PM wishes to see Thai-Chinese joint railway project reach satisfactory agreement soon



BANGKOK: -- The prime minister has made clear his strong wish to see a joint railway project between Thailand and China to reach satisfactory agreement as soon as possible.

This was what the deputy transport minister disclosed after yesterday’s cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Deputy transport minister Mr Ormsin Chivapruck said Gen Prayut wanted concerned authorities to conclude a joint railway development project between Thailand and China as soon as possible.

He said Gen Prayut expressed his desire during the cabinet meeting yesterday as there have been no major breakthrough in the project following nine rounds of talks between the two sides.

He said the two sides still need to reach an agreement on several issues, including sources and interest rate of loan for the project.

China has offered a 2.5% lending rate for the project but Thailand wants the rate lower than 2% or it might have to seek loans from domestic sources.

The two countries still also disagree on the cost of the project, Mr Ormsin said.

China has set the project value at 500 billion baht, while Thailand’s estimation is 400 billion baht.

The deputy transport minister added that the prime minster had instructed his two deputy prime ministers Gen Prawit Wongsuwan and Somkid Jatusripitak to try to strike a deal for the joint railway project in their next trips to China.

Thailand and China have agreed to jointly build a 873-kilometer, double-track route linking Nong Khai province in the Northeast and Map Ta Phut in Rayong province in the East and Bangkok.

Also at the meeting, the cabinet approved draft cooperation frameworks on three railway development projects between Thailand and Japan.

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisit is expected to sign a deal on these projects with Japanese authorities during his visit to Japan this week.

The three projects are a rail route development between Tak province and Mukdahan province, a rail route development between Kanchanaburi province and Sra Kaeo province and a high speed train linking Bangkok and Chiang Mai province.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-wishes-to-see-thai-chinese-joint-railway-project-reach-satisfactory-agreement-soon


-- Thai PBS 2015-11-25

Any deal with Chinese will never end satisfactorily. Every business man knows this...

The prime minister has made clear his strong wish to see a joint railway project between Thailand and China to reach satisfactory agreement as soon as possible.

Me, too... ;-} rap.

You are selling your nation short this deal will be a win for China and a loss for most Thai nationals,

Soon?

No!

Otherwise know as how many more refugees do you want us to deport...

China says 500 billion but Thai's want to do it on the cheap at 400 billion using out of season rice cutters as 'builders' and most likely slave labour from Burma and Cambodia. They don't have the slightest clue what goes into the building of such a railway system yet they want it done 100 billion Baht cheaper.....fools.

This will all end in tears or total failure.

Way of the future!

Has anyone (Thai, of course) suggested postponing this deal until there is an elected government that can be held accountable at the ballot box? I thought coup was to stabilize the situation and return happiness and democracy ASAP. Not.

I think it might be more appropriate if we received the good news that the joint rail project has been signed off and the rolling stock has been ordered, and while we are about it just another stumbling point , has any thought been put into compensation like reclaiming land for these rail projects or are the Junta going to ride rough shod over those concerned..........................

The Japanese are a much better choice for any rail projects in Thailand. Any deals with China always end in China's favor and provide an entrance by the Chinese into sections of the Thai economy that will only bring problems in the future. China's goal is to secure vital resources for its country from any source possible and make that country dependent upon china for its existence. China is a clear and present danger to any country.

Say goodbye to a December 2015 project startup.

The Chinese may actually favor a delay in hopes of a further deflation in the baht to yuan. Interestingly, a 3-6 month delay itself might directly chill Thai investor confidence and trigger BOT rate cute followed by deflation of the baht. Would China do such a fiendish thing to its trading partner? The answer is that China will give precedence to its own economic security.

Pm Prayut the man from Isaan is in bed with the commies. When will the U.S pull out of Thailand and try somewhere else to form alliance with. Chiland is official.

Gotta love it when the boss pops up in the middle of critical negotiations and tells EVERYONE he wants a deal concluded ASAP.

Way to go Mr. PM. You probably cost Thailand 10 billion baht with your ill-conceived utterance.

Chinese have great trains also. They can only run at half speed or they fly off Th track. Or they collide with other trains. Seems Thais only want to kill themselves all the time. ....?