Chinese officials to visit Nong Khai next month
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Chinese representatives will next month visit Nong Khai to survey the location of the Thai-Chinese dual track railway that will link the northeastern province with Bangkok and Rayong.
Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong visited Bejing last week to co-chair a meeting with China on the joint development project of the 1.435-metre standard-gauge rail network (Nong Khai-Nakhon Ratchasima- Kaeng Khoi-Map Ta Phut).
Prajin said the construction would proceed in the form of a G-2-G joint project. China would commit to the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) and lend Thailand with the interest rate below 2 per cent. The loan will also be interest free for the first four years of the twenty-year agreement.
Representatives of the two countries will re-convene when they visit Nong Khai on March 10-1.
Nong Khai will also serve as an interchange for the Lao route, which was also funded by China. Raising public understanding about the project is also one of the important activities during the visit.
During the visit, China and Thailand will sign a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the distribution of the work involved, which will be a clear guide for each country to fulfill the obligations.
Thailand will basically take on more than half of all works, comprising land expropriation, EIA appproval, civil jobs and planning for commercial developments around the railway.
China will undertake the observation, design and other tasks needing highly advanced technology such as tunnel boring and mountain road building. Construction of a Maintenance Centre will be undertaken by China in the first phase, before being forwarded to the Thai operation.
