Thai transport projects proceed

[webfact]

Thai transport projects proceed
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, June 23 -- The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) discussed transport projects with the Ministry of Transport to be funded with the 2015 budget.

The delegation of Air Force chief ACM Prajin Juntong who supervises economic affairs for the NCPO considered transport projects in a meeting with senior executives of the ministry including Somchai Siriwatanachoke, permanent secretary for transport.

The Ministry of Transport will seek Bt300 billion from the national budget for the 2015 fiscal year.

The sum includes the planned spending of transport-related state enterprises.

About 60-70 per cent of the sum will be for fixed expenses and the rest will be investment.

Urgent projects include expanding main national highways to facilitate traffic flow and boosting road safety.

Another project is land expropriation for the construction of double-track railways of the State Railway of Thailand.

From 2015 to 2022 the Ministry of Transport will implement railway projects and public transit projects in Bangkok and nearby provinces as well as road, water and air transport projects.

Meanwhile, Kannikar Chalitaporn, president of Siam Commercial Bank, commented that the Thai economy would improve in the second half of this year as the national situation is returning to normal and operators could conduct their businesses normally.

She advised the NCPO to quickly strengthen Thailand's economic fundamentals to ensure long-term growth.

Regarding the planned Bt3 trillion investment in infrastructure, she said that authorities' right choices of projects would boost the Thai economic expansion and be beneficial to the national interest. (MCOT online nwes)


-- TNA 2014-06-23

[Ricardo]

Hopefully the much-needed expansion of Swampy is also proceeding as previously promised ?

[Emster23]

Please dear general, make the budgeting and accounting of this and other projects transparent and online for anyone to peruse.

[lostmebike]

'About 60-70 per cent of the sum will be for fixed expenses'

One can't help think how 'fixed expenses' may be spent.

[rubl]

Please dear general, make the budgeting and accounting of this and other projects transparent and online for anyone to peruse.

At least the first step is taken, in so far as having activities back in the National Budget. That means the 'normal' parliamentary scrutiny.

Mind you, I'm afraid that that still doesn't mean much. Better transparency needs to be defined. More power to the independent Budget Accounting watchdog (or however they're named) would certainly help as well.

So much to do and so less time.

[rubl]

'About 60-70 per cent of the sum will be for fixed expenses' One can't help think how 'fixed expenses' may be spent.

In principle the expenses which recur every year, I'd think. Like cost of MoT (buildings, maintenance, personel), road repairs, and so.

Maybe the MoT website has more detailed accounting, but I'm afraid most would be in Thai.

[robblok]

Please dear general, make the budgeting and accounting of this and other projects transparent and online for anyone to peruse.

At least the first step is taken, in so far as having activities back in the National Budget. That means the 'normal' parliamentary scrutiny.

Mind you, I'm afraid that that still doesn't mean much. Better transparency needs to be defined. More power to the independent Budget Accounting watchdog (or however they're named) would certainly help as well.

So much to do and so less time.

Yes that is the first step.. I hope that the other steps you describe will happen too else I am against this plan just like I was against the plan of the PTP because of the lack of transparency. Plus of course we don't need a high speed train, but there is need for the other transport projects. It would benefit far more people then pumping money into the farmers. It is something that actually might have some returns int he future.

[smutcakes]

Please dear general, make the budgeting and accounting of this and other projects transparent and online for anyone to peruse.

At least the first step is taken, in so far as having activities back in the National Budget. That means the 'normal' parliamentary scrutiny.

Mind you, I'm afraid that that still doesn't mean much. Better transparency needs to be defined. More power to the independent Budget Accounting watchdog (or however they're named) would certainly help as well.

So much to do and so less time.

Yes that is the first step.. I hope that the other steps you describe will happen too else I am against this plan just like I was against the plan of the PTP because of the lack of transparency. Plus of course we don't need a high speed train, but there is need for the other transport projects. It would benefit far more people then pumping money into the farmers. It is something that actually might have some returns int he future.

Rob for once i agree with you. I believe massively there is a huge infrastructure improvement needed, and whoever does it is a good thing.

I hope the Junta open the accounts to the public for scrutiny.

