SRT Launches Daily Bangkok-Ayutthaya Commuter Train, With 30-50 Baht Fares Through October

In August, the State Railway of Thailand began a new daily commuter service it calls Bangkok Connex, or BNEX, running air-conditioned trains between the Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal and Ayutthaya. On weekdays six round trips run under train numbers 9001-9006, with the first departure at 5.15am aimed at commuters heading into Bangkok; on weekends four trips run instead, starting later at 9.05am to suit day-trippers visiting Ayutthaya’s historic sites. The first trip on launch day sold every seat.

SRT set introductory fares of 30 baht for the shorter hops to Don Mueang, Rangsit or Khlong Phutsa, rising to a flat 50 baht for the longer runs to Bang Pa-in, Ban Pho or the Ayutthaya terminus itself, and later extended that promotional pricing through October 31. What happens to fares once the promotion ends has not yet been announced, so travellers planning trips from November should check SRT’s current fare notice rather than assume the launch pricing continues. Reaction to the route has been mixed: SRT executives promoted it as a convenient, low-cost option for both commuters and tourists, while some online commentary argued it would be more useful if it ran from Bangkok’s more central stations rather than from Krung Thep Aphiwat alone. Either way, it adds a same-day rail option between the capital and Ayutthaya that did not run on this schedule before.