Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed rail contract inked with China

[webfact]

Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed rail contract inked with China

By The Nation

 

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, centre, presides over the signing ceremony.

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has hailed the development of the Thai-Sino high-speed rail project as key to strengthening the country's competitiveness.

 

The premier on Wednesday presided over the signing of “Contract 2.3” between the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), China Railway International and China Railway Design Corp at Government House.

 

The Bt50.63-billion contract is for Phase 1 of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed railway, which will run from Bangkok to Nong Khai. The contract covers construction of the track and electrical, signalling and communication systems, procurement of trains, maintenance and technology transfer.

 

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said that Phase 1 comprises a 253-kilometre stretch of track with six stations – Bang Sue, Don Muang, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Pak Chong and Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

The Thai side is entirely responsible for investment on this phase and the civil works, while the Chinese side will oversee the design and installation of track, electrical systems, train operation system, train procurement and personal training.

 

The Thai side is currently drafting the design of Phase 2 – a 354.5km track from Nong Khai to Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

Saksayam said the ministry will ask the Cabinet to approve the launch of an institute to conduct research and development of track system technology, aiming to increase the number of experts in the field.

 

This would help boost use of local materials, add about Bt21 billion in value to the Thai rail industry, and create jobs worth about Bt6 billion annually, he said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30396942

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-10-29

 

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[The Farang]

Buying Submarines and fast trains...  Meanwhile the Thai people get no help from the government and are out of work from this pandemic. 

[pegman]

27 minutes ago, The Farang said:

Buying Submarines and fast trains...  Meanwhile the Thai people get no help from the government and are out of work from this pandemic. 

Subs are on hold and the fast train network will provide 1,000's of needed jobs. As long as Thai labour is used rather than cheap migrants. 

[misterjames]

Quick quick secure your Chinese brown envelope before the people kick you out ????

[ezzra]

These plans were afoot for several years now and because of that i have bought some commercial properties in Khon Kean but gave up waiting and sold them when plans were put on the back burners for few years, but as far as the usefulness goes, it will be a boon to commerce and to the people of Thailand...

[Shuya]

A second Hopewell desaster in the making

[teacherclaire]

   The COVID aftermath train. 

[starky]

28 minutes ago, ezzra said:

These plans were afoot for several years now and because of that i have bought some commercial properties in Khon Kean but gave up waiting and sold them when plans were put on the back burners for few years, but as far as the usefulness goes, it will be a boon to commerce and to the people of Thailand...

Khon keen? Probably be better off buying on nong khai no?

[Geoffggi]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has hailed the development of the Thai-Sino high-speed rail project as key to strengthening the country's competitiveness.

Which country exactly, Thailand or China ? - Thailand incurs more debt with the mother country ....!!!

[Emdog]

Per old old tune 16 Tons:

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

[recom273]

1 hour ago, starky said:

Khon keen? Probably be better off buying on nong khai no?

I just bought land in a village outside KKC, it’s way more developed and more of a commercial hub then Nong Khai, which, over the times I have been there has never changed from a sleepy Mekong town. 

[steven100]

Great work by Khun Prayut Chan O Cha,  I'm all for it if it creates jobs, jobs and more jobs for thousands upon thousands of Thais. It's also good for Khon Kaen and many other commercially viable centers along the route. High speed train Travel will benefit millions of thais. 

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, Shuya said:

A second Hopewell desaster in the making

There is no foreign investor involved.

So no comparison.

[Srikcir]

26 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Great work by Khun Prayut Chan O Cha,  I'm all for it if it creates jobs, jobs and more jobs for thousands upon thousands of Thais. It's also good for Khon Kaen and many other commercially viable centers along the route. High speed train Travel will benefit millions of thais. 

The government carries 100% economic risk coupled with 100% loans from China at a comparatively high interest rate ever paid by the government.

Typically, such a government project requires an economic analysis to prove sustainability. But Prayut used Article 44 to initiate the project that bypasses such analysis (as well as any anti-corruption laws).

