Thailand’s long-anticipated high-speed railway connecting Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima will not be completed in time for the 2029 Nakhon Ratchasima World Horticultural Exposition, officials confirmed during a provincial meeting on June 24. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) cited delays in construction and the need for design changes as key factors, pushing the project’s full completion to 2031.
At a meeting held at the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Hall, SRT representatives reported that overall progress on Phase 1 of the 251-kilometer Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima route has reached 44.66%, which is 16.03% behind schedule. One key segment, Contract 3-5 covering the 12.38 kilometers from Khok Kruat to Nakhon Ratchasima, stands at 13.01% completion. The delay stems in part from a recent decision to alter the construction method from at-grade to elevated along a 7.85-kilometer stretch between Khok Kruat and Phu Khao Lat, which adds 350 days to the timeline. An additional 2.05 billion baht in funding is currently under review by the Cabinet and the Thai-Chinese rail cooperation committee.
The revised target for completing civil works on the high-speed line is March 2026, with full system operation projected for 2029. However, it will not be ready in time to support transportation to the Flora Expo, scheduled to take place in Khong District that same year.
In response, the Provincial Administrative Organization has requested that SRT arrange a special train service for the exposition. The plan under consideration would use air-conditioned diesel railcars for a daily round-trip service between Bangkok and Chum Thong Bua Yai, covering roughly 365 kilometers in four to five hours.
Meanwhile, progress on the separate double-track railway project from Map Kabao to Chum Thong Jira, which also runs through central Nakhon Ratchasima, is under review. A budget increase of more than 8 billion baht is anticipated to support elevating the line through Khok Kruat to Chum Thong Jira. This includes infrastructure such as a 5-meter-high overpass cutting across Chai Narong and Bencharong roads before descending ahead of the Hua Thale Bridge. The project is pending environmental assessment approval.
During the same meeting, a group of private landowners on Chomsurangyat Road submitted a petition to the provincial deputy governor, requesting that SRT purchase remaining undeveloped land not included in the original expropriation zone. The properties—formerly earmarked for Phase 1 construction—have become abandoned and are seen as unsuitable for residential or commercial use. The petitioners proposed that the land be redeveloped for city beautification and to relieve local traffic congestion. Nakhon Ratchasima’s Traffic Police Office agreed to review the request.
