Suriya says Phuket tram to run by December 2031

The transport minister said the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) was now in the process of reviewing and adapting the tram line to be suitable to the current road conditions in the island province.

Suriya said the MRTA would take about six months to review and adapt the 41.7km first stage of the tram line from Phuket International Airport to the Chalong Intersection.

The review is needed as some of roads where the tram line would intersect are narrow roads with heavy traffic, Suriya said.

He said the MRTA is expected to propose the revised project for the MRTA board of directors to approve from October next year to June 2026.

Once approved, the project will be sent to him to endorse and pass on to the State Enterprise Policy Commission, the Public Private Partnership Commission and to the Cabinet for final approval from July 2026 to February 2027.

He said the bidding and selection process of the concessionaire to operate the tram would be carried out from March 2027 to August 2028.

Suriya added that the Highway Department would also speed up the expansion of Highways 402 and 4027 to minimise traffic congestion during the construction of the tram line.

“I’m confident the Phuket tram project will be approved while I’m still the transport minister and the project will progress as scheduled,” Suriya said.

He added that the tram line would be mostly built along highway No 402 but there would be five areas where the road is so narrow that the trams would use tunnels.

He said he would ensure that Phuket residents would be charged lower tram fares than tourists.