The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has announced investment plans for Phase 2 of the Thailand-China high-speed railway (Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai HSR).

The project aims to enhance rail transport and reduce logistics costs, connecting the China-Laos HSR to Thailand at Nong Khai, which will complete the route from Bangkok to Kunming, China. Travel time from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima will be reduced to 90 minutes from the current 4.5 hours. Phase 2 will cover 357 km between Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai, with a total investment of THB 341.35 billion (US$ 9.4 billion). This includes THB 235 billion (US$ 6.5 billion) for civil works, THB 10.3 billion (US$ 285 million) for land acquisition, THB 80 billion (US$ 2.2 billion) for rail and electrical systems, and THB 10 billion (US$ 277 million) for project management and consulting. The project, scheduled to open in 2031, includes 202 km of elevated tracks and 154.6 km of ground-level tracks, serving five major stations: Bua Yai, Ban Phai, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nong Khai. 

The final construction contracts for Phase 1 (Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima) will be signed by 2024-end. Following Cabinet approval, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will accelerate Phase 2 to allow private sector involvement in 2024.