First phase of Thailand’s M8 motorway work connecting Nakhon Pathom to Ratchaburi set to begin in 2027
Nakhon Pathom-Ratchaburi section the start of an alternate route to southern Thailand
The first phase of the Motorway 8 (M8) project connecting Nakhon Pathom to Ratchaburi will begin in 2027, says Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
The Department of Highways will this month submit a proposal for the 61-billion-baht first phase, which stretches 61 kilometres from Nakhon Pathom to Pak Tho district in Ratchaburi.
If approved by the cabinet, the project will proceed to the bidding process and land acquisition phase. Work is expected to begin in 2027, with the opening scheduled for 2031.
For the second phase, the 48m section from Pak Tho to Cha-Am district in Phetchaburi, a new route study is planned to minimise the impact of land expropriation in Phetchaburi, where previous plans faced complaints from local residents.
The study is expected to begin this year and take one year to complete.
Mr Suriya has emphasised the urgency of providing motorists with an alternative route to the South and reducing traffic on perennially under-construction Rama II Road.
The M8 motorway will have a four-lane design — with two lanes in each direction — an 80-metre-wide road reserve, three rest areas, seven entrance and exit points and a toll collection system based on distances travelled.
The project is one of the priority projects under the 20-year Master Plan for Expressway Development (2017–36) and is part of the North-South Economic Corridor strategy.
Once completed, it will serve as a crucial transport link between central and southern Thailand, improving logistics efficiency, and easing traffic congestion on Highway 4 (Phetkasem Road). It will also support economic and tourism development in the western and southern regions.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2988362/first-phase-of-m8-motorway-work-set-to-begin-in-2027
