BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s M6 motorway will open an additional 110-kilometer section between Bang Pa-in and Pak Chong for free weekend travel starting Friday, Aug. 21, Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn announced. The trial opening will run from noon Friday through midnight Sunday every weekend until Dec. 25, 2026. The route will then operate 24 hours a day in both directions once remaining construction work is completed.
The M6 connects Ayutthaya, Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchasima. Officials expect the newly opened section to accommodate around 100,000 vehicles over three days, potentially reducing traffic on Mittraphap Road by about one-third. During the trial period, the motorway will be restricted to four-wheel vehicles, with a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. Speed cameras and highway police will monitor the route.
Two rest areas, at Thap Kwang and Sikhio, will provide toilets and drinks, but there will be no fuel stations or EV charging facilities. Authorities are urging motorists to refuel and charge their vehicles before entering the motorway. The remaining construction work includes the Pak Chong–Muak Lek section, part of Contract 21. Authorities expect the entire project to reach completion by the end of 2026, allowing the full route to open around the clock from Dec. 25.
The 196-kilometer Bang Pa-in–Saraburi–Nakhon Ratchasima motorway has a construction budget of 84.6 billion baht. Construction began in 2016 and is divided into 40 contracts, with overall civil works reaching 99.37% completion by July 2026. Full toll collection is expected to begin in April 2027.
