The Thai authorities aim to complete the approximately 250 km line between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima by 2030, the first stage of the high-speed rail link that is set to reach the border with Laos and, further on, China. At the same time, the government is preparing to build the second section, extending to Nong Khai.
Thailand has set the year 2030 as its new target for completing the first phase of the high-speed railway line being built in cooperation with China.
The section will link the capital Bangkok with the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, situated in the north-east of the country, and will be approximately 250 km long. The project is designed for trains capable of travelling at speeds of up to 250 km/h.
The announcement was made following Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s five-day visit to China, during which the two countries discussed accelerating joint infrastructure and transport projects.
From Bangkok to the border with Laos
The Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima line is the first phase of the future high-speed rail link to Nong Khai, a Thai city situated on the banks of the Mekong River, on the border with Laos.
The government in Bangkok is preparing to commence work on the second phase, between Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai. From there, the project is set to connect with the railway infrastructure in Laos and with the line extending to Kunming in south-west China.
However, the line in Laos is not a high-speed line in the traditional European or Japanese sense, with a maximum speed of around 160 km/h. It does, however, provide a rail link between Vientiane and the Chinese border, from where the route continues to Kunming.
Part of a 3,900 km corridor to Singapore
The Thai project forms part of Beijing’s vision to develop a railway corridor of approximately 3,900 km, linking Kunming to the countries of South-East Asia and, ultimately, to Singapore.
However, the completion of this route depends on several distinct national projects, built to different standards and at different speeds. It is not a single continuous high-speed line between China and Singapore.
Thailand is also proceeding separately with the modernisation of the conventional railway, which is intended to provide connections to Laos in the north and to Malaysia in the south.
The deadline has been postponed repeatedly
The Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima project began in 2017 but has been hampered by delays caused by negotiations over funding and technical solutions, difficulties in acquiring land, and the slow progress of some construction contracts.
In previous official documents, the opening of the first phase had been announced for 2028, whilst other estimates indicated completion of the entire Bangkok–Nong Khai link by 2030 or 2032. The new announcement effectively moves the 2030 deadline to the first section, not to the entire route to Laos.
The works were also marred by an accident in January 2026, when a crane being used on the construction site collapsed onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima province. At least 31 people died and a further 64 were injured.
China and Thailand aim to speed up the project
The rail link is significant for both passenger transport and trade. Thailand aims to consolidate its role as a logistics hub between China, Laos, Malaysia and the ports in the southern part of the region.
For China, the corridor provides an additional overland route to markets in South-East Asia. The two governments have agreed to continue coordination on the first phase between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima, on the extension to Nong Khai, and on improving the rail link across the Mekong.
Although the first section is due to be completed in 2030, direct trains between Bangkok and China will depend on the construction of the section to Nong Khai and the completion of the cross-border connection with the Laotian network.
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