Thai government opens another exhibition on new mega investment

BANGKOK, October 25 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Transport, has organized another exhibition on its new mega-infrastructure development plans, totally worth about 2.2 trillion baht with a focus on mass rail transport projects, in the Northeast. Thai Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt on Friday opened the exhibition in Khon Kaen province to emphasize the merits of the government's new mass rail projects. In his speech during the opening of the exhibition, Chadchart pointed out that rail transport will be the best solution to Thailand's expanding transport systems, as they appear to significantly cut the country's transport costs and better connect to neighboring countries. Chadchart acknowledged several people have agreed that Khon Kaen will considerably benefit from a high-speed train system, as the northeastern Thai province is a center in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and benefits of its rail projects, namely shortened travel times, will go to not only Khon Kaen, but also all other Thai provinces. The exhibition on the Thai government's new transport development plans held in the Northeast began on October 4 in Nongkhai, Nakhon Ratchasima and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. Thai Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will observe the exhibition when she pays a one-day visit to Khon Kaen on October 26. Meanwhile, Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach revealed that he introduced the Thai government's new 2.2-trillion-baht infrastructure development projects over the next seven years to Chinese authorities during his visit to China last week, during which Chinese public and private agencies expressed their interests in investing in the projects, especially those for the development of high-speed trains. According to the deputy commerce minister, the Thai government will organize international bidding contests to select potential contractors and will, probably, pay for the new investment through the barter trade system. (TNA)