Thai government holds public forum on Bt2t transport projects

BANGKOK, June 6 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Transport, on Thursday organized a public forum in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province to listen to local people's opinions on its new 2-trillion-baht transport development projects. Transport Minister Chadchat Sittipunt opened the discussions, which include an exhibition on “Thailand 2020:Thailand’s New Step to the World”, held at the Rajamangala University of Technology Isan in Nakhon Ratchasima from June 6-9. During the four-day event, the government's new mega-transport development and relevant projects for the Lower Thai Northeast are raised for public discussions, including a high-speed train system linking Bangkok with Nong Khai province through Nakhon Ratchasima, a double railway-track project and an inter-city motorway system linking Bang Pa-in in Ayutthaya province with Sara Buri and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces. Chadchat acknowledged that the Thai government is developing new transport systems to further improve Thailand's public and cargo transport, enhance national competitiveness and turn the Kingdom to become a transport hub in Asia, and that public opinions gathered from the four-day forum would be considered by parties concerned before the implementation of the new mega-transport projects. (TNA)