No high-speed train runs in Thailand in October 2026. The first line, Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), was 55.97 % built in August 2026 and is now due to open in 2031; the section on to Nong Khai and the separate three-airport line have no opening date at all.
What you can ride today is the old metre-gauge network, much of it rebuilt as double track, which makes the regular trains faster and more punctual than a few years ago. This page tracks the new projects: what each one is, how far it has got, and what the official dates are. We update it when the Ministry of Transport or the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) publishes new figures.
Thai high-speed rail, status on 19 October 2026
- Running now
- Nothing high-speed; conventional trains only
- Bangkok – Nakhon Ratchasima
- 250.77 km, civil works 55.97 % (23 August 2026), target opening 2031
- Nakhon Ratchasima – Nong Khai
- Not under construction; no official opening date
- Don Mueang – Suvarnabhumi – U-Tapao
- Main works not started; the private partner has asked to end the contract
- Train to Laos today
- Ordinary Thai train to Vientiane Khamsavath since 19 July 2024
Phase 1: Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima
The Thai–Chinese high-speed railway is being built by SRT in phases, and the first phase runs 250.77 km north-east from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima. It has six stations: Krung Thep Aphiwat, Don Mueang, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Pak Chong and Nakhon Ratchasima. The budget is 179,412.21 million baht.
On Sunday 23 August 2026, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat visited the works in Saraburi and gave the civil works as 55.97 % complete, with the ministry pressing the contracts that are behind schedule. The target he gave was to be ready for service in 2031 (B.E. 2574), according to Thai Post's report. In March 2026 The Nation had reported 52.4 % against a planned 80.73 %, with 2030 as the opening year and already at risk. So the target moved by a year within five months.
The minister named one problem that still has to be solved: the Bang Sue to Don Mueang section (contract 4-1) shares its route with the planned three-airport line, and the ministry wants a decision within 2026 so that it does not hold up the Korat line. One contract in the Kaeng Khoi area was further ahead, at about 73 %, and was expected to finish in 2028.
Ignore any article that says Bangkok–Korat opens in 2026, 2027 or 2028. The official target in August 2026 was 2031. Dates on this project have slipped several times, so treat 2031 as a target, not a promise.
Phase 2 to Nong Khai and the link to Laos
The second phase would continue from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai on the Mekong, opposite Vientiane. In October 2026 it is not under construction, and we found no official opening date. Since phase 1 itself is targeted for 2031, phase 2 cannot realistically open before then; any website that gives a firm year for the full Bangkok–Nong Khai line is guessing.
That matters for travelers from China. The Laos–China Railway already runs from Kunming to Vientiane, but nothing high-speed continues into Thailand. Since 19 July 2024 an ordinary Thai train has crossed the Friendship Bridge from Nong Khai to Vientiane Khamsavath, which is a different station from the Laos–China Railway terminal across town. Our guide to Kunming to Bangkok by train explains how to make that journey today, and the Nong Khai page covers the border town itself.
The three-airport line: a contract in dispute
The second high-speed project is a 220 km line linking Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao, the airport south of Pattaya. It is a public-private partnership: the concession went to Asia Era One, a company led by the CP group, which also took over the existing Airport Rail Link.
The line is not under construction in any real sense. Already in October 2025 the project was waiting for the transport minister to settle amendments to the contract (InfoQuest). On Thursday 9 July 2026 the CP side wrote to SRT asking to end the joint-venture contract, after the state refused to pay for the work in stages as it was built; by late August it had sent a second letter. The Ministry of Transport replied that a request does not end the contract automatically, that none of the four legal grounds for termination had been met, and told SRT to negotiate (Thai PBS, Wednesday 26 August 2026). Thai business press reported talks on compensation in mid-October 2026. We will update this section when there is an outcome.
For travelers nothing changes: the existing Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi into the city keeps running, and there is no rail link between Bangkok's two airports or to U-Tapao.
