Bt700-bn EEC projects get the nod

[webfact]

Bt700-bn EEC projects get the nod
By The Nation

 

File photo: Map Ta Phut

 

PM says more economic corridors planned across the country

 

BANGKOK: -- PROJECTS SIMILAR to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) will be built in other regions of the country as part of government attempts to get Thailand out of the “middle-income trap”, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday.

 

The PM’s announcement came as the government’s EEC policy committee approved infrastructure development projects worth almost Bt700 billion for the eastern seaboard, consisting of high-speed train railway, an airport, and extension of a deep-sea port and an industrial estate.

 

He said the government had started the large-scale project in the eastern seaboard because the region has a high potential for development, including transport infrastructure.

 

“Similar projects will be undertaken in other regions in the next stages. We must have development in all regions in line with their potential,” Prayut said.

 

He added that the eastern seaboard had the potential for investment in new industries.

 

The government will seek investment from local and foreign businesses for future “economic corridor” projects in other regions of the country, he said.

 

“It takes many years for such projects to be constructed. If we do not start today, it will be too late,” he said, while chairing the EEC board meeting at Government House. The middle-income trap is a situation where a country’s economic growth slows making the transition to high-income level difficult.

 

Prayut said yesterday those involved would have to consider the possible negative impacts of such projects on local residents.

 

The interest of the country and the investors must be protected, he said, but the government would make sure that “we are not taken advantage of and get fair benefits”. Also, the projects must connect with local economies so that local people benefit.

 

The EEC policy committee has approved a plan to develop four infrastructure projects worth Bt691.47 billion under a fast-track public-private partnership. 

 

The fast track will reduce the period of infrastructure development projects from 20 months down to between eight and 10 months, EEC secretary-general Kanit Sangsubhan said after yesterday’s EEC board meeting. 

 

The four projects consist of the high-speed train route from Bangkok to Rayong, costing Bt215.1 billion; U-tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport and aviation city, costing Bt310.38 billion; Phase 3 development of Laem Chabang deep-sea port, at Bt155.83 billion; and phase 3 development of the Map Ta Phut industrial estate, at Bt10.15 billion. 

 

Kanit said the investment budget for all the projects is open for private sector investment. 

 

This follows Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong’s policy that investment in the EEC infrastructure projects will not come from the government budget and public debt will not be increased.

 

The policy board also plans to boost the investment from foreign firms in the EEC up to Bt500 billion within five years from this year until 2021, or an average Bt100 billion a year, by targeting 30 firms from China and Japan. 

 

The board also plans to hold a road show in China, Europe, and USA, Kanit said.

 

Ekniti Nitithanprapas, director-general of the State Enterprise Policy Office, said yesterday that regulations related to fast-tracking public-private partnership projects have been approved by the policy committee of the EEC.

 

Under the new rules, project preparation and proposals will take about three-and-a-half to four months and selecting private firms would take between four and half and five and a half months.

 

Kobsak Pootrakool, vice minister for the Prime Minister’s Office, said the country has enough liquidity to support the Bt691.47 billion investment to develop EEC’s infrastructure projects.

 

“Currently, the commercial banks have enough cash to support the private firms to expand their investment in EEC infrastructure projects,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30320092

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-07

 

[webfact]

PM assures EEC development is for nation

 

BANGKOK, 7 July 2017 (NNT) – The Prime Minister has assured all sides that investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) will benefit Thai society more than the international community while the project’s board has approved plans for three deep sea ports. 

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha, as chairman of the EEC Policy Board, has given his approval to development plans for the deep sea facilities, at Laem Chabang Port, Sattahip Port and Map Ta Put Port.

 

All the docks will now be connected by dual-rail lines, increasing the proportion of rail access to the ports from 7% to 30% and cutting transport times from 24 hours to 8 hours. The improvement is expected to shave 250 billion baht from annual capital costs for logistics in the EEC. The undertaking is to be completed by the end of next year. 

The board also approved processes, conditions and regulations for investment partnerships with the private sector for the EEC. The new rules will reduce registration time for private partners to only 8-10 months while maintaining transparency. 

The PM asserted that national progress requires investment but assured those involved that all decisions are being made with the interests of the nation in mind. He pointed out development of the EEC will benefit Thailand first and foremost.

