K-Expressway Expands into ASEAN... Korea-Thailand Forge Road Alliance

Korea Expressway Corporation and Expressway Authority of Thailand Sign MOU
Comprehensive Cooperation from Design and Operation
to ITS and Toll Collection Technology

Korea’s expressway operation expertise is set to make a full-scale expansion into the ASEAN transportation infrastructure market.

On January 13, Korea Expressway Corporation announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for mutual cooperation in the road and transportation sector with the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) at its traffic control center.

At the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony for mutual cooperation in the road and transportation sector, Ham Jin-kyu, President of Korea Expressway Corporation (right), and Surachet Laopulsuk, Director General of the Expressway Authority of Thailand (left), are posing for a commemorative photo.

This agreement aims to share the extensive experience and technological capabilities both organizations have accumulated in expressway design, construction, operation, and safety management, and to establish a foundation for future cooperation in response to rapidly changing transportation environments. It is especially significant as it goes beyond simple exchanges, targeting practical technology transfer and joint development.

The main points of the agreement include sharing expertise in expressway design, construction, operation, and safety management, as well as personnel and technology exchanges related to advanced transportation technologies such as intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and electronic toll collection systems (ETCS). The two organizations also agreed to hold joint seminars and dispatch experts to each other, organically accumulating policy and field experience, and to further develop concrete models for mid- to long-term cooperation.

The Expressway Authority of Thailand, established in 1972 under the Ministry of Transport (MOT), is a key public corporation responsible for the construction, operation, and maintenance of toll expressways in Bangkok and surrounding areas. Currently, it operates seven expressway routes totaling 224 kilometers and 127 toll plazas, generating approximately 600 billion won in annual toll revenue and playing a pivotal role in Thailand’s transportation infrastructure.

Ham Jin-gyu, President of Korea Expressway Corporation, stated, “This agreement marks a strategic turning point that combines Korea’s expressway operation and safety management capabilities with Thailand’s urban traffic management experience. We will expand cooperation with ASEAN countries to enhance the global competitiveness of K-expressway technology and create new growth engines in the smart transportation field.”

Surachet Laopulsuk, Director General of the Expressway Authority of Thailand, also expressed his expectations, saying, “This collaboration between our two organizations will serve as an opportunity to simultaneously improve the efficiency and safety of Thailand’s expressways.”

With this MOU, Korea Expressway Corporation plans to accelerate international cooperation in transportation infrastructure, focusing on the ASEAN region, and to speed up the discovery of joint international projects and the spread of technology in its areas of strength such as ITS, smart tolling, and safety management. Attention is now focused on whether the cooperation between Korea and Thailand will become a practical alliance leading innovation in Asia’s transportation infrastructure.