The Thailand-China railway project, which connects Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima province, will be submitted to the Thai Cabinet for approval in June before commencingin August, said Thai Minister of Transport Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.

Illustrative Image (Source: 29issctthailand.com)

Speaking after the 18th meeting of the Thailand-China Joint Committee on the project on May 24, Arkhom said that after the Cabinet approval, the State Railway of Thailand will hire the Chinese side to design a 252km railway and start inviting bids for the 179 billion THB (5.22 billion USD) project.

The official revealed that at the meeting, co-chaired by him and Wang Xiaotao, deputy head of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the two sides agreed on the majority of detailed contents of the project.

The project includes a 252km high-speed railway from Bangkok to NakhonRatchasima, along with a 355km expanded section to NongKhai in the Thailand-Laos border. It is connected to the China-Laos railway from Laos’ Vientiane capital city to Kun Ming city of Yunnan in southern China.

It will also be extended to the south to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and then Singapore as the final destination, he said.

(Source: VNA)