Pictures courtesy of Kaoded

The Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organisation (Songkhla PAO) has formally transferred the Hat Yai monorail project to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), handing full responsibility to the national agency to accelerate delivery. The decision, announced on 16 January 2026, is intended to remove local constraints and move the long-planned urban rail scheme towards construction.

The transfer was confirmed at a press briefing titled “Guidelines for Driving the Rail-Based Mass Transit Project in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province,” held at the Srikiet Phatthana Building of Songkhla PAO. The Budget Bureau advised that MRTA has greater readiness and capacity to push the project forward more quickly than a local authority.

Hat Yai is a regional economic, commercial and tourism hub facing chronic traffic congestion and PM2.5 pollution driven by population growth. The monorail project was initiated in 2014, when Niphon Bunyamanee was serving as President of Songkhla PAO, with the aim of shifting travel behaviour from moving cars to moving people and supporting economic expansion.

The project received environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval in 2021 and is designed to integrate with the double-track railway to create a more complete transport network for Songkhla. On 3 December 2025, the Land Traffic Management Committee assigned MRTA as the implementing agency, and MRTA’s board resolved to accept the transfer on 9 December 2025.

Niphon Bunyamanee said the rail system would ease congestion, support tourism and stimulate Hat Yai’s economy. He noted that the project would serve as a model for developing major cities nationwide once linked with existing rail infrastructure.

Songkhla PAO deputy president Chatphet Kruamphor said the authority had worked on the scheme since 2014 to address traffic and pollution. He added that MRTA would now act as the lead agency to turn the project into reality for residents and visitors.

MRTA governor Kajpaj Udomthamphakdi said the agency could operate nationwide under the law and would not need to start from scratch. “We do not have to start again; we can review the documents slightly and build on them,” he said, adding that MRTA faces fewer budgetary and operational constraints than local bodies.

MRTA plans to prepare internally during 2026 and expects to seek approval for the next implementation phase in 2027. Large-scale construction is expected to take three to four years before opening.

Kaoded reported that the monorail will run 12.5 kilometres from the minivan station to Khlong Hae intersection, with a budget of 17,586 million baht. Academic Nakhonrin Satthammanuwong from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi said the project would boost regional trade, including with Malaysia, and deliver strong public value.

Key Takeaways

• Songkhla PAO has transferred the Hat Yai monorail project to MRTA to accelerate progress.

• The 12.5km monorail has an approved EIA and a budget of 17,586 million baht.

• MRTA plans preparation in 2026 and approval for the next phase in 2027

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Kaoded 2026-01-18

 

 

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