I do fear however that this compulsory purchase thing is a long and time consuming process which will mean this budget may just disappear along the road so to speak. If they can do it with any modicum of success i will be very impressed. That is not a negative on them, but more the mindset of landowners who quite rightly in some respects are getting a pittance for their land. This is not unique to Thailand by any means though.

[airconsult]

Hopefully the much-needed expansion of Swampy is also proceeding as previously promised ?

Those projects are currently entirely funded by AoT savings and revenues - no additional transport ministry budget or foreign loans needed. Actually it includes upgrades to 7 airports, 3 of which are in progress currently.

I found it curious when they included it in the 3 trillion estimate recently when it is already fully funded - I suspect that was just newspaper error.

[Cuchulainn]

Has this photo been photo-shopped? His head looks bigger than his body!!

[wandasloan]

Please dear general, make the budgeting and accounting of this and other projects transparent and online for anyone to peruse.

Thanks. It has been a long and arduous day and I needed a larf.

150 billion baht in "investment" funds all in the hands of one man. What's that sound?... Ah right, smacking lips and hands rubbed together vigorously.

[Emster23]

nice to have budget subject to "parliamentary scrutiny" except for problem of having no parliament... picky picky

[ratcatcher]

Please dear general, make the budgeting and accounting of this and other projects transparent and online for anyone to peruse.

Thanks. It has been a long and arduous day and I needed a larf.

150 billion baht in "investment" funds all in the hands of one man. What's that sound?... Ah right, smacking lips and hands rubbed together vigorously.

As a critic of the junta, wanda, you have every right to be cynical. However, Prayuth will be under a much bigger microscope than Yingluck ever was. He has little margin for error.

Yingluck's boss was in Dubai, we all know who and where Prayuth's boss is and that's the difference.

King and Country.

[rubl]

Please dear general, make the budgeting and accounting of this and other projects transparent and online for anyone to peruse.

Thanks. It has been a long and arduous day and I needed a larf.

150 billion baht in "investment" funds all in the hands of one man. What's that sound?... Ah right, smacking lips and hands rubbed together vigorously.

As a critic of the junta, wanda, you have every right to be cynical. However, Prayuth will be under a much bigger microscope than Yingluck ever was. He has little margin for error.

Yingluck's boss was in Dubai, we all know who and where Prayuth's boss is and that's the difference.

King and Country.

Plus an International Community which dislikes coups out of principle and will therefor scrutinise the actions in more detail than they would with a 'democratically chosen government' even if those made a mess of it.

[Robby nz]

Please dear general, make the budgeting and accounting of this and other projects transparent and online for anyone to peruse.

At least the first step is taken, in so far as having activities back in the National Budget. That means the 'normal' parliamentary scrutiny.

Mind you, I'm afraid that that still doesn't mean much. Better transparency needs to be defined. More power to the independent Budget Accounting watchdog (or however they're named) would certainly help as well.

So much to do and so less time.

Should things go as planned this budget will be under 'normal' parliamentary scrutiny for it is the 2015 budget we are talking about and even then will not be disbursed as one lump sum, this money will not be given to the general as some silly bugger seems to think it will be.

I would certainly hope there would be a parliament in place by September and one voted into place within the 15 month period as proposed.

[rubl]

Please dear general, make the budgeting and accounting of this and other projects transparent and online for anyone to peruse.

At least the first step is taken, in so far as having activities back in the National Budget. That means the 'normal' parliamentary scrutiny.

Mind you, I'm afraid that that still doesn't mean much. Better transparency needs to be defined. More power to the independent Budget Accounting watchdog (or however they're named) would certainly help as well.

So much to do and so less time.

Should things go as planned this budget will be under 'normal' parliamentary scrutiny for it is the 2015 budget we are talking about and even then will not be disbursed as one lump sum, this money will not be given to the general as some silly bugger seems to think it will be.

I would certainly hope there would be a parliament in place by September and one voted into place within the 15 month period as proposed.

I may have been a wee bit too hasty with the 'parliamentary scrutiny' part. In principle correct, but without parliament ... ...

Mind you we still have a few TV members who will notice and report on every satang mislaid, even if it would only be alleged on facts providing facebook