Thailand signs four agreements with China on development of high speed train project

[webfact]

Thailand signs four agreements with China on development of high speed train project

By Thai PBS

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Thailand and China have signed four agreements on the national high-speed rail project which is scheduled to begin construction in October of this year.

 

Transport minister Akhom Termphittayapaisit yesterday witnessed the signing of agreements in Beijing between Thailand and China covering the construction of the national high-speed rail project.

 

Four agreements were signed which covers the first phase of design and development of a high-speed rail network connecting Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-signs-four-agreements-china-development-high-speed-train-project/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-09-06

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand signs deals with Chinese state firms for high-speed railway

By Panarat Thepgumpanat

 

Bangkok (Reuters) - Thailand have signed two contracts, worth 5.2 billion baht ($157 million), with Chinese state enterprises for a high-speed rail project with China, Anon Luengboriboon, acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand, told Reuters on Wednesday.

 

The first contract covers the detailed engineering design of the project worth 1.7 billon baht, while the second involves the hiring of Chinese technical advisers, worth 3.5 billion baht.

 

The Thai government and Chinese state enterprises signed the to contracts this week, witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on the sideline of a BRICS summit in China.

 

Construction of the first phase of the project, a 250-km rail line that will link the Thai capital, Bangkok, and the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, will begin in October. It is expected to be operational in 2021, according to Anon.

 

"The Department of Highways will build the first 3.5 km of the rail line while the rest will be open to public bidding for Thai contractors,” Anon told Reuters.

 

"The signing of these two contracts has officially kicked-off the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project."

 

The project has been in the making since 2014 but was beset with delays, held up by negotiations over everything from the cost and loan terms to land-development rights.

 

The full line will span 873 km (542 miles), linking Thailand and Laos across the Mekong river at the northeastern Thai city of Nong Khai.

 

The project is part of China’s Belt and Road initiative, which aims to build a modern-day “Silk Road” connecting the world’s second-largest economy by land corridors to Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Central Asia, and with maritime routes opening up trade with the Middle East and Europe.($1 = 33.1400 baht)

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing Suphanida Thakral; Edited by Panu Wongcha-um, Robert Birsel)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-06

[jaiyen]

Department of Highways is to build a massive 3.5 Klms and the rest is open to every Tom, Dick and Harry to build a bit each !  Mini buses will be much safer.

 

[jaiyen]

Just noticed that the $157 million contract is only for engineering and technical advice, nothing for any construction.  So whoever builds it is going to be taught how to do it by Chinese engineers. Major language problems ahead, Chinese teaching Thais, who tell Burmese and Laos labourers what to do.  Gonna be a complete farce. 

[Lupatria]

Another disaster in the making.

[Toshiba66]

Put that money into education and hope for the best.  Clearly those making these decisions missed out.

[12DrinkMore]

- I can go along with the detailed engineering for USD 53,000,000, or USD 212,000 for each kilometer of track.

 

- but who are all these advisors running at USD 106,000,000, or USD 424,000 for each kilometer?

 

- And what is the price for each physical kilometer of track?

 

Sounds like there will be a few Benz's and mia nois involved somewhere.

[dinsdale]

Huge brown envelopes sorted. We can now go ahead. Smaller (from huge in descending order) brown envelopes can be sorted later. 

[Dave67]

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

Just noticed that the $157 million contract is only for engineering and technical advice, nothing for any construction.  So whoever builds it is going to be taught how to do it by Chinese engineers. Major language problems ahead, Chinese teaching Thais, who tell Burmese and Laos labourers what to do.  Gonna be a complete farce. 

Yes I would pay 20 baht for Chinese "Technical " advice

[wvavin]

This project definitely enriched many government officials.

[maxpower]

Billions of Baht down the drain and unfortunately the money is disappearing at speeds faster than the trains will ever achieve.

 

Benz dealers - get stocked up.

 

 

[does]

2 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Department of Highways is to build a massive 3.5 Klms and the rest is open to every Tom, Dick and Harry to build a bit each !  Mini buses will be much safer.

 

Tom, Dick and Harry?

[RichardColeman]

The only thing I can guarantee about this project - if it ever is completed, and I'll be safely back in the UK then I think - is that within a year or less there will be a fatal train wreck due to an idiot in a pick up thinking he can get across before the train comes ! 

[OnTheRun]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

The only thing I can guarantee about this project - if it ever is completed, and I'll be safely back in the UK then I think - is that within a year or less there will be a fatal train wreck due to an idiot in a pick up thinking he can get across before the train comes ! 

If it is anything like the Chinese HST network it will be for the most part elevated.

[DogNo1]

Spend the money on education?  220,000 college grads currently unemployed in Thailand!

[baboon]

6 minutes ago, DogNo1 said:

Spend the money on education?  220,000 college grads currently unemployed in Thailand!

Well how about spending the money on upgrading some of the current rickety infrastructure and maintaining affordable fares?

