On February 4, 2025, the Thai Cabinet officially approved the second phase of the China Thailand high-speed railway project, marking new progress in cooperation between China and Thailand in the field of high-speed railway construction. The project is expected to be completed in 2030 and put into operation in 2031, which will greatly promote transportation connectivity between Thailand, China, and other Southeast Asian countries.

The second phase of the China Thailand high-speed railway project has a total length of 357 kilometers and a construction cost of approximately 341.35 billion Thai baht (about 10 billion US dollars). It will connect Bangkok and Kunming, China, passing through Vientiane, Laos. The railway will connect the Thai capital Bangkok with the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, and be closely linked to the railway network between China and Laos through a bridge spanning the Mekong River, thereby strengthening the transportation network of the entire Southeast Asian region. Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsuk stated that the second phase of the China Thailand high-speed railway project consists of two parts: the first part involves the construction of a railway that connects with the first phase of the China Thailand high-speed railway, linking the Thai capital Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima to the Laos border, with five train stations planned along the way; In the second part, a logistics hub will be built in Nongkai Prefecture in the northeast of Thailand, which will facilitate the freight transportation between Thailand's 1m gauge railway and China Laos railway with 1.435m standard gauge and provide one-stop service for freight transfer. The first phase of the China Thailand high-speed railway project has a total length of 253 kilometers and was approved by the Thai government in July 2017. As of now, about 35.74% of the first phase of the project has been completed, and it is expected to be fully completed and open to traffic by 2028. This will lay a solid foundation for the implementation of the second phase of the China Thailand high-speed railway project.

Several years ago, Thailand agreed with China on a plan to cooperate in the construction of high-speed rail. The estimated total investment for the 609 kilometer China Thailand high-speed railway project is 434 billion Thai baht, making it one of the largest infrastructure projects in Thailand and a key "bridge" connecting China and Thailand! With the connection of China Laos railway and the expansion of Thailand's railway network, the project will realize seamless connection between Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, greatly promote regional economic exchanges and personnel exchanges, and inject new impetus into Thailand's economic development. (This article is from the official website of Jian Dao www.seetao.com. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website strategy column editor/Li Xiu'e