Full steam ahead! Thai transport tsar fast-tracks mega makeover

Thailand’s transport tsar has slammed the accelerator on the kingdom’s biggest infrastructure schemes, ordering faster progress on high-speed rail, expressways and electric bus upgrades.

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit is leading the charge, with a major push to speed up the second phase of the Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed rail line, and billions of baht in investment ready to be unleashed.

Following a top-level policy meeting on yesterday, June 10, Suriya revealed that, as of the end of May, the Transport Ministry had already disbursed 93 billion baht of its hefty 212.21 billion baht budget for the 2025 fiscal year.

Out of 326 new procurement contracts worth a combined 24.18 billion baht, 86 contracts, totalling 1.31 billion baht, have already been signed. The rest are expected to be inked by August.

He also provided an update on the Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed line, which will eventually connect the capital with Laos via Nakhon Ratchasima.

“Phase 1 (Bangkok to Korat) is nearly halfway there.”

Suriya added that civil engineering works stand at 43.79% completion. But progress on critical components like systems installation, rolling stock, and staff training remains at a sluggish 0.95%.

Phase 2, which stretches 357.12km from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, is now being prepped. The ministry is finalising bidding documents for eight contracts, seven for civil works and one for the rail systems, under a whopping 341.35 billion baht budget.

But the rail isn’t the only thing gathering pace.

Suriya said several other big-ticket items are waiting for Cabinet sign-off, including:

• Phase 1 of the Phuket Expressway (Kathu–Patong), a 3.98km section priced at 16.76 billion baht.

• A 15.36 billion baht plan to lease 1,520 electric buses to modernise the nation’s ageing public transport fleet.

The ministry is also seeking approval to merge two electric rail extensions, the Red Line (Taling Chan–Salaya) and the Light Red Line (Taling Chan–Siriraj), into a single procurement package to fast-track urban connectivity, Bangkok Post reported.

With the budget flowing and pressure mounting, it’s clear the Ministry of Transport isn’t just talking tracks — they’re laying them.