Bangkok: Motorway M81 to Kanchanaburi is now open for free use 24 hours a day, starting at 12:01 AM. The Department of Highways has invited the public to experience this new route, which connects Bang Yai to Kanchanaburi. It is anticipated that 50,000 vehicles will utilize the motorway daily.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Mallika Jiraphanwanich, Deputy Minister of Transport, inspected the Bang Yai Toll Plaza in Nonthaburi Province to assess the readiness for the trial opening of the M81 Motorway. The Department of Highways has initiated a trial run of the 96-kilometer Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi Intercity Motorway (M81) across all eight toll plazas, providing toll-free access around the clock. This initiative is designed to offer a more convenient, faster, and safer route to the western region of Thailand. The service is currently available to all vehicles that use the motorway.
During this trial period, speed limits are set at 80 kilometers per hour for cars, pickup trucks, vans, trucks, and buses, while trailers have a maximum speed limit of 65 kilometers per hour. Ongoing construction and testing of systems are in place to ensure safety for road users. The free trial period is expected to attract around 50,000 vehicles on a daily basis.
The Department of Highways plans to fully operationalize the motorway, complete with toll collection and a maximum speed limit of 120 km/h, by January 2026. This will reduce the travel time from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi to approximately 48 minutes from the current duration of nearly two hours. Upon full opening, the toll for four-wheel vehicles from the Bang Yai toll gate in Nonthaburi to Kanchanaburi will be 150 baht, for six-wheel vehicles 240 baht, and for vehicles with more than six wheels 350 baht. For further details, the public can contact the Department of Highways hotline at 1586, which is toll-free and available 24 hours a day.