The Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) is bucking the global trend towards cashless payments (and common sense) and restricting credit and debit card payments from April 1.
Next month, payments via credit and debit cards will no longer be accepted when riders add value to their Rabbit cards, as the new rule is that digital payments will only be allowed when you add trips to your Rabbit card.
The trip packages, which are valid for 30 days, help commuters who ride the BTS regularly save money as they limit fares to between THB25 to THB30 per trip.
Signs about the new rules have reportedly been posted at several BTS stations.
This is a sad day for those who enjoyed breezily adding value to their Rabbit Cards with a quick swipe of plastic. There is a loophole, however: If you add trips and value in the same transaction, the BTS will let you pay with credit cards.
Officials are scheduled to launch Mangmoom, the all-in-one public transit card in June, and we can only hope the credit card restriction will not apply to the Mangmoom card.
In other news, Singaporeans will not even have to carry a transit card from March 20 as their metro and bus systems will accept payments directly from Mastercard.
We can only dream.
