The Thai government is making every effort to upgrade the southern railway network and plans to restart the cross-border railway between Thailand and Malaysia in order to enhance the regional logistics hub and improve the efficiency and economic synergy of cross-border trade between the two countries.
According to Thailand's The Nation, the Ministry of Transport has formulated a policy aimed at strengthening the railway as a key mode of transportation connecting Thailand with its neighboring countries. This policy is being promoted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Pipat, who has instructed the State Railway of Thailand to speed up the second phase of the double-track railway program, focusing on the southern region as the core of construction.
The Ministry of Transport plans to invite tenders for three main double-track railway projects within this year: the Chumphon–Surat Thani section, the Surat Thani–Hat Yai–Songkhla section, and the Hat Yai–Padang Besar section bordering Malaysia. The total investment exceeds 100 billion baht (approximately 12.113 billion ringgit).
Among them, the Hat Yai–Padang Besar section is regarded as strategically significant because it serves as a railway corridor linking Thailand and Malaysia. Thailand and Malaysia are cooperating to restore the Sungai Kolok–Rantau Panjang railway, which has been out of operation for more than 20 years.
On April 29, Pitchay, Director General of the Department of Rail Transport under the Ministry of Transport, chaired a bilateral meeting to discuss this plan. The meeting focused on clarifying the positions of Thailand and Malaysia regarding railway cooperation, including restoring the Kolok River railway to promote cross-border trade and regional logistics.
Thai authorities are also conducting a feasibility study on a double-track railway project connecting Hat Yai and Sungai Kolok, with a total length of about 215 kilometers, to meet the growing demand for transportation after the restoration of cross-border connectivity.