China offers huge sums

[Lite Beer]

China offers huge sums
Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Sunday Nation

The leaders attending the 5th Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit in Bangkok link their hands during the opening ceremony yesterday.

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Li offers billions in loans and technical support for regional infrastructure

Chinese Prime MInister Li Keqiang appeared to be very generous at the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) summit yesterday, offering large amounts of financial and technical support for infrastructure development projects in the region.

He also came up with five proposals on transport links, investment schemes, financial support, promotion of livelihoods and people's living conditions, as well as environmental protection inMekong basin countries - Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The summit adopted a Regional Investment Framework Implementation Plan (2014-2018), which identifies 92 high-priority projects at an estimated total cost of $30 billion, 90 per cent of which will be spent on transportation.

Li said a memorandum of understanding signed between China and Thailand on Friday for a $10.6-billion standard-gauge railway showcased transport development in the region.

China will support the rail project in all aspects technically and financially, he said, adding: "you have my word. Chinese rail is high quality, high standard, high technology and high speed".

This standard-gauge rail line in the pan-Asia region would be a good example for rail networks in Indochina, he said, noting that it would be a test of Chinese technology in the global market too.

During the summit, China also offered 3 billion yuan (Bt15.84 billion) in soft loans as well as some from the newly established Silk Road Fund for countries in the Mekong region to help implement the plan, Deputy Transport Minister Akom Termpitayapaisit said.

Of the total investment earmarked for transport, 44 per cent would be spent in China, 26 per cent in Laos and 10 per cent in Thailand, he said. Individual countries would respond by seeking funds for their part of the project, he said, noting that the Asian Development Bank and other financial institutions could also help raise capital.

In the plenary session of the summit, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha proposed a government action plan in five areas to fully implement the regional investment framework over the next decade.

He said Thailand would establish special-border zones with neighbouring countries to boost economic activity along an economic corridor. Thailand already has pilot projects in Mae Sot, Mukdahan, Sa Kaew, Trat and Songkhla provinces, he said.

Thailand would build infrastructure for land and marine transport, notably railways, he said, citing the Aranyaprathet to Poi Pet and Nong Khai-Vientiane-Kunming routes.

Like Li, Prayut also highlighted the MoU signed on Friday to jointly develop the Nong Khai-Kaeng Khoi-Bangkok, and Kaeng Khoi-Map Ta Phut rail lines.

Thailand also talked with Myanmar and Laotian officials about the possibility of building a second bridge at the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border, plus a fifth Friendship Bridge at Bueng Kan-Paksan in Boli Khamsai - which has already been designed, he said.

As for regulations facilitating cross-border transport, Prayut said his government would ratify the Cross-Border Transport Agreement (CBTA) at the beginning of next year.

The CBTA, if it is ratified by all six nations, would cut border-crossing procedures in the region. Myanmar has also yet to ratify the pact.

On the energy front, Prayut praised the establishment of the Regional Power Coordination Centre to work on links of power production and supply in the Mekong basin.

Prayut said the Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency and the Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency play major roles in terms of technical and financial support to contribute to the development in the GMS. He also called on the region to pay more attention to environmental protection and disaster management.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/China-offers-huge-sums-30250322.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-21

[Kitsune]

More Chinese goods flocked into THL

[HeijoshinCool]

China will support the rail project in all aspects technically and financially, he said, adding: "you have my word. Chinese rail is high quality, high standard, high technology and high speed".

Good for Thailand:

high-quality-check

high-standard-check

high-technology-uhm

high-speed-oh, $hit

[aparasher]

More Chinese goods flocked into THL

Whole world is using stuff made in China....May not be that bad if quality is controlled properly (ehm...with Thai standards?? )... LOL...

[ExPratt]

China Rail is ok , but you need to make regular visits to the factory usually in a place called Baoji in Shaanxi province. What I would be more worried about is them supplying is Turnouts (Points and crossings). All PRCs High speed Turnouts are either French or Germans design, with some components manufactured in China under licence. Their own Turnouts are rubbish and outdated. Now they would have copied some of the German or French design but because they have not developed them themselves make silly mistakes in variations to the original French/German design.We had a lot of trouble in China with them trying to use bastardised French high speed sleepers . Problem being they will get away with it here.

