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Thailand, Japan to sign rail projects next month

Xinhua, April 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Thai-Japanese deal will be signed next month to build a railway between Thailand's western and eastern borders, said Thai Deputy Transport Minister Arkhom Termpitayapaisit on Thursday.

In addition, one other memorandum of understanding will also be inked to build another railway linking the Thai northern city of Chiang Mai with the Thai capital, according to the deputy transport minister.

The MoUs between the Thai and Japanese governments on the construction of the 670-k.m. Bangkok-Chiang Mai high-speed rail project and that of the 537-k.m. Kanchanaburi-Aranyaprathet rail project are scheduled to be signed next month, Arkhom said.

Kanchanaburi is the Thai western province bordering Myanmar whose southern coastal township of Dawei is yet to be turned into a Special Economic Zone with an industrial estate, a deep-sea port and a railway linking with western Thailand.

The Thai-Japanese rail project will be stretched to Laem Chabang deep-sea port in the Thai eastern coastal province of Chonburi, he added.

"The rail project is primarily designed to connect Thailand's western border with its eastern border for the sake of logistical and economic development. It will not only transport cargoes between Thailand and Myanmar but between Thailand and Cambodia as well as Vietnam in the long run," the deputy minister commented.

Japan has planned to promote manufacturing ventures in eastern Thailand, such as in Map Ta Put industrial estate and nearby areas, with plans to export the Thai-based products to Myanmar and Vietnam.

Besides, the Japanese government will help conduct a feasibility study for the planned construction of a railway between the Thai northwestern province of Tak, bordering Myanmar, and the Thai northeastern province of Mukdaharn, across Mekong River from Laos, he added. Endi