Saen Saep boat fares to rise

Fares for the Khlong Saen Saep boat service in Bangkok will go up by one baht from Jan 14, the ferry operator Krom Krua Khonsong announced on Monday.

Managing director Chaowalit Methayaprapas said fares for services between Wat Si Boonruang  and Phan Fa piers had been frozen for over 600 days, since 2020, as requested by the Marine Department of the Transport Ministry.

However, with the economic slump and the Covid-19 pandemic there were fewer  passengers and the company could no longer shoulder the operating cost.

Therefore, the fares – currently 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 baht depending on the distance –  will  from Jan 14 go up by one baht  – to 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 baht respectively.

Mr Chaowalit said only about 9,000 passengers were using the service each day along Saen Saep canal, down from about 40,000 per day before the pandemic.

The timetable will also be changed.

During rush hours – 5.30-9.30am and 4pm-8pm – the boats will depart at intervals of 5-6 minutes. For the rest of the day it will be every 20-25 minutes.

The last boat will leave Phan Fa pier at 8pm at one end and Pratunam pier at the other end at 8.30pm.