BANGKOK, Thailand – Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke visited Thailand last Friday to meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to reviving long-distance cross-border rail services. The key project aims to reconnect Bangkok with Butterworth by July 2025, and to extend the route to Kuala Lumpur later the same year.
According to Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama, the new service will utilize existing rail infrastructure linking Bangkok to Padang Besar, Butterworth in Penang, and onward to Kuala Lumpur. KTM Berhad (Malaysian Railways) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will jointly manage ticketing, marketing, and operations, requiring about three months of preparation.
Loke also expressed support for Thailand’s proposal to restore rail links between Sungai Kolok (Narathiwat) and Malaysia’s Rantau Panjang and Pasir Mas in Kelantan, which would strengthen local economies and improve the quality of life along the border. However, this route will require rail track rehabilitation due to long-term disuse.
The talks stemmed from a follow-up to Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s official visit to Malaysia in December 2024, which aimed to deepen bilateral cooperation on infrastructure and cross-border connectivity.
Additionally, the two countries agreed to finalize two key Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) by July 2025—covering cross-border freight and passenger transport—to facilitate trade, travel, and fair road transport access.
On the rail logistics front, Thailand and Malaysia also discussed implementing a Single Stop Inspection (SSI) system at customs points and welcomed progress on the Perlis Inland Port (PIP) near Padang Besar, which is set to open in 2025 to alleviate freight congestion.
