Joint public-private investment in Trat SEZ

TRAT, THAILAND, November 24 (TNA) - The Treasury Department, under the Thai Ministry of Finance, will jointly invest with a private firm to develop a special economic zone (SEZ) in the eastern Trat Province bordering Cambodia. Treasury Department Director-General Chakkrit Parapuntakul presided over a ceremony to sign a lease contract on a piece of 358-acre state property where a 5-billion tourism hub will be jointly developed between his department and Property Perfect Public Company Limited over the next 5-8 years. Property Perfect Public Company Limited has proposed the investment project, called the "Golden Gateway", to open a door for more trade and tourism in the region, as the Trat SEZ is targeted to become an international tourism hub with food safety and a comprehensive trade service system. The use of land in the area will be divided into four zones, including a green zone, in which a mangrove conservation centre, a museum, a monument a public park, a community service centre and a government centre will be developed, a commercial zone, in which a hospital, a local and international trade exhibition centre, community and border markets, a community products centre and an activities plaza will be opened, a relaxing zone, in which two hotels and a theme park will be located and an eco-industrial zone in which an agro-industrial site will be developed. The Trat-Gold Gateway investment project is expected to boost tourism-related revenues of the eastern border Thai province by six folds, from 13.16 billion baht to 80.41 billion baht annually. Meanwhile, Property Perfect President Chainid Attayanasakul said he will survey the area and map out an investment master plan soon, with an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report expected to be completed within six months and the investment plan anticipated to be started by the end of 2017. (TNA)