Japan invited to invest in dual-track linkages between Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar

BANGKOK, 3 February 2015 (NNT) – Ahead of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's official trip to Japan next week, the Japanese private sector has been invited to invest in the dual-track train linkages between Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.

Representatives of Thailand's private sector and the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) met on Monday to exchange economic and business data of the two countries. The discussion on business and investment collaborations centered on businesses relating to the elderly, the environment, digital technology and those under the Japan–Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA) framework.

Deputy Prime Minister M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula took this opportunity to invite the Japanese business sector to invest in the dual-track rail line that will link the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaew to Chachoengsao, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi as well as to Dawei in Myanmar.

The Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on February 9 to discuss cooperation on this project.

In 2014, Japan remained Thailand's no.1 investor. 672 Japanese projects valued almost 300 billion baht filed for Board of Investment incentives over the entire year. This value accounted for 54% of all foreign investment in 2014.


-- NNT 2015-02-03

.....Interesting......Japan have the major investments here in Thailand..........but Thailand leans toward the Chinese.......

The Junta Leader tries to take advantage of the decision already made by the Japanese.

They officially announced that they are willing to make this track a few days ago. Check the news. NOT to please the Junta leader but because they want to help countries like Cambodia and Myanmar.

The Junta Leader tries to take advantage of the decision already made by the Japanese.

They officially announced that they are willing to make this track a few days ago. Check the news. NOT to please the Junta leader but because they want to help countries like Cambodia and Myanmar.

The reality is that there is money to be made from the railway track from Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar.

If you were to Google something like Thai PM to offer 3 rail picks to Japan you may find a story from the paper we cannot name on 14th January. If the offer was not thmade this story would not have happened.

Funny how the Thai's rip off off the Japanese at every turn yet reach out there greedy paws to take more money for building in there country and give nothing back in return. Then go woe the Chinese I hope that it comes back and bites them hard on there lazy <deleted>.

Funny how the Thai's rip off off the Japanese at every turn yet reach out there greedy paws to take more money for building in there country and give nothing back in return. Then go woe the Chinese I hope that it comes back and bites them hard on there lazy <deleted>.

They meekly surrendered the whole country to Japan in WW 2 to allow them to invade neighbouring Malaya and Burma.

Railways really are the flavour of the month as far as this Junta is concerned. Thailand certainly needs them but so far it's still all talk and little action....just visions of when they are finished this year, next year, sometime, never.

I'll only ever believe it's going to happen when i see a few sods being turned and i'll only ever believe they are complete when i can ride on them. One thing is for sure and that is i would rather ride on a Jap' built railway than a Chinese one. Having ridden trains in both of those countries and examined railways in detail i can assure you all that Japan has the best built and safest systems. Of course; they weren't built using any Thai labour either !

Funny how the Thai's rip off off the Japanese at every turn yet reach out there greedy paws to take more money for building in there country and give nothing back in return. Then go woe the Chinese I hope that it comes back and bites them hard on there lazy <deleted>.

They meekly surrendered the whole country to Japan in WW 2 to allow them to invade neighbouring Malaya and Burma.

Only to preserve the positions of the Elite and powerful of Thailand who have no interest in the wellbeing of anyone else but themselves.

Going by the look of it Japan pulled the short straw on the type of terrain to traverse , China has the easy part.

The Japanese knew that being part of the Thai and China project was not going to happen. If the tables were turned, the Japanese would have kept others out too. Oh but wait, they did. The Taiwan high speed rail had a mix European and Japanese techmology until one day it did not. The project had to pay a US$600mllion penalty for defaulting on the contract to the Europena sonsortium.

The Cambodia , Burma rail sounds equally exciting.

Interesting project, it would be nice to travel these countries by train once its done.

Unfortunately, Prayuth having the Japanese invest in a Thai rail system does little for the Thai economy. Great though for the Japanese economy. Thailand has more than adequate borrowing capability to issue its own treasury bills to self-finance infrastructure projects. Such a large infusion of capital into the Thai economy would drive economic growth for many industries.

Borrowing money from another country does not promote growth. On the Chinese rail project, the Junta is borrowing 80% of the total cost which means the Chinese will get a majority of the investment return until after 20 years when Thailand pays off its debt. It looks like Prayuth is trying the same financial arrangement with the Japanese. For the next 20 years Thailand will be just a consumer.