BANGKOK, Thailand – Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has ordered agencies to address long-standing traffic, infrastructure, and management issues at the Lat Krabang Inland Container Depot (ICD) and Rom Klao Truck Terminal. During an inspection last week, he called for better coordination of road, rail, freight-terminal, and port operations to cut transportation time and costs while reducing heavy-truck traffic on public roads.
The Department of Highways is constructing a direct ramp to the Chonburi-bound side of Motorway No. 7, eliminating the current U-turn toward Bangkok. Scheduled for completion in March 2027, the ramp is expected to increase traffic capacity from about 930 to 1,194 vehicles per hour. Improvements are also planned for Rom Klao’s roads, safety systems, truck waiting areas, and traffic circulation.
Rail container traffic between Lat Krabang and Laem Chabang Port rose from 386,763 TEUs in fiscal 2021 to 497,805 TEUs in fiscal 2025, with 436,598 TEUs recorded in the first 11 months of fiscal 2026. The Single Rail Transfer Operator system also handled 483,350 TEUs from October 2025 through July 2026, about 16% above target, underscoring growing demand for rail freight.
Phiphat also directed the State Railway of Thailand to accelerate the long-delayed ICD concession process. The proposed 20-year public-private partnership calls for about 1.179 billion baht in initial private investment and requires at least 50% of annual container traffic to travel by rail. Agencies will prepare a joint timetable covering M7 access, Rom Klao upgrades, rail operations, and connections to Laem Chabang Port. (NNT)
