The policy of making the Phuket Kathu-Patong Expressway "free" is the reason construction keeps being postponed.

The policy of making the Phuket Kathu-Patong Expressway free to use is the primary reason construction continues to be postponed, according to officials reviewing the 3.98-kilometre project. The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) has completed the terms of reference for the 16-billion-baht first phase in Phuket but has not advanced to the bidding process due to ongoing political debate over toll exemptions.

Financial Concerns and Policy Shifts

National economic planning and budget agencies have warned that subsidising construction and waiving tolls on the Phuket expressway would strain fiscal discipline and increase the country’s budget burden. Their feedback was in response to EXAT’s inquiry about implementing the free-use policy promoted by Deputy Prime Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn.

The project, first studied in 2010 and approved for a public-private partnership in 2022, failed to attract private investors at auction. EXAT then proposed to fund construction directly, with private involvement limited to operations and maintenance.

Recent policy shifts, including a temporary transfer of responsibility to the Department of Highways to enable free access, have led to repeated delays. The process of reassigning the project and reviewing its scope has extended timelines by years, frustrating Phuket residents seeking expedited construction.

Source: https://www.dailynews.co.th/news/5757249/