M82 Ekkachai–Ban Phaeo stretch opens for 24-hour toll-free trial use
The 16.4-kilometre stretch extends toll-free trial access to a continuous 25-kilometre elevated route from Bang Khun Thian to Ban Phaeo, 24 hours a day.
- A 16.4-kilometre stretch of the M82 motorway, from Ekkachai to Ban Phaeo, has opened for a 24-hour, toll-free trial period.
- This new section connects with a previously opened part, creating a continuous 25-kilometre elevated route above Rama II Road to ease traffic.
- The trial route is accessible at four points but is restricted to four-wheeled vehicles, trucks, and buses, with speed limits of 80 km/h and 65 km/h respectively.
- The toll-free trial is temporary, with full service and toll collection on the M82 motorway targeted to begin in 2029.
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn presided on Friday (August 28, 2026) over the opening for trial use of a further 16.4-kilometre stretch of Intercity Motorway No. 82 (M82), from Ekkachai to Ban Phaeo.
Those attending the opening at the Ban Phaeo access point in Samut Sakhon included Chayatan Phromsorn, permanent secretary for transport, and Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisarn, director-general of the Department of Highways (DOH), along with senior ministry and provincial officials, transport-agency executives, highway police, MPs, agency representatives and members of the media.
Members of parliament, executives, agency representatives and members of the media were also present at the Ban Phaeo access point in Samut Sakhon.
Phiphat said the opening allowed motorists to use the elevated route above Rama II Road continuously from Bang Khun Thian Interchange through Ekkachai to Ban Phaeo, covering a total distance of about 25 kilometres, free of charge every day and around the clock.
It provided another travel option from Bangkok and its surrounding provinces to southern Thailand while helping to improve traffic flow on Rama II Road below.
Motorists can enter and leave the route at four points: Phanthai Norasing, Mahachai 1, Mahachai 2 and Ban Phaeo.
The elevated route then connects with Rama II Road towards Samut Songkhram, Wang Manao Interchange in Ratchaburi and other southern provinces.
The Samut Sakhon 1 and 2 access points are not yet open because construction is continuing.
The move also puts ready sections of infrastructure into public use as quickly as possible under the Quick Win policy of the government and the Transport Ministry.
The 8.3-kilometre Bang Khun Thian–Ekkachai stretch has been open for trial use since Wednesday (October 22, 2025), while a further 16.4 kilometres between Ekkachai and Ban Phaeo opened on Friday, bringing the total length continuously available for use to about 25 kilometres.
It marks an important milestone in efforts to address travel problems on Rama II Road, the main route linking Bangkok with southern Thailand.
M82 will help separate long-distance traffic from local traffic, reduce vehicle volumes on the road below and improve traffic flow, particularly during holidays and festivals.
It also connects with the southern and western sections of M9, the Bangkok Outer Ring Road (Kanchanaphisek Road), as well as the Rama III–Dao Khanong–Western Bangkok Outer Ring Expressway project.
Together, these links form a continuous transport network from Bangkok through Samut Sakhon to western and southern Thailand, reducing travel and transport time and costs while connecting economic areas, production bases, industrial centres and major tourist destinations.
The network supports trade, investment, tourism and the country’s logistics system.
Phiphat instructed the DOH and relevant agencies to closely manage the route, traffic, personnel and emergency assistance systems, especially at entry and exit points and the Ban Phaeo connection.
He also called for clear public information on conditions of use and speed limits, with public convenience and safety treated as the highest priority.
Piyapong said the DOH had checked the readiness of the elevated structure, traffic signs and road markings, and safety equipment, and had prepared staff and operational units to assist the public.
On Wednesday (August 26, 2026), the Engineering Institute of Thailand under H.M. the King’s Patronage (EIT), the Senate transport subcommittee and the DOH conducted an on-site Road Safety Audit (RSA) to assess readiness before the trial opening.
The department also coordinated with the Highway Police, provincial police, rescue units and local agencies to manage traffic and provide emergency assistance around the clock.
During the trial, it will monitor and evaluate safety, traffic management, road-user behaviour and the performance of various systems, using the findings to improve operational efficiency.
The DOH has set a speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour for four-wheeled motor vehicles and 65 kilometres per hour for trucks and buses.
Pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles of all engine sizes, tricycles and all types of wheeled carts are prohibited from using the M82 elevated route.
Rama II Road below remains available for normal use. Civil construction on M82 is about 98% complete, with the remaining work scheduled for completion in 2026.
Installation of the toll collection and traffic control systems is expected to begin in 2027, with full service and toll collection targeted for 2029.
“The Transport Ministry asks the public to comply strictly with signs, road markings and officials’ instructions, and not to park on the elevated route or in unauthorised areas. For information or emergency reports, call the DOH hotline on 1586 and press 82, 24 hours a day, or follow traffic updates from DOH Highway Radio at highwaytraffic.go.th/radio.”
