The Cabinet on 4 February 2025 approved the second phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway project, stretching from Nakhon Ratchasima Province to Nong Khai Province in the Northeast.

The project involves a length of 357.12 kilometers, and it requires an investment of 341.35 billion baht. Construction of the project will last eight years, from 2025 to 2032. As the Government will be responsible for the construction cost, the Cabinet instructed the Bureau of the Budget to allocate the funds and the Ministry of Finance to seek funding sources for the project.

According to the State Railway of Thailand, the second phase is divided into two parts. The first one involves civil engineering works, with a cost of about 335.7 billion baht, and comprises five stations, namely (1) Bua Yai, (2) Ban Phai, (3) Khon Kaen, (4) Udon Thani, and (5) Nong Khai. This part is scheduled to be completed in 2032.

The second part involves the construction of a transshipment center, worth 5.7 billion baht, in Nong Khai as a one-stop service provider. It will facilitate goods transport and reduce production costs for entrepreneurs.

At the Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister also urged relevant agencies to accelerate the construction of the first phase, with a length of 252.3 kilometers, from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima. The first phase involves an investment of about 179.4 billion baht, and it won Cabinet approval on 11 July 2017.

The Bangkok - Nong Khai high-speed railway development is a strategic project regarding ASEAN regional connectivity to develop a linkage route between Thailand and neighboring countries, as well as other nations in the framework of the "One Belt, One Road” initiative. The project has been jointly carried out between Thailand and China.

In the first phase, there will be six stations along the Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima route. They include (1) Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, (2) Don Mueang Station, (3) Ayutthaya Station, (4) Saraburi Station, (5) Pak Chong Station, and (6) Nakhon Ratchasima Station.

After the second phase, from Nong Khai, the high-speed railway project will connect Thailand with Laos and China.