Thailand fast-tracks rail expansion with 280 billion baht investment

The Transport Ministry will prioritise investments in rail transport systems to improve passenger travel and freight logistics, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said on Monday. 

This will include Phase 2 of the dual-track railway project, which will extend Thailand’s railway network by 1,488 kilometres across seven routes. 

The Cabinet has already approved the construction of the Khon Kaen-Nong Khai route. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has finalised the bidding process and signed a contract with CHO Thavee-AS Construction, which offered the lowest bid of 28.68 billion baht. Construction will commence next year and is expected to be completed by 2028, with operations beginning the same year. 

Preliminary approval has been granted for the six remaining dual-track routes by the Budget Bureau, pending feedback from the Finance Ministry and the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). 
Decisions are expected by yearend, and once received the Transport Ministry will seek a final Cabinet approval and move forward with the tendering process. 

“After Cabinet approval, the SRT will proceed with preparing tender documents for each project. We are confident that all Phase 2 dual-track railway investments will proceed as planned by next year,” said Suriya, who also doubles as deputy prime minister. 

Meanwhile, SRT governor Veeris Amarapala confirmed that tenders for all seven routes under Phase 2, with a combined investment of more than 280 billion baht, will begin in April 2025. The projects will be tendered in batches of two, with a two-month interval between each batch. 

Key projects under Phase 2:

Pak Nam Pho–Den Chai: 281km, 81.14 billion baht
Chira Junction–Ubon Ratchathani: 308km, 44.1 billion baht
Chumphon–Surat Thani: 168km, 30.42 billion baht
Surat Thani–Hat Yai–Songkhla: 321km, 66.27 billion baht
Hat Yai–Padang Besar: 45km, 7.9 billion baht
Den Chai–Chiang Mai: 189km, 68.22 billion baht

Once Phases 1 and 2, along with the new railway lines, are completed, Thailand will have 27 dual–track routes spanning over 4,548km across 64 provinces. 

Suriya noted that the ministry will advance the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project in 2025. 

Phase 2, covering the 357.12km Nakhon Ratchashima-Nong Khai section, involves an investment of 341 billion baht. The Finance Ministry and the NESDC are currently reviewing the project, with a decision expected in the next couple of months before being submitted to the Cabinet for approval. The bidding process is expected to kick off next year.