Samma Keetsin
Director and Independent Director, Sena Development Public Company Limited

When it comes to real estate development in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces, most people tend to focus primarily on the development of transportation routes in the rail system, particularly the mass transit rail lines, including both Heavy Rail and Light Rail, as well as suburban rail systems. This is because they can transport a large number of passengers at once, and those passengers are the residents along those routes.

As for the new rail transportation routes currently under construction, significant progress has been made, with plans to open in 2022 or 2023. These include two light rail mass transit lines:

The Light Rail Mass Transit Line (Yellow Line) from Lat Phrao to Samrong is expected to partially open (starting from Samrong Station to Wat Sri Iam Station) in June 2022, with full service anticipated by 2023. The fare will start at 14 baht and not exceed 42 baht.

The Light Rail Mass Transit Line (Pink Line) from Khae Rai to Min Buri is expected to open (starting from the terminal station in Min Buri to Wat Phra Si Mahathat Station or the Government Center) in September 2022, with full service expected by 2023. The fare will also start at 14 baht and not exceed 42 baht.

In the following year, 2024 or 2025, there will be a Heavy Rail Mass Transit Line (Orange Line) from the Cultural Center Station to Min Buri (Suwinthawong), with fares starting at 15 baht and not exceeding 45 baht.

These 2-3 projects have faced delays, with the opening dates being postponed due to various obstacles, including issues with concession approvals, land expropriation in urban areas that are already quite developed, traffic problems during construction, labor shortages, and COVID-19 pandemic control measures.

In addition to the rail system, road transportation routes are also crucial for real estate development. The key agencies responsible for road transportation development include the Expressway Authority of Thailand, which oversees expressways, the Department of Highways, which manages special highways (or motorways), national highways (connecting provinces and districts), and concession highways, as well as the Department of Rural Roads, which looks after rural roads, local roads, and concession highways. Meanwhile, main roads, secondary roads, alleys, and connecting roads are managed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Currently, there are motorway projects under construction, expected to open in the next 1-2 years:

Motorway No. 6 Bang Pa-In-Korat is over 90% complete, with the project starting point and the nearest toll gate to Bangkok and its vicinity being the Bang Pa-In toll gate, scheduled to open in 2023-2024.

Motorway No. 81 Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi is over 70% complete, with the project starting point and the nearest toll gate to Bangkok and its vicinity being the Bang Yai toll gate, scheduled to open in 2023-2024.

Additionally, there are road networks that have partially opened, such as the construction of the upper Ratchaphruek Road expansion, the construction of the Pran Nok-Putthamonthon connecting road from Charansanitwong to Phutthamonthon Sai 2, which will connect to Phutthamonthon Sai 3 and Sai 4. There is also the construction of the road along Khlong Bang Khen behind Kasetsart University, connecting Vibhavadi Rangsit Road with Phahonyothin Road, and the road under Don Mueang Airport connecting Vibhavadi Rangsit Road with Phahonyothin 50 to cross to Thepraksas Road (Rattanakosin Somphot Road), as well as the construction of a connecting road between Bangkok-Krit Road and Chalerm Phrakiat R. 9 Road.

This does not include the construction of the third ring road, which has been in the news for 2-3 years and is expected to begin construction on the eastern side first, starting from the Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok Road area between Khlong 10 and Khlong 11, extending down to cross Lam Luk Ka Road and Kanchanaphisek Road to Bang Na-Trad Road.

Most of these road networks are located in the urban fringe and suburban areas of Bangkok and the surrounding provinces, facilitating the development of horizontal real estate projects, including housing estates, community malls, and shopping centers, as well as low-rise projects such as residential condominiums and office buildings.

Real estate developers must pay attention to the development of road transportation routes alongside rail transportation routes to keep pace with urban development. Because wherever transportation routes reach, it means that the customer base can easily expand to those areas in the near future.