The announcement, made in Parliament today (Oct 30), marks the most radical shake-up of the project in nearly a decade. The tunnel width will be reduced from 17 metres to 10m. Responsibility will move from EXAT to the Department of Highways. Tolls will be scrapped entirely.
Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee railed against the decision, calling it a “complete demolition” of years of progress.
In a post online today, he blasted the Transport Ministry’s move as a betrayal of public safety and a political failure.
“The never-ending epic of the Patong Tunnel ‒ which nation will get it? When will it be built? When will Phuket’s safety stop being a political game?” he wrote.
“The Patong Tunnel is a life-threatening emergency! It’s not just about convenience ‒ it’s about people’s lives and Phuket’s safety image.”
MP Chalermpong pointed to the Kathu-Patong road ‒ the island’s steepest and most dangerous route ‒ where trucks frequently lose power and over the years crashes have killed tourists and locals alike.
In October 2022 a large section of the road over Patong Hill plunged downhill after heavy rains. Another landslip a year later, this one much smaller, spurred concerns that an alternative route over the hill was finally critical.
MP Chalermpong accused the government of indifference. “Nearly a decade of studies must now be scrapped,” he said. “Most worryingly, the motorcycle lanes ‒ designed for safety ‒ could disappear.
“Are there genuine engineering problems, or is this just an excuse to restart the process and open new doors for hidden interests or kickbacks?”
He warned that restarting design studies would waste hundreds of millions of baht and delay the project by years.
“Phuket generates billions in revenue for the country, yet we’re left with dangerous roads and endless redesigns,” he said. “Every time there’s a change, the project is pushed back ‒ and the death toll on Patong Hill continues to rise. It’s as if Phuket’s lives are just an overlooked number.”
YEARS OF DELAY, SHIFTING PLANS
Just two months ago, on Aug 26, Cabinet approved a new financing model for the long-stalled project, allowing EXAT to directly undertake construction of the Kathu-Patong section ‒ officially called the ‘Phuket Expressway Project (Phase 1)’ ‒ at a cost of nearly B11 billion.
That decision marked a shift away from the previous private-sector model approved in January 2022, which failed after no bidders came forward.
Under the revised model, EXAT was authorised to fund construction through borrowing or bond issuance, backed by the Ministry of Finance. The project’s total budget was set at B10.96 billion, covering construction and supervision costs.
The 3.98-kilometre route was designed to include a 900-metre elevated approach, a 1.85km tunnel through Khao Nakkerd hill, and a further 1.23km of elevated road. The design featured four lanes in each direction, divided for cars and motorcycles, with a flat toll planned to start at B15 for motorcycles and B40 for cars, rising every five years.
Construction was expected to begin in 2026, with completion in 2030.
EXAT said the tunnel would dramatically reduce travel times between Kathu and Patong, ease congestion on Highway 4029, and improve safety.
Land expropriation ‒ costing about B5.75bn ‒ was completed only earlier this year. Patong Municipality began clearing the designated area last month, with around 230 eligible recipients already compensated.
At the time, EXAT described the project as ready to proceed. But today’s announcement by Transport Minister Phipat has thrown that readiness into disarray, effectively resetting the project and erasing years of technical, financial, and engineering work.
Phuket residents and local leaders are now demanding answers ‒ and action ‒ before the island’s most critical safety project slips back into limbo yet again.