Thailand plans 2027 tender for 357-km China high-speed line

By James Calloway

Thailand plans to begin bidding in 2027 for a 357.12-km second phase of the Thai–China high-speed railway, with a THB341.35 billion budget and passenger services targeted for 2033.

The second phase will connect Nakhon Ratchasima with Nong Khai at an anticipated average operating speed of about 160 km/h, with passenger operations as its primary purpose. When the full network is complete, the ministry expects the Bangkok–Nong Khai trip to take just over five hours.

Construction will run alongside the first phase, rather than wait for the Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima section to finish. Work on the Nong Khai corridor can proceed without waiting for that first-phase link to be completed.

The Transport Ministry has started technical preparation and standards certification, and expects procurement to begin in 2027. No supplier has been named, while the Cabinet has approved the project in principle.

What will the high-speed line change?

After inspecting Nong Khai railway station, a major freight interchange between Thailand and Laos, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said: “The upgraded railway would help accommodate future freight and passenger demand while strengthening Thailand’s connections with neighbouring countries.”

The ministry gave no freight tonnage, train-frequency or capacity figure for the second phase, so its quantified operating effect remains limited to the projected speed and five-hour journey.

How are delayed contracts affecting phase one?

Construction of the first phase, linking Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima, is approximately 50% complete, but Phiphat says two outstanding contracts have delayed progress.

Contract 4-1 covers the Bang Sue–Don Mueang section and was originally linked to the high-speed railway serving Thailand’s three major airports. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is preparing to propose separating it from that project, allowing the agency to undertake construction directly and accelerate the work.

Contract 4-5 covers Ban Pho–Phra Kaeo and crosses the Ayutthaya World Heritage area. Discussions with the relevant heritage authorities have produced an agreed approach, although Phiphat did not detail the design or consent terms.

Phiphat expects the outstanding contractual matters to be settled within one year. Construction would then take about three years, followed by railway systems installation, and he expects the first phase to become operational within five years.

What will the double-track work deliver?

The ministry is also advancing the second phase of its double-track programme, including the 167-km Khon Kaen–Nong Khai section. Its construction budget is THB28.68 billion, and civil engineering works are already underway.

Completion and the start of services are scheduled for 2028. Phiphat expects the upgrade to accommodate future freight and passenger demand and to strengthen Thailand’s links with neighbouring countries.

What freight moves through Nong Khai now?

Nong Khai railway station handles goods transported from Laos for onward shipment through Laem Chabang Port. That flow includes durian and other fruit exported to China, and Phiphat said the annual value of the trade had reached hundreds of billions of baht.

The “hundreds of billions” figure is the minister’s estimate, not a disclosed station throughput total; the ministry published no tonnage or train-frequency figure with which to test it.

Phiphat also described agricultural products and raw materials, including rubber, moving from southern China through Laos to Nong Khai before continuing to Laem Chabang for shipment to Shanghai.

He says the route “can reduce transport time and costs compared with moving goods over longer distances within China,” while supporting two-way freight and a more efficient regional logistics network. The ministry supplied no comparative transit-time or tariff figures, so the savings claim remains to be checked against actual schedules and charges.

What does the passenger forecast imply?

The ministry anticipates substantial growth in railway passenger numbers after the double-track and high-speed projects. Its 2051 projection puts annual traffic at Udon Thani railway station at 1,363,250 passengers, equivalent to an average of 3,735 per day.

That is a long-range forecast rather than a measured station count. The ministry says the projection makes station-area development and supporting infrastructure necessary for urban expansion and rising travel demand.

Phiphat says rail investment must be matched by appropriate infrastructure planning around stations. The immediate checkpoint is the one-year contract-settlement window for phase one. If it slips, the three-year build and systems installation will compress the minister’s five-year operating expectation; the planned 2027 high-speed tender and 2028 double-track service date are separate milestones.