Transport in Thailand is varied, with no one dominant means of transport. For long-distance travel, bus transport dominates. Low-speed rail travel has long been a rural long-distance transport mechanism, though plans are underway to expand services with high-speed rail lines extending to several major regions of Thailand. Road transportation is the primary form of freight transport across the country.
Khon Kaen is the capital of Khon Kaen province and the fourth-largest city in Thailand. It is one of the four major cities of Isan, Northeast Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani.
Thai Airways Company or Thai Airways was the domestic flag carrier of Thailand. Its main base was the domestic terminal at Don Mueang International Airport. Its head office was located in Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok. In 1988, Thai Airways merged to become Thai Airways International.
The Metropolitan Rapid Transit or MRT is a mass rapid transit system serving the Bangkok Metropolitan Region in Thailand. The MRT system comprises two fully operational rapid transit lines and two fully operational monorail line, with another rapid transit line (Orange) under construction. The MRT Blue Line, officially the Chaloem Ratchamongkhon Line, between Hua Lamphong and Bang Sue was the first to open in July 2004 as Bangkok's second metro system. The MRT Blue line is officially known in Thai as rotfaifa mahanakhon (รถไฟฟ้ามหานคร) or "metropolitan electric train", but it is more commonly called rotfai taidin (รถไฟใต้ดิน), literally, "underground train" as it was distinguished from the BTS Skytrain by being completely underground when its first section between Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue opened.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is the state-owned rail operator under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport in Thailand.
Rail transport plays a crucial role in connecting various regions of Thailand, transporting both goods and passengers through a range of transportation options that include inter-city and commuter rail, mass rapid transit, monorails, and airport rail links. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) operates a network of intercity railways spanning 4,845.1 kilometers, covering 47 provinces across the country. SRT is committed to developing railway lands through its subsidiary, SRT Asset (SRTA), which focuses on transit-oriented development (TOD) initiatives. The Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok serves as the primary transportation hub for rail transport in Thailand, connecting various types of rail transportation throughout the country. It covers an area of 274,192 square meters, making it the largest railway station in Southeast Asia, and is situated in a new central business district (CBD) that is currently being developed.
CRRC Nanjing Puzhen is a Chinese railway rolling stock manufacturer, based in Puzhen, Nanjing city. It is a subsidiary of CRRC. Nanjing Puzhen has supplied trains to Shanghai Metro Line 3 and Nanjing Metro in partnership with Alstom.
PBair was an airline with its head office in the UBC II Building in Watthana district, Bangkok, Thailand. It operated scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base was Suvarnabhumi Airport. It ceased all operations in December 2009.
The Light Blue Line is a planned monorail line to be built in Bangkok, Thailand. Its path runs along a north–south axis. This line would link the Din Daeng housing community areas, Bangkok City Hall 2, Makkasan Station, and the business area along Sathon Road.
The Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, or M-Map, is the latest version in a series of Thai government plans for the development of an urban rail transit network serving the Greater Bangkok area. It was drafted under the care of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) of the Ministry of Transport.
Although Thailand has no operational high-speed rail lines, the country is planning a large high-speed rail network connecting its major cities. The first line of the network is under construction from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, with a planned maximum operational speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
The BMA Bang Na–Suvarnabhumi line is a proposed light rail line in Bangkok that would run from Bang Na junction to Suvarnabhumi Airport. The line was first proposed in 1994, but it was not included in the 2005 OTP Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan. Initially, it was planned for the line to potentially be a BTS Sukhumvit Line branch line with turnouts constructed near Bang Na junction. In December 2015, the BMA said it would advance construction and would propose it to cabinet in the near future. In April 2016, deputy governor Amorn Kitchawengkul said the project would take 3–6 years and cost THB 20 billion.
The Khon Kaen Light Rail Transit Project is a planned 22.6-kilometre (14.0 mi) light rail transit system consisting of an initial 16 stations to serve Khon Kaen Province in north-east Thailand. A Phase 2 3.5-kilometre (2.2 mi) five-station extension is also planned. The line will have both at-grade and elevated sections. Fares are expected to be a flat 15 baht. Construction is set to begin in 2024.
The Phuket Island Light Rail Transit project is a planned 58.6-kilometre (36.4 mi) MRTA light rail transit system for Phuket and Phang Nga provinces in Thailand. The line will consist of 24 stations running from Takua Thung District in Phang Nga Province to Phuket City and terminating at Chalong intersection. The line will have at-grade and elevated sections. The cost of the project is estimated at 35 billion baht.
The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning or OTP is a department of the Thai government, under the Ministry of Transport. It is responsible for creating policy for transport and traffic. It was created in 2002 as part of a policy reform. It is responsible for planning mass transit in Thailand via master plans such as the Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region or M-Map, and feasibility studies such as those for the Khon Kaen Light Rail. It does not operate transit networks, which may be managed by the MRTA, State Railway of Thailand or private enterprises. The current Director General is Punya Chupanit
The Thai city of Chiang Mai is planning a light rail system, with an aimed 2027 opening. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) announced that the bidding process for a tram network in Chiang Mai could begin in 2020. The 35 km tramway, both above and below ground, is estimated to cost 86 billion baht. It was projected that the first of three lines could break ground in 2021, and the system could be operational by roughly 2027.
The Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway, officially known as the High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Project is the second high-speed rail line project in Thailand, being due to open in 2029 between Don Mueang International Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport and U-Tapao International Airport. It will be operated by Asia Era One Company Limited, a special-purpose vehicles by the consortium of Charoen Pokphand Group Company, Limited (CP) and partners Ch. Karnchang PLC. (CK), Bangkok Expressway and Metro PLC. (BEM), Italian-Thai Development PLC. (ITD) and China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC).
