Thailand road development planning

A group of experts from Thailand have been visiting the UK to research methods that would help boost road development. The planning and engineering team from Thailand’s Department of Rural Roads (DRR) have been holding meetings with UK counterparts about adopting a scheme similar to its Highways Authority Approval Scheme (HAPAS). The DRR has the responsibility for over 47,700km of Thailand’s 396,600km road network, upgrading paved and earth roads and delivering bridge projects. This is intended to boost so
May 2, 2019 Read time: 3 mins
A group of experts from Thailand have been visiting the UK to research methods that would help boost road development. The planning and engineering team from Thailand’s Department of Rural Roads (DRR) have been holding meetings with UK counterparts about adopting a scheme similar to its Highways Authority Approval Scheme (HAPAS).


The DRR has the responsibility for over 47,700km of Thailand’s 396,600km road network, upgrading paved and earth roads and delivering bridge projects. This is intended to boost social, economic and tourism related activities. The department is pushing ahead with improvements in the quality and consistency of highway construction. The DRR delegation says it is keen to understand how the UK agrees standards and certificates new and innovate highway construction products.

“If we don’t have the right standards local governments will use many products and the quality of these products will not be consistent,” Chakree Bamrumgwong, DRR director of Office of Road Safety Audit, explained. “Some will be good and some will be not so good so we want to standardise it. It is very useful to learn.”

The DRR now intends to work towards establishing a scheme similar to HAPAS: “The DRR needs to set up a highways material standard like HAPAS for the quality control of the material and products used in Thailand’s rural and local roads. We learned a lot about the HAPAS system and other useful information, all of which supports our thinking to do more for the future,” said Mr Bamrumgwong.

The DRR has a 10 year plan to centralise and standardise highways specifications. At present it utilises predominantly American standards for highway product specification and design and, where they prove insufficient, looks to other international standards - including British Standards - to translate into its projects. The department also intends to take the lead on encouraging all agencies involved in the Thai road network to collaborate in a further move to drive up product and safety standards.

While in the UK, the DRR representatives also visited the Department for Transport’s Local Transport Group, 8100 Highways England, the National Traffic Operation Centre and the Nottingham Transportation Engineering Centre, where a Memorandum of Understanding for technical co-operation between the DRR and NTEC was signed.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ammann machines helping build infrastructure in Bangladesh
    May 16, 2018
    Soil and asphalt compaction machines from Ammann are working on two key infrastructure projects in Bangladesh. The units are being used by local contractor Spectra Engineers, which is based in Dhaka. The firm has a strong reputation in Bangladesh for quality and is relying on Ammann soil and asphalt compactors for a number of projects. Spectra is one of the leading construction companies in Bangladesh, with considerable expertise and experience building roads and bridges for example. Spectra is working on
    Read More
  • EU project looks at highway parking areas
    February 24, 2012
    Under the EU-funded LABEL project there will be an analysis of secure trucking stops. The European Union Road Federation (ERF) - International Road Federation (IRF), Brussels Programme Centre, looks at what it can achieve Whenever we have to travel long distances by car we are faced with the prospect of having to stop in order to refuel our vehicle and to rest a bit. As a consequence motorways can boast the presence of a high number of service stations, usually spread out at 20 to 30km intervals, ready to
    Read More
  • Kleemann rising to Chinese market challenge
    November 28, 2018
    Keen to maintain its status as the biggest-selling tracked mobile crushing equipment manufacturer in China, Kleemann, a Wirtgen Group company, has this week unveiled a trio of new models. The up to 650tonnes/hour MOBICAT MC 120 Z PRO mobile jaw crusher, the 470tonnes/hour capacity MOBICONE MCO 11 PRO mobile cone crusher, and the up to 500tonnes/hour MOBISCREEN MS 953 EVO classifying screen can be seen on the Wirtgen Group’s huge indoor stand. “The big challenge here is to sell not only these machines, but
    Read More
  • Efficient earthmoving builds new road links
    February 7, 2012
    Efficient earthmoving is allowing productive road construction in the Egyptian desert, Mike Woof reports. Despite ferocious desert temperatures, efficient earthmoving operations will help build new road links in Southern Egypt. Close to the Egyptian city of Assuit, the contractor Orascom is working on three key desert highway projects that will provide vital transport connections for the country's growing economy.
    Read More

Highlighted Content