TRAT — The state-run Transport Co (Bor Kor Sor) will discontinue its Trat-Bangkok bus service at the end of this month, bringing 67 years of operations on the route to a close and raising concerns among residents, particularly elderly passengers and low-income commuters.
The final trip from Mor Chit Terminal is scheduled for July 31.
Nonglak Moonsan, a ticketing officer at the Trat Bus Terminal, said the company operates daily, with one ride departing from Bangkok's Mor Chit Terminal at 7.30am and another departing from Trat for Mor Chit at 9.30am.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the late-night departure at 10.30pm was suspended and never resumed.
Ms Nonglak said the route had become financially unsustainable due to declining passenger numbers. The service currently carries around 10 passengers from Mor Chit on an average, with another four or five boarding at Saen Tung, while operating costs remain around 5,000 baht per trip.
The closure is expected to affect elderly passengers, particularly state welfare card holders, who receive discounted fares, as well as travellers with bulky luggage, who may find minibuses less convenient.
As a person who has worked at the terminal for 10 years, Ms Nonglak believes she would also be affected. The station currently has only two employees and a transfer to Bangkok or Chon Buri would make daily life considerably more difficult.
For Naressin Meesamrit, a regular passenger, the bus service remains an essential public service despite the growing popularity of faster minibus services.
He said it is particularly important for state welfare card holders, who receive a 50% fare discount.
"If the fare is 300 baht, welfare recipients pay only 150 baht. The remaining money can be used for daily living expenses," he said, adding that the government should maintain at least one daily service even if the route operates at a loss.
Private operators, including Cherdchai Tour and affiliated minibus services, will continue serving the route.
