MRT Transitions to EMV System June 1, 2026

Prachachat•General•11h ago

Reader Briefing

Bangkok's MRT to fully adopt EMV contactless ticketing on June 1, 2026, replacing older card systems.

•The MRT Blue and Purple lines are switching to a full EMV contactless ticketing system.
•The transition marks the complete adoption of the EMV contactless system as the primary method for fares.
•Users can currently exchange old MRT and MRT Plus cards for EMV cards with no fee, and old cards will be phased out entirely by December 31, 2027.

Overview

•On June 1, 2026, the MRT will officially transition to the EMV contactless ticketing system as the primary fare method.
•From March 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026, passengers can refund remaining balances from old MRT and MRT Plus cards and switch to EMV cards without a fee.
•Starting April 1, 2026, topping up old MRT and MRT Plus cards will cease across all channels.
•Between January 1, 2027, and the end of December 2027, single-journey tokens are expected to be phased out in favor of QR Tickets.
•December 31, 2027, is the final day for passengers to claim refunds from old MRT and MRT Plus cards.
•The MRTA (EGAT) has observed a significant increase in user confidence and adoption of EMV Contactless cards.
•The MRTA is collaborating with BEM to upgrade the automatic fare collection system to Account Based Ticketing (ABT) to fully support EMV Contactless.
•The ABT system stores travel history on a server, allowing users to check transactions via website or app, unlike the card-based CBT system.

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Source: Prachachat (Original)

Key Quotes

Kajaphol Udomthapakdee

"EGAT has tracked and assessed statistical data and found that MRT electric train service users have increasing confidence and are choosing EMV Contactless standard cards by leaps and bounds, which is a very good sign."

รฟม. ได้ติดตามประเมินข้อมูลสถิติ พบว่า ผู้ใช้บริการรถไฟฟ้า MRT มีความเชื่อมั่นและเลือกใช้บัตรมาตรฐาน EMV Contactless เพิ่มขึ้นอย่างก้าวกระโดด ซึ่งเป็นสัญญาณที่ดีอย่างมาก

Key Entities

Place

MRT Blue and Purple Lines(รถไฟฟ้า MRT สายสีน้ำเงิน และสายสีม่วง)

The specific MRT lines in Bangkok transitioning to a new ticketing system.

Policy

EMV Contactless System(ระบบ EMV Contactless)

The new standard for contactless fare payment being fully adopted by the MRT.

Account Based Ticketing (ABT)

The new fare collection system that stores travel data on a server, supporting EMV Contactless.

Card-based Ticketing (CBT)

The older ticketing system where data is stored only on the card.

Person

Kajaphol Udomthapakdee(นายกาจผจญ อุดมธรรมภักดี)

Governor of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA).

Organization

Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA)(การรถไฟฟ้าขนส่งมวลชนแห่งประเทศไทย (รฟม.))

The government agency overseeing and implementing the ticketing system upgrade for the MRT.

BEM

The operator collaborating with MRTA on the AFC Migration Plan and the transition to Account Based Ticketing.

Law

Spider Card EMV(บัตรแมงมุม EMV)

The new EMV-compatible fare card that users can exchange their old cards for.

MRT Plus

An older type of MRT fare card that is being phased out.