The Ministry of Transport in Thailand has launched plans to develop 8 new roads parallel to the railway lines across the country for better transportation and connectivity. A total of 5000 km of highways will be built under this plan. The projects are categorized into north-south and east-west sector. The roads will be built either on public-private partnerships or from state-backed infrastructure fund 'Thailand Future Fund'.

The north-south sector involves :

• 1,660km link between Chaing Rai and Songkhla
• 490km highway from Nong Khai to the port of Laem Chabang
• 470km highway from Bung Kan to Surin

The east-west sector involves :

• 710km highway between Tak and Nakhon Phanom
• 880km highway between Tak and Ubon Ratchathani
• 220km coastal highway between Kanchanaburi and Trat
• 190km road between the resort island of Phuket and Surat Thani

The construction works are expected to begin in 2022 and 2023.