The Department of Rail Transport is accelerating the new Chumphon–Ranong Port railway project, spanning 110 kilometres with an investment of over 27.29 billion baht, to link transport routes from southern China and the north down to the Indian Ocean. Mr. Pichet Kunathammarak, Director-General of the Department of Rail Transport, revealed that the State Railway of Thailand has completed the detailed design study for the route and is preparing to submit the environmental impact assessment report to the National Environment Board. If the government pushes forward according to the timeline, the report could be approved within this year, and bidding for construction is expected to open in 2027, with construction taking about two to three years. Once completed, it will create a Ranong Gateway, connecting the railway network from Chiang Rai to Ranong Port and onward to the south, as well as enabling water transport via the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Thailand.