4 high speed rail projects in FY 2017 investment plan

[webfact]

4 high speed rail projects in FY 2017 investment plan
By THE NATION

 

BANGKOK: -- FOUR high-speed-rail projects will be included in the government’s 2017 investment plan, while three routes of the double-tracking project will be proposed to the Cabinet today, said Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.

 

He said most of the ministry’s investments in fiscal 2017 would be continuations of projects from fiscal 2016 and those that were unable to attain their targets this fiscal year. Next week, the ministry will report such problems to the Cabinet, he said.

The four high-speed-rail projects that are not expected to achieve their targets this fiscal year will be included in the 2017 plan. 

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/macroeconomics/30298825

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-11-01

[leeneeds]

Reality is setting in,

g d p vs infrastructure spending

interest on borrowed monies.

we all dream some more than others,

[Ricardo]

" The four high-speed-rail projects that are not expected to achieve their targets this fiscal year will be included in the 2017 plan. These are the Bt179-billion 252.5-kilometre Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima route, the Bt224-billion 382km Bangkok-Phitsanulok route, the Bt152-billion 193.5km Bangkok-Rayong route, and the Bt94.6-billion 165km Bangkok-Hua Hin route. "

 

They're not actually going to be completed, during the current financial-year, Shock Horror Surprise !

 

Nice that there is some admission, of the fact that Phitsanulok was the likely end, of any high-speed route to Chiang Mai  ...  two stars for belated-honesty there.

 

But I wouldn't hold my breath, regarding a dual-track line from Den Chai to Chiang Rai & Chiang Khong, just yet either.

[anon467848]

Some Ministers families/cronies are going to make plenty of money from all these Rail Projects, kerching....

[anon467848]

Of course all the Contracts will be competitively tendered, and fully transparent... 

[yellowboat]

1 hour ago, merlin2002 said:

Some Ministers families/cronies are going to make plenty of money from all these Rail Projects, kerching....

Yes, they know where to buy land well in advance, which is kept very quiet. 

[jamesbrock]

1 hour ago, merlin2002 said:

Some Ministers families/cronies are going to make plenty of money from all these Rail Projects, kerching....

 

810.47 billion baht (USD$23 billion) worth of announce projects, excluding the nine double-tracking projects which aren't costed, so counting the universally accepted 30-40 percent cost of "brokerage" there are going to be some very rich rich people.

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

three routes of the double-tracking project will be proposed to the Cabinet today

Since the FY 2017 budget began October 1, 2017 isn't it too late to include these three projects in the FY 2017 budget? On September 8, 2016 the NLA passed the first and final reading of the 2.73 trillion baht expenditure budget for 2017 fiscal year. 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/nla-passed-final-reading-2017-budget-bill-just-2-half-hours/

 

If the NLA budgetary approval process isn't a sham (and that's a whole other discussion), it would appear that there cannot be funding for the three projects in the FY 2017 Budget unless another funding request is made to the NLA - otherwise the three projects would be off-budget. If additional funding is approved by the NLA it would have to be financed with debt added to the already debt-ridden FY 2017 budget. More likely if the budgetary process is respected, funding for the three new projects would be requested in the FY 2018 budget that begins October 1, 2017. Still well before any elected government that might have different spending priorities.