How Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard will benefit from a USD3bn injection

[Lite Beer]

How Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard will benefit from a USD3bn injection
By Property Report on April 27, 2015

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard area is gearing up for 91 development projects worth an estimated total of more than THB100 billion (more than USD3 billion).


Photo credit: CBRE Thailand

The Eastern Seaboard Development Committee, which focuses on the country’s prime industrial area, is headed by the Transport Minister Prajin Juntong. It was formed by the Thai junta in order to deal with the extensive environmental problems in the area whilst integrating transport and logistic systems to serve the rising demand on the area from the ASEAN Economic Community, noted Deal Street Asia.

According to a source within the Transport Ministry, the approval of the development plans will serve to strengthen and integrate the currently entangled logistical system of the area.

More: Golf course to become largest on Thai eastern seaboard

Prachya Samalapa, Thai Chamber of Commerce Chairman in the Eastern Seaboard Development Committee, agrees that, ‘we need to lift up the standard of living and reduce the pollution from factories as soon as possible. Meanwhile we have to improve the infrastructure to serve the increasing number of people who move to live and work there too’, according to Deal Street Asia.

Of the 91 projects approved, 18 are related to water transportation (in particular to connect the two ports of Laem Chabang in Chonburi and Map Ta Phut in Rayong), eight concern train logistics and 65 relate to developing the network of land logistics.

One such project is a proposal to build a motorway between Pattaya and Map Ta Phut, according to the Transport Ministry source, which will complete in 2018 and require THB20.2 billion (USD619 million) of investment.

More: Central Pattaya welcomes The Bay beachfront retail development

Separate from and in addition to the 91 Eastern Seaboard projects is a proposed 195km high-speed train line between Bangkok and Rayong worth around THB150 billion (USD4.6 billion) which is currently being bid for by developers.

Charoen Pokphand Group (CP), Thailand’s largest agro business conglomerate, has already met with Transport Minister Prajin to lobby for a joint venture with Citic Construction and HNA Group of Hainan to construct and operate the line. Although they were given permission to study the line, Prajin is clear that the project remains open for other competitors to study and CP have (so far) not been awarded it

--Property Report 2015-05-01

[alfalfa19]

I can't think of any place that would not benefit from a 3 billion dollar injection. Of course, we must allow for the customary 1 billion for graft and bribes.

[peterb17]

I can't think of any place that would not benefit from a 3 billion dollar injection. Of course, we must allow for the customary 1 billion for graft and bribes.

Sorry it's getting like a scratched record- tedious comments on tea money, graft and bribes- really not very amusing anymore. Things have changed a bit- if you hadn't noticed.

[ourmanflint]

I can't think of any place that would not benefit from a 3 billion dollar injection. Of course, we must allow for the customary 1 billion for graft and bribes.

Sorry it's getting like a scratched record- tedious comments on tea money, graft and bribes- really not very amusing anymore. Things have changed a bit- if you hadn't noticed.

What an unusual comment!

[Rimmer]

off topic post removed

[alfalfa19]

I can't think of any place that would not benefit from a 3 billion dollar injection. Of course, we must allow for the customary 1 billion for graft and bribes.

Sorry it's getting like a scratched record- tedious comments on tea money, graft and bribes- really not very amusing anymore. Things have changed a bit- if you hadn't noticed.

Well, sorry if you are not amused. Actually, that's not my intention. It was more a sardonic comment on the state of things. And to tell the truth, I don't see an enormous change in things. Yes, a lot of crooks and scumbags are being arrested and having their properties confiscated; that is, crooks and scumbags from the LAST regime. As far as I can see, the primary blights of Thailand, including jet ski extortion, taxi ripoffs, (actually , in this area, some progress does seem to be happening in Bangkok, but not elsewhere) assaults on and contempt for tourists in the major tourist areas, certain island "paradises" being a playground for murderous wealthy crime families, foreign migrant workers being set up as fall guys for murders, rapes, and assaults committed by the aforementioned scumbags, cops on the take and even engaging in kidnapping, extortion, etc, etc. Do you have some unknown evidence indicating that the standard graft slice of approximately one third of the budget for huge public works projects no longer applies? For a while, I was quite optimistic about the changes in Thailand, but my enthusiasm has become dampened.