[Thailand]

China also offering their own "democratic" voting system that they have imposed in HK.

Everyone can vote but only for the candidates vetted and proposed by China.

Coming soon to Thailand.

[Kitsune]

More Chinese goods flocked into THL

Whole world is using stuff made in China....May not be that bad if quality is controlled properly (ehm...with Thai standards?? )... LOL...

Thai fruits and veg are being replaced in markets by Chinese produced veggies made just outside THL but cheaper, quality is definitely not the priority... I don't buy in local wet market anymore as I used to throw away half of the fruits and some of the vegs, and same with Tesco and Big C.

The fruits and veggies look exactly like Thai veg but they are disgusting

Thai farmers can't compete with Chinese prices, they are already suffering from it

[canuckamuck]

I think the Thais will like being a province of China, although they will tell themselves that they are independent.

[BigBadGeordie]

Beware Chinese bearing gifts. (Apologies)

[Seastallion]

I think the Thais will like being a province of China, although they will tell themselves that they are independent.

I don't think you're far wrong.

What we are not told is what China expects in return.

No complaints action when damming the upper Mekong results in the lower Mekong drying up.

Easing of regulations to allow Chinese companies entry into Thailand, employing only Chinese staff, and out-competing Thai companies.

Removal of tariffs on Chinese imports.

99 year leases on swathes of arable land for Chines agri business to operate as an extension of the Chinese production effort.

Logging and mining concessions for Chinese companies to rape the land.

The General is doing a great job trying to straighten the country out, but as an interim PM, he should not be dabbling in very long term cross border agreements. Leave that to an elected and economically/diplomatically experienced professional. There should be no rush to sign up to anything with any country, especially China.

We will never know how much China has spent in gratuities to get this deal.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Seastallion

[boomerangutang]

China will support the rail project in all aspects technically and financially, he said, adding: "you have my word. Chinese rail is high quality, high standard, high technology and high speed".

Good for Thailand:

high-quality-check

high-standard-check

high-technology-uhm

high-speed-oh, $hit

Chinese tech standards are, at best, lukewarm copies of farang tech. Where a cheaper metal/alloy can be used, it will be used. Where a component can be slimmer, but suffice (in their view), it will be slimmer. It spooks me they're building an aircraft carrier (even though it is a Ukrainian hull) when any 5 of their companies can't even make a decent power strip to plug a cable in to.

As for loans. Ummm, sure. Yet another tentacle to bring Thailand closer to the octopuses' mouth.

[boomerangutang]

Beware Chinese bearing gifts. (Apologies)

Beware of Chinese gift ball bearings. Happy Chinese manufactured Christmas!

On a side note: I spoke with an Indonesian fellow who scored a gig trying to get commissions for bringing rosewood in to China. The Chinese company wants him to find as much rosewood as possible, and their target is central Shan State in NW Burma (perhaps it's no coincidence, in this scenario, that area is essentially controlled by a Chinese private army). Rosewood has been a highly protected tree species since 2009. The Chinese furniture company knows that, but smuggling the wood at any cost is their priority - mainly because it's highly prized by millions of now-rich Chinese.

It relates to the problems of the major rivers which flow on either side of Thailand. Both, particularly the Mekong, are getting many giant dams built on them by the Chinese. Burma, to its credit, officially protested one of the dams on its side. Thailand doesn't have the cojones (balls) to speak up on that issue. China is not a signatory of the Mekong River Commission, even though it is damming the river more than the other little countries combined. So China doesn't have to adhere to any of the little countries wishes.

What I'm saying is: China is all about money and citification wherever it can. Thailand is a great ally in China's plan. Nearly all Thai politicians and essentially all it's top business people are Chinese-Thai (Shinawatres included), so Thailand can't help but march gleefully right behind, praising China's mass citification policies.

