Thai highway network

Highway Sign

The Thai highway network follows the left-hand traffic rule of the road. The network is the twin responsibility of the Department of Highways (DOH, Thai: กรมทางหลวง, Krom Thang Luang), and the Department of Rural Roads (DORR, กรมทางหลวงชนบท, Krom Thang Luang Chonnabot), under the oversight of the Transportation ministry of Thailand. Public highways (ทางหลวง, thang luang) are also called public roads (ถนนหลวง, thanon luang), especially when part of urban streets. The network spans over 70,000 kilometers across all regions of Thailand.[1] Most are single carriageways. Dual carriageways have frequent u-turn lanes and intersections slowing down traffic. Coupled with the increase in the number of vehicles and the demand for a limited-access motorway, the Thai Government issued a Cabinet resolution in 1997 detailing the motorway construction master plan.[2] Some upgraded sections of highway are being turned into a "motorway", while other motorways are not being built from highway sections.

Types of highways

The 1992 Highway Act (Thai: พระราชบัญญัติทางหลวง พ.ศ. 2535), revised as the 2006 Highway Act (Thai: พระราชบัญญัติทางหลวง (ฉบับที่ 2) พ.ศ. 2549), defines the following five highway types:[3]

A special highway (Thai: ทางหลวงพิเศษ) or motorway is a high capacity highway designed for high speed traffic, for which the Department of Highways carries out construction, expansion, upkeep and repairs, and is registered as such. Motorway entrances and exits have controlled access, and controlled by the DOH. Registration of motorways is overseen by the Director General of the DOH.

A national highway (Thai: ทางหลวงแผ่นดิน) is a primary highway, part of the network connecting regions, provinces, districts, and other important destinations, for which the DOH carries out construction, expansion, upkeep and repairs. Registration of national highways is overseen by the Director General of the DOH.

A rural highway (Thai: ทางหลวงชนบท) or rural road is a highway for which the Department of Rural Roads carries out construction, expansion, upkeep and repairs. Registration of rural highways is overseen by the Director General of the DORR.

A local highway (Thai: ทางหลวงท้องถิ่น) or local route is a highway for which the local administrative organization carries out construction, expansion, upkeep and repairs. Registration of rural highways is overseen by the provincial governor.

A concession highway (Thai: ทางหลวงสัมปทาน) is a highway for which a legal government concession has been granted. Registration of concession highways is overseen by the Director General of the DOH.

Highway numbering

The first digit of a highway number indicates the region of Thailand it serves, with the number of digits indicating the highway classification.[4] These regions are:

  1. Northern Thailand.
  2. Northeastern Thailand.
  3. Central and eastern, including the upper south.
  4. Southern Thailand, except the upper south.

A single digit indicates one of four highways connecting Bangkok to outlying regions:[4]

Two digits indicate a principal highway within a region, such as Route 22 in the northeast between Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom.[4]

Three digits indicate a regional secondary highway, such as northeastern Route 202 between Chaiyaphum and Khemarat, and central Route 314 between Bang Pakong and Cha Choeng Sao.[4]

Four digits indicate an intra-province highway connecting a provincial capital to its districts, or between important sites, such as northern Route 1001 between the Route 11 intersection and Amphoe Phrao, and southern Route 4006 between the Route 4 intersection (Ratchakrut) and Lang Suan.[4]

Highways by region

Northern Thailand

Sign on Route 12 in the north of the country
Bridge construction on route 108
Route 12/Asian Highway 16 in Phetchabun Province being widened (2013 CE)

Northeastern Thailand

Central Thailand including eastern region

AH1, AH2 and Thailand Route 32 in Ayutthaya

Southern Thailand

(Please expand)

Department of Highway signage

Route number signs

DOH signs for public highways (ทางหลวง, thang luang) are white squares with a black garuda (ครุฑ khrut) centered above the route number.

Signs near the beginning of a route may display the highway's name on a white rectangle above or below the square.

Highways bypassing city centres bear the principal route number marked "Bypass" in Thai (เลี่ยงเมือง), and sometimes also in English.

Department of Rural Roads

DORR rural roads do not follow the regional numbering scheme, above.

Signs may be black-on-white or gold-on-blue, with a two-letter province designation prefixed to the road number. Depicted is YS.4011, for a rural road in Yasothon Province. The rural road network measures some 35,000 km, about 82 percent of which is paved. The Department of Rural Roads of the Ministry of Transport takes care of the maintenance of all the rural roads in Thailand.[5]

Kilometre stones

A kilometre zero stone in northern Thailand
Main article: Milestone
Milestone as goal is lakh chai (หลักชัย); also see Lak Mueang, Lakh.

Lak or Lakh kilomet (หลักกิโลเมตร) single-carriageway kilometre stone facings display the route number on the outline of a garuda. Some kilometre stones also display the route number on top. Those located to the left of the carriageway display kilometres remaining to the road's beginning at kilometre 0. As seen on the right from the opposite lane, the kilometre stones ascend in value as one proceeds away from kilometre 0. On edges facing traffic, DOH kilometre stones usually show distances remaining to the next two towns, (amphoe seats, or provincial capitals.) Some edges, such as the one depicted to the left, have retroreflector panels. Dual carriageway kilometre stones or posts in the median strip show only the kilometre number.


DORR milestones show the kilometre number, and the edges may show distances remaining to the next two villages.


Older roads built by the Ministry of the Interior Public Works Department (กรมโยธาธิการ กระทรวงมหาดไทย) have only departmental insignia and kilometre number, and do not show distances on their edges.


This type of kilometre stone is sometimes found on older rural highways built during a period of rural development several decades ago. They are marked with the Thai characters รพช, an abbreviation for Rengrat Pattana Chonabot (เร่งรัดพัฒนาชนบท) which, roughly translated, means Rapid Rural Development.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Thailand Public Relations Department Transport and Communication. Retrieved October 14, 2008. Archived March 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ Paper "Privatization of Highway Infrastructure in Thailand" Bureau of Planning, Department of Highways, Thailand. Retrieved 2008-10-19. Archived July 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ DOH website, ประเภททางหลวง, retrieved on November 13, 2008 Archived December 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "ระบบหมายเลขทางหลวง". Department of Highways website. Department of Highways. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  5. ↑ World Bank, Transport in Thailand. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
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