Phuket tunnel would cut Patong drive from 30 minutes to five
The 16,757 million baht route would cut the 30-minute trip between Kathu and Patong to five minutes through a mountain tunnel. EXAT targets opening in October 2031. The story Phuket tunnel would cut Patong drive from 30 minutes to five as seen on Thaiger News .
Ministerial approval in December could see a 3.98km tunnel under Khao Nak Kerd cut a 30-minute drive to Phuket's Patong beach to just five minutes. The 16.8bn baht project, which would replace an accident-prone hill road, has seen costs trimmed after reducing both tunnel size and tolls. The 14m-wide tunnel, the largest in Thailand, would have four lanes, two for cars and two for motorcycles, separated by barriers.
With an expected 50,000 to 60,000 vehicles a day, tolls would generate about 960,000 baht daily. The project's financial return is 1.81% against borrowing costs of 4% to 5%, with a payback period of over 20 years. About 5.8bn baht of the total cost will be spent on land acquisition, with construction and supervision estimated at 11bn baht.
EXAT will build the civil works and bring in a private partner for operation and maintenance. The tunnel is the first phase of a 34.6km, 84.2bn baht Phuket expressway, with the second phase planned to link Mueang Mai near the airport with Koh Kaew and Kathu. Detailed design for the second phase is due in January 2027, with Cabinet approval sought later that year.
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