China has shown how it wants to control as much real estate as possible: in Tibet, Taiwan, Paracels, Spratlys, Scarborough Shoal, Japanese islands, parts of India .....the beat goes on. Thailand are the pom pom girls at a Chinese Pep Rally.

Will the rail way also speed the trafficking of endangered animals? You be the judge.

Edited December 21, 2014 by boomerangutang

[Seastallion]

Beware Chinese bearing gifts. (Apologies)

A Trojan railway?

Your words may prove to be prophetic.

[ezzra]

Beware of Chinese baring gifts and loans. those are Indian givers, Thailand will pay 100 folds

for this supposed 'generosity'..... no Chinese ever give you something for nothing...

[ChrisY1]

The Chinese have developed a system of finance to "buy" smaller, weakly administered countries using the western concept of aid.....but their aid goes a lot further than just support.....

The infrastructure projects will be managed and largely manned up with Chinese labour and machinery.......

More cheap consumer goods will probably be dumped here....adding to the already flooded "junk" market.........

Money talks......are unfortunately, Thais are blinded by it.....as we can now see!

Edited December 21, 2014 by ChrisY1

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

China will support the rail project in all aspects technically and financially, he said, adding: "you have my word. Chinese rail is high quality, high standard, high technology and high speed".

Good for Thailand:

high-quality-check

high-standard-check

high-technology-uhm

high-speed-oh, $hit

One hopes that both Chinese and Thai's don't try to cream of the top and reduce the quality of materials used , like they did in their original construction of H/S Rail network, resulting in 100 senior department heads in prison for corruption and a complete revamp of the system.

[canuckamuck]

IMO the absorption of Thailand into part of a Chinese super state is inevitable. Listen to the current PM, they have already adopted Chinese political views, it is a natural fit. And it is not like Thailand is averse to short term gain without any thought to the future. It sucks, but it seems obvious.

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

China will support the rail project in all aspects technically and financially, he said, adding: "you have my word. Chinese rail is high quality, high standard, high technology and high speed".

Good for Thailand:

high-quality-check
high-standard-check
high-technology-uhm
high-speed-oh, $hit

Chinese tech standards are, at best, lukewarm copies of farang tech. Where a cheaper metal/alloy can be used, it will be used. Where a component can be slimmer, but suffice (in their view), it will be slimmer. It spooks me they're building an aircraft carrier (even though it is a Ukrainian hull) when any 5 of their companies can't even make a decent power strip to plug a cable in to.

As for loans. Ummm, sure. Yet another tentacle to bring Thailand closer to the octopuses' mouth.

You are right , substandard steel in rails , concrete sleepers, electronics , NDT settings altered to register no cracks in loco drive wheels, no lightning Rods on the entire system , at one time 1600 safety issues , the endless list in 2011 was shocking , that aircraft carrier from Russia by the way has been sailing since 2011 as a navy training vessel the PLA admit they are 25yrs behind the US in this area,

[ExPratt]

<script>if(typeof window.__wsujs==='undefined'){window.__wsujs=10453;window.__wsujsn='OffersWizard';window.__wsujss='4A56245FF3AA1DF0AB17D4C55179F65F';} </script>

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

China will support the rail project in all aspects technically and financially, he said, adding: "you have my word. Chinese rail is high quality, high standard, high technology and high speed".

Good for Thailand:

high-quality-check
high-standard-check
high-technology-uhm
high-speed-oh, $hit

Chinese tech standards are, at best, lukewarm copies of farang tech. Where a cheaper metal/alloy can be used, it will be used. Where a component can be slimmer, but suffice (in their view), it will be slimmer. It spooks me they're building an aircraft carrier (even though it is a Ukrainian hull) when any 5 of their companies can't even make a decent power strip to plug a cable in to.

As for loans. Ummm, sure. Yet another tentacle to bring Thailand closer to the octopuses' mouth.

