Thailand expects its 609km (378-mile) portion of a high-speed railway that will connect it with China through Laos to begin operations in 2030, its government said on Wednesday, nearly a decade later than originally planned.
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More than one-third of construction has been completed in the segment connecting the capital Bangkok to the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, about 220km (137 miles) away and the whole line to Nong Khai at the border with Laos would be ready by 2030, said Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub.
A US$6 billion, 1,000km (621-mile) rail line from the Laotian capital Vientiane to the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming began service in 2021, a venture 70 per cent owned by Beijing. That line will connect with Thailand’s Nong Khai via Vientiane, about 25km (16 miles) away, and a bridge built over the Mekong River. In all, the Thai network is estimated to cost 434 billion baht (US$12.6 billion).
“This is an opportunity for Thailand to connect to the global economy,” Jirayu said, adding it would bring Thailand closer to its goal of becoming a logistics hub. The announcement comes a year after China urged Thailand to progress faster on the rail link.
Thailand is looking to improve its connectivity with China, its biggest trading partner, as Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy struggles to match the pace of the growth of its regional peers. Beyond trade, the two nations are also forging closer tourism ties as both countries last year waived tourist visas for their citizens.
Discussions on the rail line started nearly two decades ago and Thailand and China signed agreements on its construction in 2017 with plans to begin operations in 2021. But construction met delays over disagreements on financing and design, and disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Laos’ China-made railway brings connection at a cost
Laos’ China-made railway brings connection at a cost
The plan is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative to grow global trade and infrastructure, which includes plans for three routes originating in Kunming that pass through Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.