Thailand Accelerates Completion of 873km High-Speed Rail Project Linking Bangkok to China’s Kunming

• 23 July 2024
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Thailand is fast-tracking the development of an 873-kilometre high-speed rail project that will connect Bangkok with the Lao-China railway, significantly easing the transport of people and goods from Bangkok to Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan Province. The project, estimated to be worth between US$5 billion and US$9.9 billion, is expected to be completed in 2028, according to Asean Briefing on 24 June 2024.

Part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the high-speed railway aims to strengthen trade, investment, and infrastructure connectivity across Asia, Europe, and Africa. The first phase will connect Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway to northeastern Thailand, reducing travel time from 4.5 hours to 90 minutes. The second phase will extend the railway from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, a border town in northeastern Thailand, and across the border to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

For Thailand, the new railway offers the potential for enhanced integration with China and other regional countries. The administration of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has committed to accelerating construction to meet these ambitious goals, positioning Thailand for significant progress.

• Road and Infrastructure