Depth report

　　

Thailand's mainstream English newspaper "Bangkok Post" recently reported that Thailand's Deputy Minister of Transport Surapong is actively pushing Prime Minister Pethongtan to approve the final construction contract of the first phase of the China-Thailand railway project. The signing of the contract was delayed because of conflicts over the station's location and cultural heritage. But Surapong said the China-Thailand railway project will be built according to the original plan and there will be no further delays.

According to Surapong, a contractor has been selected for the 13.3 km section of the 4-5 contract of the first phase of the China-Thailand Railway through bidding, but the signing of the contract has been delayed due to the location of the Ayutthaya station. The station is located just 1.5 kilometers from the World Heritage listed Ayutthaya Historical Park, and although the planned route will not pass through or adjacent to the park, the proximity has raised public concerns.

In this context, the National Railways Corporation of Thailand (SRT) has sought consultation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Thailand's Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy Planning (Onep) to conduct a heritage impact assessment on the project construction plan. The assessment has been completed and the relevant report has been submitted to UNESCO for consideration.

Surapong said that to reduce the impact on the natural environment, the national railway company had agreed to reduce the height of the elevated section of the line from 19 meters to 17 meters, but would not consider moving the route further because it would cause a big increase in the budget and even delay construction for another 10 years.

He added that the Thai side has fully responded to UNESCO's recommendations and cannot delay the construction plan while waiting for the evaluation opinion. He said Thailand hoped to sign a construction contract with selected contractors by October and that he would discuss the matter with Prime Minister Pethongtan as soon as possible.

"Regardless of UNESCO's final opinion on the matter, the railway project must proceed according to the original construction plan and will not be further delayed." "Surapong said.

The China-Thailand Railway is a flagship project of China and Thailand to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative and carry out production capacity cooperation. It is the first standard gauge high-speed railway in Thailand and an important part of the Trans-Asian Railway, with a total length of 845 kilometers. The first phase of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima section is 253.2 kilometers long and adopts the EPC mode to carry out cooperation, and the offline civil engineering construction is implemented by Thai enterprises, while the track, four-power system and vehicles (EMUs) are implemented by Chinese enterprises. The first phase of the project officially started in 2017 and is scheduled to open in 2028.

In May this year, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suria said that the second phase of the project from Korat Ratchasima to Nong Khai has passed the environmental impact assessment, and is scheduled to start in 2025 and be completed by 2030.

The Bangkok Post previously published an article saying that the China-Thailand high-speed rail project will strongly promote Thailand to build a logistics center in Southeast Asia and help the Central Line of the Trans-Asian Railway eventually be fully completed.

In July this year, a direct cross-border train service from Bangkok (Abhiwa Station) to Vientiane, Laos (Kansewat station) was officially launched. In a statement, the Thai Railway authority noted that the commissioning of the new railway will significantly improve transport links between Thailand, Laos and China.

It is worth mentioning that the China-Laos railway, which opened in 2021, has injected surging momentum into the development of Laos. As of August 19, the China-Laos Railway has operated 56,000 passenger trains, carrying more than 38 million passengers. Its international influence is even more cross-border, attracting 252,000 passengers from 100 countries and regions around the world to travel by international passenger trains, injecting strong impetus to promote the prosperity of port economy, cross-border tourism, and deepening cultural exchanges.

On June 11, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Thai Foreign Minister Maali in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, saying that China is full of confidence in the prospect of China-Thailand relations and is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with Thailand, strengthen cooperation in various fields, accelerate the China-Thailand railway and other major projects, and realize the development concept of China-Lao-Thailand connectivity at an early date.

In her first press conference after taking office on August 21, Thailand's new Prime Minister Pethongtan mentioned the "deep and friendly relationship" between the two countries, which is seen as her hope for more cooperation between Thailand and China.

Hong Kong's English-language media, the ***, earlier quoted analysts as saying that Petontan is likely to continue his predecessor's policy of strengthening economic ties between Thailand and China, and may also allow Chinese investment in the construction of a "Landbridge" project to provide a shortcut for Asian shipping similar to the Panama Canal, bypassing the Strait of Malacca. Dramatically reducing shipping times between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Former Thai Prime Minister Seta has mentioned that through the "land bridge" project, Thailand's western ports will receive about 19.4 million containers per year, and the eastern ports will receive about 13.8 million containers per year. In addition, the project will help create 280,000 jobs and boost Thailand's annual economic growth rate to 5.5 percent.