Pictures courtesy of Matichon.

 

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has approved a 181-day extension for the construction of a key tunnel section of the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, citing delays in land expropriation as the cause.

 

Mr. Veerath Amrapal, Governor of the SRT, announced that the SRT Board has agreed to extend Contract 3-2 of the high-speed rail project, covering civil engineering works for the Muak Lek and Lam Ta Khong tunnels, from the original completion date of 7 June 2025 to 5 December 2025.

 

The extension was necessary due to delays in handing over expropriated land to the contractor. This affected construction work on the embankment section from DK.134+765 to DK.135+385, as well as the Pha Sadet Bridge. The SRT has now transferred all required land and has urged the contractor to complete the remaining works within the revised schedule. Notably, the extension will not affect other parts of the project and the contractor will not be entitled to claim additional expenses.

The tunnel sections under Contract 3-2, valued at 4.279 billion baht, spans 12.23 kilometres, including:

 

• 8 km of tunnels

• 3.27 km of embankment railway

• 0.96 km of elevated track

• Four structures for railway systems

• Connecting roads

 

Construction began on 19 April 2021 and has progressed to 90% completion.

 

In addition to the extension, the SRT board has also approved the draft of a Royal Decree to define the expropriation zones for Phase 2 of the high-speed railway, which will run from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai. The proposal will be submitted to Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, and then to the Cabinet for final approval.

 

The second phase of the project will require the expropriation of 1,991 land plots covering approximately 1,345 rai across the provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nong Khai, with 1,428 structures to be affected. The compensation budget is estimated at 12.42 billion baht.

 

Phase 2 has already received approval from both the National Environment Board and the Cabinet, and preparations for the bidding process are now underway. This phase will cover a 357.22 km stretch, starting just beyond Nakhon Ratchasima station and ending at the Thai side of the Mekong River, with five new stations and supporting infrastructure.

 

The high-speed railway is a central component of the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, intended to boost regional connectivity and trade between Thailand, Laos, and China, while stimulating economic growth in Thailand’s upper northeastern provinces.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-05-17.

 

 

 

A 6 month delay would very likely cost the taxpayer B1 billion+.... As in western countries, contractors and consultants here also love delays to contracts.

3 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

A 6 month delay would very likely cost the taxpayer B1 billion+.... As in western countries, contractors and consultants here also love delays to contracts.

6 month delay. US contractors would beg for that. Beats 4-10 years.