[2] After the May 2014 coup there were further delays while the military government reviewed all HSR lines, initially deferring all projects.

During 2017, OTP and the Ministry of Transport in consultation with the SRT agreed that by extending the line to terminate at Don Mueang it would effectively include the long delayed extension of the Airport Rail Link (Bangkok) from Makkasan Station to Don Mueang Airport as part of the project.

In early-2018, the section to Rayong was excluded due to environmental and safety concerns and it was decided that the line would terminate at U-Tapao Airport.

According to Kanit Sangsubhan, Secretary-General of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office, tourist numbers will increase by eight percent due to the train.

[9] The Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group-led consortium consisting of Italian-Thai Development, China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd, CH.

Karnchang, and Bangkok Expressway and Metro, won the project with a 224 billion baht bid in December 2018.

[11][8] The project was eventually approved in October 2019 as a public private partnership between the Thai government and Charoen Pokphand/China Railway Construction Corporation.