In response economic analysts have warned about potential for economic failure, ie. bankruptcy. So ultimately, there is a potential that the public benefit will come at a great cost vis a vis the Thai treasury. And as typical to expensive infrastructure projects, resulting GDP growth is long-term, ie., 20-30 years.

 

[Katipo]

Perhaps hoping for help from the Chinese to prop up the regime? Hun Sen sold his own and Cambodia's soul for similar reasons.

[Darkside Gray]

5 hours ago, pegman said:

Subs are on hold and the fast train network will provide 1,000's of needed jobs. As long as Thai labour is used rather than cheap migrants. 

It will be slave labour with Chinese masters!

[Darkside Gray]

52 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

There is no foreign investor involved.

So no comparison.

So China is not a Foreign investor now, the take over is complete?

[holy cow cm]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

These plans were afoot for several years now and because of that i have bought some commercial properties in Khon Kean but gave up waiting and sold them when plans were put on the back burners for few years, but as far as the usefulness goes, it will be a boon to commerce and to the people of Thailand...

How so? So you can carry freight and containers on these high speed trains? Bunch of wasted money totally unnecessary spending that lines pockets of the few.

[4reaL]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

Great work by Khun Prayut Chan O Cha,  I'm all for it if it creates jobs, jobs and more jobs for thousands upon thousands of Thais. It's also good for Khon Kaen and many other commercially viable centers along the route. High speed train Travel will benefit millions of thais. 

 

No, it will benefit the Chinese stranglehold on their paid for political slaves.

[holy cow cm]

Nothing good will ever come from laying in China's dirty trap door commie bed. This regime is taking Thailand into the China abyss of being owned.

[Ventenio]

oh FARANGS!!!!!

 

wall

 

writing

 

up to you

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has hailed the development of the Thai-Sino high-speed rail project as key to strengthening the country's competitiveness.

You mean Chinas competitiveness?

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Which country exactly, Thailand or China ? - Thailand incurs more debt with the mother country ....!!!

This is China's MO, own the infrastructure, control the economy and you have a new back-yard.

[spidermike007]

Any effort to improve infrastructure here is not only needed, it is long overdue, if Thailand wants to call itself a modern nation. Few modernized nations have not invested in high speed rail, except for the completely broken nation, known as America.

 

Thailand desperately needs this. The highways are hopelessly choked. And there is no rail cargo, to speak of at the moment. An alternative cargo transport system would be ideal. As well as fast public transport. 

 

Whatever the cost, it is worth it. However, an independent agency needs to monitor any and all contracts signed by the stunningly corrupt and toxic army. 

[pegman]

Sure seems like a lot of envy from the Americans and English. Anything to do with they themselves not getting any fast train networks built themselves?

[Pottinger]

Fortunately I shall be smoke in the local wat's chimney long before a Thai train driver, wired on yaa baa and eyeballs swivelling, manages to derail one or these suckers at 250km/hr.

[Redline]

Suckers~the country has no money~maybe they can just give China all their agricultural land in return for default. 

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, starky said:

Khon keen? Probably be better off buying on nong khai no?

Meh... Udon Thani, center of the new universe.

[pegman]

There were a lot of naysayers on here crapping on the Chinese-Laos high speed rail line. Well to their disappointment it is now almost complete. 

[Grumpy John]

1 hour ago, pegman said:

There were a lot of naysayers on here crapping on the Chinese-Laos high speed rail line. Well to their disappointment it is now almost complete. 

I always took the point of view "What's in it for the Thai people?"  I mean the masses not just the well healed at the top.

 

State Rail may be flawed as an organisation but they get you there even if it's slower.  220 baht from the Malaysian border to Bangkok.  If somchai rode his Wave the same trip would cost 600 baht in benzine and take just as long!

 

And the 64.000 baht question:  Will it ever make a profit?   As a passenger only service that will be a tough job!

 

We can only hope that it will be safe for all that do travel on the trains.