Effects of COVID-19 on Travel Behavior and Mode Choice: A Case Study for the Bangkok Metropolitan Area

This research compared the primary purpose of travelling, mode choice, factors affecting mode choice, and frequency of working from home before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangkok, Thailand using statistical tests and multinomial regression modelling. The Thailand Government applied various restrictions such as limited gathering, mandatory face masks, and closure of institutes to control the pandemic’s spread. The study results show a significant difference in the purpose of primary trips, distance travelled, travel time, number of primary trips, and mode chosen for the primary trips before and during the pandemic. People shifted from working to shopping trips, public to private transport or active modes, and in-person/office work to online working during COVID-19. Male respondents showed higher chances of using public transport than female respondents and gave higher preference to pandemic-related factors for the mode selection during the pandemic. The Government should take actions based on COVID-19 measures such as mandatory face masks, contactless tickets, and sanitization disinfectant booths on every transit station to promote public transport usage. People shifted from public to active modes during the pandemic. There is a need for the improvements of the walkways and footpaths to attract people to use active modes in the future