Construction of Thailand’s first light rail transit (LRT) system, in the north-eastern province of Khon Kaen, is expected to commence early next year, scheduled for completion and public service in 2027, according to Suradej Thaveesangsakulthai, CEO of the CHO Thavee company.

Khon Kaen Transit System (KKTS), which has been jointly formed by the municipalities of Nakhon Khon Kaen, Muang Sila, Muang Gao, Tha Phra and Samran, will be the responsible for implementing the project, estimated to cost about 650 million baht.

The first part of the LRT route will cover a distance of 4.4km around Kaen Nakhon Lake.

The second phase will be from Samran to Tha Phra, covering a distance of 22.8km with an investment estimated of 26.9 billion baht. Currently, negotiations are underway with banks over the interest rate on the loan to be sought and land surveys, said Suradej, adding that Khon Kaen investors are financially ready to implement the second phase of the project.

Construction is expected to begin next year, said Suradej, adding that CHO Thavee has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Ronireon, a Thai start-up specialising in the development of clean energy, to produce green hydrogen, naphtha ad biochar as alternative clean energy sources.

He also said that the LRT project in Khon Kaen will serve as a model for other provinces in developing their own mass transit systems using clean energy as fuel.