[Golden Triangle]

This just about sums it up

 

 

[Chris Lawrence]

"Chinese debt is so bad that even Chinese bankers now say it's a 'bubble'" https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/chinese-debt-bad-even-chinese-200000552.html

 

So where is the money coming from? Thai banks may handle some but I suspect overseas money will flow in.

 

So they signed an agreement to build a railway but investigations are still in process? Environment Impact works? Thais may be pushing the cart with Chinese donkey siting in the cart.

[HHTel]

Well the freight rail link from China to the UK is already up and running.  If this project is completed, then the limits are extended.  Thailand to the UK and Europe.  No reason why it won't be completed.  China will make it happen. Freight has proved cheaper than air and quicker than sea.  

[HHTel]

China to the UK is 7,500 mile jump.  Another 150 mile extension into Thailand is a drop in the ocean.

 

[ross163103]

Be careful who you get into bed with.........

[SunsetT]

4 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

The only thing I can guarantee about this project - if it ever is completed, and I'll be safely back in the UK then I think - is that within a year or less there will be a fatal train wreck due to an idiot in a pick up thinking he can get across before the train comes ! 

I strongly suspect that a high speed link would be elevated similarly to BTS.

[Reigntax]

6 hours ago, does said:

Tom, Dick and Harry?

 English translation for Suthep, Somchai and Nomsod.

[Reigntax]

3 hours ago, Chris Lawrence said:

"Chinese debt is so bad that even Chinese bankers now say it's a 'bubble'" https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/chinese-debt-bad-even-chinese-200000552.html

 

So where is the money coming from? Thai banks may handle some but I suspect overseas money will flow in.

 

So they signed an agreement to build a railway but investigations are still in process? Environment Impact works? Thais may be pushing the cart with Chinese donkey siting in the cart.

 

The commission agreements have been sorted out. The construction, quality or whether it goes ahead is now irrelevant.

[webfact]

Thailand signs deals with Chinese state firms for high-speed railway

By Panarat Thepgumpanat

 

Bangkok (Reuters) - Thailand have signed two contracts, worth 5.2 billion baht ($157 million), with Chinese state enterprises for a high-speed rail project with China, Anon Luengboriboon, acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand, told Reuters on Wednesday.

 

The first contract covers the detailed engineering design of the project worth 1.7 billon baht, while the second involves the hiring of Chinese technical advisers, worth 3.5 billion baht.

 

The Thai government and Chinese state enterprises signed the to contracts this week, witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on the sideline of a BRICS summit in China.

 

Construction of the first phase of the project, a 250-km rail line that will link the Thai capital, Bangkok, and the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, will begin in October. It is expected to be operational in 2021, according to Anon.

 

"The Department of Highways will build the first 3.5 km of the rail line while the rest will be open to public bidding for Thai contractors,” Anon told Reuters.

 

"The signing of these two contracts has officially kicked-off the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project."

 

The project has been in the making since 2014 but was beset with delays, held up by negotiations over everything from the cost and loan terms to land-development rights.

 

The full line will span 873 km (542 miles), linking Thailand and Laos across the Mekong river at the northeastern Thai city of Nong Khai.

 

The project is part of China’s Belt and Road initiative, which aims to build a modern-day “Silk Road” connecting the world’s second-largest economy by land corridors to Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Central Asia, and with maritime routes opening up trade with the Middle East and Europe.($1 = 33.1400 baht)

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing Suphanida Thakral; Edited by Panu Wongcha-um, Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-07

[Mansell]

I see all the Thai bashers came out of their holes in the ground. Probably the same people who bashed the Skytrain etc. I look forward to zooming from Korat to BKK in just over an hour. If they don't do anything they get bashed, and when they are doing something they get bashed. Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Go Thailand!

[garbolino]

11 hours ago, Toshiba66 said:

Put that money into education and hope for the best.  Clearly those making these decisions missed out.

TRUE but Siam Country Club road could do with a little makeover.....!!!     use some money to get this open again

[Ossy]

10 hours ago, wvavin said:

This project definitely enriched many government officials.

Ah-ah . . . steady on. They're still at the 'excited rubbing of hands' stage.

[Ricardo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The project has been in the making since 2014 but was beset with delays, held up by negotiations over everything from the cost and loan terms to land-development rights.

 

Someone should tell Reuters that this project has been under-discussion, in its present form, for at least a couple of decades, it was certainly a major priority in Yingluck's & Abhisit's times, and IIRC Thaksin used to discuss it with his chums up in Beijing.

 

Looking back in history, there have been plans to link Singapore to China by-rail for a century or more, since the days of the French & British South-East Asian empires !

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunming–Singapore_railway

 

What will be interesting to learn is the interest-rate, the security for those loans, and who gets the land-development rights, until those are known then this remains merely a design-study.  Albeit one which seems more-likely to go-ahead, now.

[Ossy]

10 hours ago, does said:

Tom, Dick and Harry?

Spend a day in England . . . you'll soon learn who T, D & H are!    Seriously, though,  'every T, D & H' means ANYBODY