South Korea invited to develop Thai electric railways

SEOUL, March 23 (TNA) - The government has invited South Korea to join the development of an east-west electric railway and several other infrastructure projects in Thailand. Visiting Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who oversees economic affairs, made the invitation when he led his entourage to pay a courtesy call on South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Seoul on March 22. Somkid also delivered Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha's letter to the South Korean president, in which the invitation was also included, aimed to deepen bilateral relations between Bangkok and Seoul. Somkid invited that South Korea co-invests in the east-west electric railway, linking Mukdahan Province in the Thai Northeast via the Lower Thai North to Mae Sot District of Tak Province, the route of which is expected to be connected to the R10 cross-border route from Thailand via Cambodia to Vietnam. The Thai deputy premier and his delegation also invited South Korea to bidding contests for the construction of high-speed railways, linking Bangkok with Rayong Province in the Thai East and seaside Hua Hin District of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province in the Upper Thai South. South Korea was also encouraged to bid for Purple and Yellow electric railways in Greater Bangkok that the Thai Cabinet will consider next week. The Thai deputy prime minister invited as well that South Korea invests in the 20-billion-baht Huai Luang reservoir project in Nong Khai Province in the Thai Northeast, which is the third-stage expansion of the eastern Laem Chabang Deep Seaport and a satellite project. Besides, the Thai delegation also assured that Bangkok is ready to cooperate with Seoul in relation to issues on the Korean Peninsula in accordance with relevant resolutions of the United Nations. On the same day, the Thai deputy premier also led his delegation to meet executives of LG Electronics Co and offered promotional privileges to its potential plans to invest in Thailand. LG Electronics then said it plans to set up a subsidiary in Bangkok, showing that the South Korean private sector is increasingly interested in expanding investment in Thailand. (TNA)