Thailand’s M6 motorway between Bang Pa-in and Pak Chong will be free to use every weekend starting today, August 21, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn announced.
The road will be open from noon Friday through midnight Sunday, cutting travel time on the route from three hours to two.
During this trial period, speeds are capped at 80km/h and only four-wheeled vehicles are allowed on the road. The trial runs from August 21 to December 25, 2026, after which the motorway opens permanently with speed limits set by the Department of Highways, capped at 120km/h.
Drivers heading toward Bangkok from Nakhon Ratchasima still face a gap in the route: the interchange at Pak Chong isn’t finished yet, so they need to exit the M6 there, drive a stretch of Mittraphap Road, then re-enter the motorway at the Muang Luem toll plaza. That gap is expected to close when the motorway fully opens on December 25.
Pipat said construction is about 92% complete, with the Department of Highways tracking progress weekly. Around 13 remaining segments still need to be lifted into place, work he expects to finish by the end of November, followed by system testing and surface checks through December.
Toll collection systems are still being installed. Pipat said tolling is expected to start sometime after April 2027, though officials haven’t decided whether that will be before or after Songkran — road users have suggested waiting until after the festival to avoid adding toll-booth queues to the holiday traffic.
“I’ll discuss this with the Director-General of the Department of Highways,” Pipat said. “The toll for the full route, end to end, is expected to top out at around 250 baht.”
Pipat framed the M6 as an alternative route, letting drivers choose between the toll motorway above and the free road below. Taking the M6 should mean a faster, more predictable trip, since it skips the intersections, traffic lights and congestion on Mittraphap Road.
Asked about complaints over patchy lighting on parts of the M6, Pipat said the Department of Highways needs to get every light working and eliminate any dangerous or poorly lit stretches, with a target of finishing before December 25 — work he expects to start soon.
He also urged drivers using the M6 during the trial to stay alert and stick to the 80km/h limit, warning that a smoother road surface can tempt drivers to speed up in ways that raise the risk of accidents.
“After December 25, during the year-end holidays, we’ll still open the road to smaller vehicles first. After the New Year holiday, all vehicle types will be allowed on the route, with different speed limits depending on vehicle type, since small and large vehicles have different speed restrictions,” Pipat said.
Two temporary rest stops are currently available in both directions, at Thap Wang and Sikhio. Permanent rest stops will be built and run by a private concessionaire, with the contract expected to be signed in February 2027 before construction begins under a two-year timeline.
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