The first phase of the long-delayed Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, which will run from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, has been pushed back by another year, Thai media reported.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has approved a 350-day extension, setting the new deadline for 10 March, 2026, instead of 25 March this year.
According to SRT’s Governor Weeris Amrapai, the delay is mainly due to a land dispute at the Khok Kruat–Nakhon Ratchasima section. The SRT was unable to hand over the land to the contractor on time due to legal issues with tenants of a building on the site.
After a long legal process, a settlement was reached, and the SRT now expects to deliver the land by 13 May, the governor said.
This rail project is part of a larger plan to connect Thailand to China’s high-speed rail network via Laos. Once the Thai high-speed rail reaches Nong Khai, it will connect to the Laos-China Railway.
The full Bangkok-Nong Khai route is expected to be operational by 2030. However, progress has been slow. The first phase, which began in December 2017, was only 36 percent complete as of January this year.
Several factors have contributed to the delays, including financial disputes with China, contractor funding problems, the COVID-19 pandemic, and concerns over the Ayutthaya station’s impact on a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The second phase, which will extend the line from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, has not started yet.