 

-- nnt 2017-07-07

[kwilco]

Largely to do with the Major Chinese trade route expansion to open up trade from Western China to the rest of the world. china has dangled some enormous carrots in places where they know they can make progress - Thailand is no exception.

I question this constant referring to "high speed trains" as if this is the main idea. It is a carrot too - a "show piece. the real reason for the lines is th transportation of goods. not necessarily a bad thing but we can be sure the main benefits will go to China.

 

by showering their targets with good news, money and other feel good factors I get very concerned that no matter where I look I ccan find no EL reports into the environmental effects of any of these projects, in particular the deep seaports.

 

the ramifications will of course be both marine and on land yet nothing seems to have been said either way.

 

These deep sae ports surround the holiday town of Pattaya and are vey close to areas of tourism and natural importance- digging deep sea ports will dramatically change the marine environment and may seriously pollute the already dodgy seas in the <deleted> of Siam.

 

If anyone has found a report on the environmental impacts of these mega projects,I 'd love to read them.... or is the government just going to go ahead regardless?

 

 

[worgeordie]

Nothing mentioned of where all this money is coming from,keep spending 

there might be no tomorrow.

regards worgeordie

[jaywalker]

2 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Nothing mentioned of where all this money is coming from,keep spending 

there might be no tomorrow.

regards worgeordie

They plan to get it from Somebody's Mate Nate.

[Ricardo]

" All the docks will now be connected by dual-rail lines"  and  " The undertaking is to be completed by the end of next year."

 

In which case perhaps a start ought to be made, and will they be dual-track standard-gauge lines to connect with the Chinese-Thai medium-speed heavy-freight line, or just doubling & extending the existing SRT metre-gauge line from  Laem Chabang to near Rayong ?

 

I don't think I'll be holding my breath, going by previous experience & announcements, that this will have been started by the end of 2018, let alone completed !

[nong38]

Its good that they are thinking ahead but there is a lot not said. The Chinese High Speed Rain line will be standard guage, so what guage will Thailand adopt in the future?

A dual track line to the new economic area so presumably this going to be move freight, there is no point in freight sharing a high speed line, they need to be separate, freight trains dont run at high speed, typically 55mph-80mph in the UK, so some clarification is required and I do wonder if the powers that be are aware  of this and understand exactly what is required to make the project work. They could run freight at night but then would the freight damage the lines for High Speed Trains and what is High Speed in Thailand? If high speed is deemed to be 200kph then the line could be shared but if its 300kph I dont think its such a good idea.

These are all good ideas but there needs to be a lot more thought about how the dots and i's are going to be connected to make this a viable plan.

Then there is the big question of who is going pay for the scheme and how.

 

Discuss.

[kwilco]

2 hours ago, nong38 said:

Its good that they are thinking ahead but there is a lot not said. The Chinese High Speed Rain line will be standard guage, so what guage will Thailand adopt in the future?

A dual track line to the new economic area so presumably this going to be move freight, there is no point in freight sharing a high speed line, they need to be separate, freight trains dont run at high speed, typically 55mph-80mph in the UK, so some clarification is required and I do wonder if the powers that be are aware  of this and understand exactly what is required to make the project work. They could run freight at night but then would the freight damage the lines for High Speed Trains and what is High Speed in Thailand? If high speed is deemed to be 200kph then the line could be shared but if its 300kph I dont think its such a good idea.

These are all good ideas but there needs to be a lot more thought about how the dots and i's are going to be connected to make this a viable plan.

Then there is the big question of who is going pay for the scheme and how.

 

Discuss.

 

freight trains will run on  standard gauge lines....

[Ricardo]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

 

freight trains will run on  standard gauge lines....

 

...  which must therefore be constructed to withstand the pressures of medium-speed heavy-freight, rather than true high-speed passenger-services.

 

But freight will still be distributed to the rest of the country, via the north-of-Bangkok freight-interchange, using the existing SRT metre-gauge network. 

 

So the existing SRT track-doubling schemes are still important, and some of the benefits will depend on the success of Thai efforts to link the two systems, and develop freight-rail services to get more container-traffic off the roads.

 

As always the devil's in the detail  ...  and important decisions remain to be made.  Hope that it all continues to go well !

[kwilco]

so long as the Chinese can get their goods to water......