Controlled-access highways in Thailand are systems that can be used only by cars, trucks, and certain types of buses, forming a spider-web network around the Greater Bangkok area and eventually covering the entire country. Currently, there are three different systems in Thailand. The first system, known as the "Intercity Motorway," is owned and operated by the Department of Highways. The second system is the "Expressway," which is owned by the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) and operated by the Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company (BEM), with some expressway routes directly operated by the EXAT itself. The third system is the "Concession Highway," commonly known as the "Tollway," which is owned by the Department of Highways but operated by a private company. The Tollway currently has one route, the Don Mueang Tollway, operated by the Don Mueang Tollway Public Company.
The first controlled-access highway in Thailand is the Din Daeng - Tha Reau section of the Chaloem Maha Nakhon Expressway, opened on 29 October 1981, linking Vibhavadhi Rangsit Road to Bangkok Port with a total distance of 8.9 kilometers.