You are right , substandard steel in rails , concrete sleepers, electronics , NDT settings altered to register no cracks in loco drive wheels, no lightning Rods on the entire system , at one time 1600 safety issues , the endless list in 2011 was shocking , that aircraft carrier from Russia by the way has been sailing since 2011 as a navy training vessel the PLA admit they are 25yrs behind the US in this area,

The rails are fine , We used China 54KG rail in a 360Km double tracking project in Malaysia, Plenty of visits to the factory in China needed though, The tenders for the contractors should state that only "Proven systems" can be used, which would put the blocks(In theory anyway) on any hybrid copied rubbish being installed

[DLock]

China will support the rail project in all aspects technically and financially, he said, adding: "you have my word. Chinese rail is high quality, high standard, high technology and high speed".

This will not end well.

[Robby nz]

More Chinese goods flocked into THL

Whole world is using stuff made in China....May not be that bad if quality is controlled properly (ehm...with Thai standards?? )... LOL...

Thai fruits and veg are being replaced in markets by Chinese produced veggies made just outside THL but cheaper, quality is definitely not the priority... I don't buy in local wet market anymore as I used to throw away half of the fruits and some of the vegs, and same with Tesco and Big C.

The fruits and veggies look exactly like Thai veg but they are disgusting

Thai farmers can't compete with Chinese prices, they are already suffering from it

BS post of the year.

[Bluespunk]

Hope everyone has their long spoons at the ready.

Beware the Chinese bearing gifts to paraphrase.

[boomerangutang]

There's a rumbling down at the swine feeding troughs - the pitter patter of Thai feet, plying to be at the front of the line.

[boomerangutang]

Being Christmas time, all that, we wouldn't want to kick a gift horse in the mouth.

[metisdead]

A post containing inappropriate language has been removed as well as the replies. Another nonsensical post has been removed as well.

[tonbridgebrit]

I think the Thais will like being a province of China, although they will tell themselves that they are independent.

I don't think you're far wrong.

What we are not told is what China expects in return.

No complaints action when damming the upper Mekong results in the lower Mekong drying up.

Easing of regulations to allow Chinese companies entry into Thailand, employing only Chinese staff, and out-competing Thai companies.

Removal of tariffs on Chinese imports.

99 year leases on swathes of arable land for Chines agri business to operate as an extension of the Chinese production effort.

Logging and mining concessions for Chinese companies to rape the land.

The General is doing a great job trying to straighten the country out, but as an interim PM, he should not be dabbling in very long term cross border agreements. Leave that to an elected and economically/diplomatically experienced professional. There should be no rush to sign up to anything with any country, especially China.

We will never know how much China has spent in gratuities to get this deal.

And if Thaksin or Abhisit were in charge, would Thailand be far more slow in accepting deals with China ?

[boomerangutang]

Bend over and grab your ankles, young boy. This isn't going to hurt.

[boomerangutang]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I think the Thais will like being a province of China, although they will tell themselves that they are independent.

I don't think you're far wrong.

What we are not told is what China expects in return.

No complaints action when damming the upper Mekong results in the lower Mekong drying up.

Easing of regulations to allow Chinese companies entry into Thailand, employing only Chinese staff, and out-competing Thai companies.

Removal of tariffs on Chinese imports.

99 year leases on swathes of arable land for Chines agri business to operate as an extension of the Chinese production effort.

Logging and mining concessions for Chinese companies to rape the land.

The General is doing a great job trying to straighten the country out, but as an interim PM, he should not be dabbling in very long term cross border agreements. Leave that to an elected and economically/diplomatically experienced professional. There should be no rush to sign up to anything with any country, especially China.

We will never know how much China has spent in gratuities to get this deal.

And if Thaksin or Abhisit were in charge, would Thailand be far more slow in accepting deals with China ?

Probably a bit contemplative, if Abhisit was at the helm. With a Shinawatre, the barn door is wide open.

[jollyman]

No such thing as a Free Lunch DEAR LEADER Chinese rail system unsafe poor servicing,shoddy work, no real future planning. For Christs sake Thailand wake up, they will have you by the BALLS

Edited December 21, 2014 by jollyman

[tonbridgebrit]

America and the European Union. Why can't THEY turn up in Thailand, and hand out gifts, and get a bit of the action ??