State-run Transport Co will arrange buses and vans for 3,500 trips a day for New Year travellers, expecting 55,000 passengers a day from next Wednesday to Thursday.

Transport Co expects to see a 5% rise in the number of passengers using its inter-provincial bus and van services over the New Year holiday, given that the Covid-19 outbreak and travel restrictions had eased and people wanted to travel.

From Dec 28 to Dec 29, about 55,000 passengers were expected to use bus and van services each day, an average of 3,500 trips.

Currently, 40,000-60,000 passengers were carried on bus and van services each day.

For return trips on Jan 2 and Jan 3, an average of 53,000 passengers a day was expected on bus and van services, or 3,300 trips a day.

About 600 extra buses would be added to serve passengers.

New Year travellers could still book bus tickets in advance. On the northern, northeastern and eastern routes, 91-92% of bus seats were already booked while 93.94% of bus seats on the southern route were booked.

Routes from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Bangkok to Nakhon Phanom and Bangkok to Hat Yai had the highest number of bookings for the New Year holiday.

The company advised passengers to arrive at bus terminals 2-3 hours in advance of the scheduled departure time.