NONG KHAI, Thailand – Thailand is accelerating plans to develop Nong Khai into an international rail and logistics hub, linking the Eastern Seaboard, Laos and southern China through expanded railway infrastructure and a proposed new bridge across the Mekong River.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, accompanied by Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat, inspected key rail projects in Nong Khai on November 2, including the double-track railway, the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway, the proposed Na Tha freight transshipment center and a new cross-border rail bridge.
The 167-kilometre Khon Kaen–Nong Khai double-track railway, with a construction budget of 28.679 billion baht, is 12.518% complete and scheduled to open in 2028. The project includes 14 stations and three container yards at Non Phayom, Nong Takai and Na Tha.
The second phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway, covering 357.12 kilometers between Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai, is scheduled to go to tender in December 2026. Construction is targeted to begin in 2027, with completion expected in 2033. The first phase from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima is 58.301% complete and expected to open in 2031.
A proposed new 735-metre railway bridge across the Mekong would accommodate both meter-gauge and standard-gauge tracks, with four tracks in total. Thailand and Laos are expected to share the estimated 3-billion-baht construction cost. Detailed design work by the State Railway of Thailand has been completed, and the environmental impact assessment has been submitted for consideration. Discussions with Laos are continuing on the design and financing, including possible support through Thailand’s Neighboring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency.
The Na Tha freight hub is intended to handle growing cross-border cargo volumes and connect rail freight from Laem Chabang and Map Ta Phut ports through Laos to China. Officials are also considering extending border operating hours beyond the current 10pm closing time to accommodate increasing freight demand.
State Railway of Thailand Governor Anan Pho Nimdaeng said cross-border rail freight between Thailand and Laos totaled 11,007 TEUs from October 2025 to September 2026. Rail transport from Nong Khai to Vientiane and onward to China takes about 30 hours, compared with approximately 48 hours by truck. Once completed, the Khon Kaen–Nong Khai double-track railway is expected to increase freight capacity from 3.5 million to 4.2 million tons annually.
