Exploring Behavioral Intentions and Sustainability Perspectives for the China–Laos High-Speed Rail Service Among Thai People: A Comparative Study of Urban and Rural Zones

The Belt and Road Initiative’s infrastructure development faces significant challenges in understanding and addressing the divergent perceptions between urban and rural populations, particularly regarding high-speed rail projects. This study investigates the behavioral intentions and sustainability perspectives regarding the China–Laos High-Speed Rail Service among Thai people, with particular focus on urban–rural differences. While the China–Laos railway became operational in December 2021, it is important to note that the high-speed rail extension into Thailand is not yet in operation and remains in the planning and development stage. Using survey data from 2866 respondents (1301 urban and 1565 rural) across 22 Thai provinces, this study employs structural equation modeling to examine relationships between perceived benefits, service quality, cultural factors, emotional aspects, and behavioral intentions. The findings reveal significant urban–rural disparities in infrastructure acceptance patterns. Urban residents demonstrate stronger relationships between perceived benefits and attitudes (β = 0.260) compared to rural residents (β = 0.170), while rural populations show substantially stronger responses to cultural factors (β = 0.365 vs. β = 0.309). Service quality more strongly influences behavioral intentions in rural areas (β = 0.154 vs. β = 0.138), suggesting varying priorities across geographical contexts. The study recommends implementing differentiated development strategies that address these urban–rural differences, including culturally sensitive rural engagement approaches and comprehensive service quality management systems. This research contributes to infrastructure development literature by empirically validating spatial heterogeneity in acceptance factors, extending theoretical frameworks on sustainability perceptions, and providing evidence-based guidance for managing urban–rural disparities in major infrastructure projects.