value can be used for paying the fare depending on the distance. The card can later be topped up at the station by using an Add Value Machine.
8. BTS One-Day Pass
On the days when you are planning to travel by BTS SkyTrain a lot, you can get the BTS SkyTrain One-Day Pass that will allow you to use the BTS Green Line all day long for a fixed price.
The day pass is valid on the Sukhumvit Line and the Silom Line only.
The standard price of the BTS One-Day Pass is 150 THB per day. Discounts are often offered for online bookings.
9. EMV Contactless Card
Another option that can be used as a Bangkok MRT ticket card is the EMV contactless card of VISA or Mastercard. EMV stands for "Europay Mastercard and Visa", which has a contactless payment logo on the front or the back of the card.
EMV contactless cards (credit cards or debit cards that have the contactless payment symbol) can be used to pay for Bangkok MRT fare if they are the following:
- Credit cards from all banks, both Thai and foreign, issued under VISA or Mastercard
- Debit cards from all foreign banks issued under VISA or Mastercard
- Debit/prepaid cards of specific Thai banks, issued under VISA or Mastercard
While most of such cards should work on the system, some cards might not be accepted. We've been successfully using our Wise Card to pay Bangkok MRT fare as it is much cheaper than using the card issued by the bank in Europe due to the mid-market THB exchange rate used on transactions.
The EMV contactless card is accepted as a ticket on the following Bangkok metro lines:
Airport Rail Link (introduced in October 2025)
The EMV contactless card can't be used on the BTS Green Line (Sukhumvit Line and Silom Line) and the BTS Gold Line.
Where to buy Bangkok MRT ticket?
There are few ways to buy a Bangkok MRT or BTS ticket, but the most common way is using ticket-issuing machines. The exact machines used for issuing tickets vary by the line but are quite similar (see below).
You will need cash to make a payment, as credit/debit cards are not accepted.
Most of the ticketing machines accept 1, 2, 5, or 10 Baht coins (satangs are not accepted) and 20, 50, or 100 Baht banknotes (larger banknotes are not accepted).
On some of the machines, making a payment by QR code is also an option for travelers who have a Thai bank account and mobile banking application. However, such an option is quite rare and mainly available at the BTS.
While most of the machines now are capable of taking payments by banknotes, you might still find older ones that accept coins only. To get a ticket from these coin-only machines, you need 1, 2, 5, or 10 Baht coins (satangs are not accepted). Some of them might also not accept 2 Baht coins.
In case you don’t have enough coins or find using the ticket vending machine too complicate, you can also buy tickets at the MRT or BTS Station Ticket Office. Just tell the name of your destination and hand the money to the cashier. Just like the machines, ticket offices accept cash only!
How to use Bangkok MRT ticket?
When you get your Bangkok MRT ticket (card or token), proceed to the metallic gates. Green arrow signs indicate entry points - you need to choose one of them.
Touch your ticket at the marked spot on top of the metallic part of the gates and wait for the gate to open. Take your ticket and quickly walk through as the gates stay open for just a couple of seconds.
Keep your ticket with you, as at the exit you will have to insert it into the slot of the metallic gate.
If you are using one of the smart cards with topped-up value, at the exit you just need to tap the card at the dedicated place on top of the gate.
In case you are using the EMV contactless card as your ticket, make sure at the exit to tap out with the same card you tapped in.
Tips
To save time that you normally would waste at ticket vending machines, consider getting a BTS SkyTrain Rabbit Card that can be topped up instead of buying single journey tickets each time. It can be used on the BTS Green Line, the MRT Yellow Line, the MRT Pink Line, the Gold Line, and even on the Chao Phraya Express Boat, which is a fun and cheap way to explore Bangkok Riverside.
To save money on the days when you are planning to travel by BTS a lot, get the BTS SkyTrain One-Day Pass that will allow you to use the BTS Green Line all day long for a fixed price.
To make the most of your visit, get familiar with all metro lines in Bangkok.
