Kathu-Patong Tunnel and the Phuket Expressway: Where Things Stand

The tunnel

The Patong Tunnel is the first phase of the Phuket Expressway: a 3.98 km Kathu-Patong section with a tunnel under Patong Hill, budgeted at 16.76 billion baht. It aims to cut the trip between the airport area and Patong to roughly 20 to 30 minutes. A planned toll of 20 baht and a target opening in 2031 were reported in June.

The Transport Ministry has said the project is expected to go to the Cabinet for approval in the fourth quarter of 2026. If approved, construction would take roughly four years.

The rest of the expressway

The second phase is a much longer elevated road of about 30.6 km from Mueang Mai near the airport through Koh Kaeo to Kathu, where it would link to the tunnel. It is meant to ease the pressure on the main north-south road, Thepkrasattri Road.

Light rail, buses and the airport

The long-discussed light rail would run from the airport to Chalong Circle. The transport minister has said it is still government policy, but the first phase is expected to proceed only after 2030, and electric buses are being promoted first. Phuket airport's capacity is also planned to grow from 12.5 million to 18 million passengers a year, though a local MP has said the plans are unclear and that the runway is already at full capacity.

What it means for residents and visitors

None of this changes the roads this season, so allow extra time for airport transfers and for travel to Patong in the high season. For people choosing where to live or invest, the dates matter: the tunnel would not open before 2031, and the timeline is still dependent on Cabinet approval and construction progress.