What actually runs today: double track, not high speed
The real improvement of the last few years is double-tracking of the old metre-gauge lines. Trains no longer wait in loops for oncoming traffic, so they keep time better. To Korat, the fastest trains now take about three and a half to four hours; the timetable is on our Phimai and Korat page. On the southern line, Hua Hin got a new elevated station as part of the same work in December 2023.
The newest long-distance rolling stock is the CNR sleeper fleet on the special express trains to Chiang Mai (9/10), Ubon Ratchathani (23/24), Nong Khai (25/26) and Hat Yai (31/32). SRT sells those trains 90 days ahead and others 30 days ahead; our guide to Thailand's night trains compares the classes, and booking Thai trains online walks through D-Ticket. All of them leave from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal; phase 1 of the high-speed line is planned to start there too.
Other rail projects with dates
Two conventional projects will change travel sooner than high-speed rail, and both have official targets:
| Project | Status | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Den Chai – Chiang Rai – Chiang Khong double-track line (323 km) | 59.570 % built, March 2026 (SRT via Thai Post) | 2028 |
| Red Line: Rangsit – Thammasat (Rangsit campus) | Contract signed 19 May 2026 | 2029 |
| Red Line: Siriraj – Taling Chan – Salaya | Contract signed 19 May 2026 | 2029 |
| Bangkok – Korat high-speed (phase 1) | 55.97 % civil works, August 2026 | 2031 |
Until the northern line opens there is no train to Chiang Rai; our page on Bangkok to Chiang Rai sets out the flight, bus and train-plus-bus options. The commuter extensions are covered on our Red Line page.
How to plan a trip until 2031
For the stretch the high-speed line will cover, use what exists. To Ayutthaya, the regular trains are cheap and frequent; see Bangkok to Ayutthaya by train. For Khao Yai, Pak Chong is the station on the existing line, and for Korat and Phimai the double-track trains do the trip in under four hours. Further into Isaan, a domestic flight is often quicker than the train; our guide to domestic flights covers the airlines.
Be wary of tour companies or booking sites that sell a "high-speed train" in Thailand. In October 2026 such a product does not exist; it is either a conventional express train or a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
Does Thailand have a high-speed train?
Not yet. In October 2026 no high-speed line is open. The first section, Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, was 55.97 % built in August 2026 and is targeted to open in 2031, according to the Deputy Transport Minister.
When will the Bangkok to Nong Khai high-speed train open?
There is no official date. Phase 2, from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, was not under construction in October 2026, and phase 1 is only due in 2031. Until then the conventional train runs to Nong Khai and on to Vientiane Khamsavath.
Can I take a high-speed train from Bangkok to China?
No. You can take an ordinary Thai train to Vientiane and then the Laos–China Railway from a different Vientiane station to Kunming. It takes about two days with a night in Vientiane, on separate tickets.
Is the high-speed train to U-Tapao and Pattaya being built?
No real construction has started. In July 2026 the private partner asked SRT to end the contract, and in October 2026 the two sides were still negotiating. No opening year can be given, and the Airport Rail Link remains the only rail service to Suvarnabhumi.
Sources
- Thai Post – Deputy Transport Minister: Thai–Chinese high-speed rail Bangkok–Korat 55.97 % complete, target 2031 (23 August 2026, in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- The Nation – Thai–Chinese high-speed rail progress and the 2030 target (22 March 2026) (checked October 2026)
- Thai PBS – Transport ministry tells SRT to negotiate after CP's second request to end the three-airport rail contract (26 August 2026, in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- InfoQuest – Three-airport high-speed rail awaiting contract amendments (13 October 2025, in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Thai Post – SRT: Den Chai–Chiang Rai–Chiang Khong line 59.570 % complete, opening target 2028 (16 April 2026, in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Biz News – SRT signs Red Line extension contracts, opening 2029 (19 May 2026, in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – SRT opens 90-day advance booking (checked October 2026)
- Seat61 – Trains to Vientiane Khamsavath and the Laos–China Railway (checked October 2026)