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The number of passengers riding trains for free also increased.

Other measures included in the government-assistance programme are cuts in the excise tax for oil, which took effect on July 25, postponement of an increase in the cooking-gas price, 50 cubic metres of free water per month and 80 units of free electricity per month. These measures will be in effect for six months.

"The number of passengers on our non-air-conditioned buses rose 10 per cent, initial reports at 11am indicated. Yesterday, there were 387,000 passengers, compared with the daily average of 350,000 before. Of those, 213,000 used the free buses, while 174,000 opted for other bus services," said Pinetr Puapatanakul, managing director of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA).

Kijpat Boonpanya, a bus inspector on the Victory Monument route, said almost every free bus was full of passengers yesterday morning. In fact, there were so many people that not every passenger could be accommodated.

"There were fewer people taking other buses," Kijpat said.

Pinetr said the BMTA would determine exactly how many used the 73 routes covered by the 800 free buses yesterday and whether some services needed to be changed.

"If we see that some routes have too few buses, we'll increase the service on those routes and decrease the number of vehicles in other routes," Pinetr said.

State Railway of Thailand deputy governor Thavil Samnakorn said although the number of train passengers had increased, it was not overwhelming. The government is providing free third-class transportation on 164 trains daily.

Government spokesman Wichianchot Sukchotrat said he felt more people should be taking advantage of the free bus service, because it would help the government find more measures to help the public.

"I'm quite satisfied with the government's free-bus measure. I've already taken one and will try to use the service if I have enough time," said hotel employee Meteeree Sungsakda, 50.

"I would like the government to increase the number of free buses, because I had to wait a long time before I could catch one," said jewellery shopkeeper Kittipoom Techawattanarungruang, 22.