M6 motorway to open new toll plaza access points from November 2
New access at Sikhio and Kham Thale So starts on November 2 as Thailand’s long-delayed M6 motorway continues phased trial openings.
- New entry and exit points will open at the Sikhio and Kham Thale So toll plazas on Thailand's M6 motorway from noon on November 2, 2026.
- The changes involve moving the Sikhio access point on Highway 201 and allowing vehicles to enter the M6 directly via the main carriageway at Kham Thale So.
- These new arrangements are intended to improve traffic flow, convenience, and safety for motorists.
- This update concerns only the new access points and does not signify the start of toll collection or the full commercial operation of the entire M6 motorway.
Thailand’s Department of Highways will introduce new entry and exit arrangements at two toll plazas on the Bang Pa-in–Nakhon Ratchasima motorway (M6) from noon on November 2, 2026, following the completion of toll plaza construction.
The changes at Sikhio and Kham Thale So are intended to improve traffic flow, convenience and safety as the long-delayed, 196-kilometre motorway continues to open in stages.
The route provides an alternative for journeys between the Bangkok metropolitan area and northeastern Thailand, helping ease pressure on existing roads, particularly during holidays.
New access at Sikhio and Kham Thale So
At Sikhio, the motorway’s entry and exit point will move to kilometre 6+000 on Highway 201, replacing the existing access at kilometre 5+500.
At Kham Thale So, vehicles will be able to continue straight along the main carriageway to enter M6 without using the side diversion.
The Department of Highways’ Intercity Motorway Division instructed drivers to use only the two right-hand lanes, designated as M-Flow lanes, when passing through the two plazas.
Motorists should follow warning signs, route guidance, traffic signals and officers’ instructions.
Design changes pushed construction beyond the 2020 target
The access improvements come against a backdrop of repeated delays to a project originally scheduled for completion in 2020, according to the Department of Highways’ 2018 project documents.
Construction was subsequently complicated by engineering revisions, changes to contracts and the approval process for additional work.
A government explanation published in 2022 attributed the need for redesigns partly to differences between actual site conditions and survey and design work carried out in 2008. Adjustments were also required to accommodate utilities, irrigation infrastructure and community access.
A Cabinet account published in March 2024 identified 16 of the project’s 40 construction sections as requiring design changes.
The revisions added more than THB6.7 billion to construction contract costs. Although the revised total remained within the overall approved construction budget, the changes required additional budget and contract approvals.
Phased trials remain separate from full commercial operation
The Department of Highways has opened sections for toll-free trial use while work continues on the wider project.
Under the department’s trial-opening arrangements, the Pak Chong–Nakhon Ratchasima section is available free of charge every day, around the clock.
The approximately 110-kilometre Bang Pa-in–Pak Chong section operates under weekend trial arrangements, from noon on Fridays until midnight on Sundays. Temporary extensions have also provided alternative routes during flooding.
Beyond the roadworks, the project includes separate programmes for toll collection and traffic-management systems, operation and maintenance, and rest-area development.
The November 2 announcement concerns access at the two plazas. It does not announce the start of toll collection or full commercial operation across the entire M6 route.
