Skip to main content

Thailand highway development programme

Thailand has set out plans for an ambitious highway development programme.
By MJ Woof July 15, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Thailand’s holiday destination of Phuket will be one part of the country to benefit from a new highway link - image © courtesy of Sarah Biswell

Thailand is setting out plans for an ambitious highway and road development programme. The programme will help improve transport links with the country’s neighbours, with eight new highways being planned.

The Ministry of Transport of Thailand is working on the transport network development programme. In all, the eight new highways will total close to 5,000km.

The longest route will be a 1,660km highway running between Songkhla and Chiang Rai, whie Nong Khai and Laem Chabang will be connected by a 490km highway, and Surin and Bung Kan will be joined by a 470km highway.

An 880km highway will connect Ubon, Ratchathani and Tak, while a 710km highway will link Tak with Nakhon Phanom. A 310km highway will link Sa Kaeo with Kanchanaburi, while a 220km highway will connect Kanchanaburi and Trat. In addition, a 190km highway will run between Surat Thani and Phuket.

Construction of the first sections of the highways should commence in 2022 or 2023. The highways will likely be built under the PPP model. New towns will be developed along these highway routes also.

Related Content

  • Bangladesh elevated expressways moving ahead
    July 17, 2017
    New elevated expressways will improve transport in Bangladesh. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing US$1.2 billion in financing for the new Dhaka-Northwest international project. This will be managed by the country’s Roads and Highways Department under the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry's Road Transport and Highways Division.
  • Bolivia highway development programme unveiled
    July 11, 2017
    Bolivia’s La Paz region is set to benefit from a major programme of highway development work. The country’s road management firm Administradora Boliviana de Carreteras (ABC) is to spend over US$2.58 billion on road construction work from 2017-2020. The plans call for work to nearly 800km of roads, with the aim of improving transport links between La Paz and the rest of the country. One road will offer and upgraded connection from Charazani-Apolo-Tumupasa-Ixiamas-Chive. One will run from Undiavi-Chulumani-Sa
  • The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, another Danish connection
    June 20, 2017
    The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Denmark and Germany is both ambitious and innovative, explains Susanne Kalmar Pedersen, project director at design engineering firm Ramboll, adviser to the client Fehmarn A/S. The ambitious Fehmarnbelt Tunnel - one of Europe’s largest ongoing infrastructure projects - is a priority project within the EU’s Trans European Network (TEN-T) programme. It will link the German island of Fehmarn with the Danish island of Lolland. The tunnel is an 18km immersed combined road and rail l
  • Major UK tunnel project proposed
    August 19, 2016
    The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has put forward five alternate route options for a new highway connecting the cities of Manchester and Sheffield. The project looks likely to include a major tunnel section measuring as much as 20-30km in length that would run under the Peak District. The aim of the project would be to cut journey times between the two cities as the existing transport routes are prone to peak period congestion and delays at present. The route would connect either the M60 or M67 motorw