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The government is considering fast-tracking the planned high-speed train projects – Bangkok-Rayong and Bangkok-Hua Hin – by referring them to the Public-Private Partnership Committee, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said yesterday during a visit to the Transport Ministry.
The projects would turn Thailand into the gateway to the CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam), or upper Asean area, he said, adding that the high-speed Bangkok-Rayong line would make the transportation system on the Eastern Seaboard much more complete.
The deputy PM said he also expected the auctions of three Bangkok mass-transit routes – the Yellow Line (Lat Phrao-Samrong), Pink Line (Khae Rai-Min Buri) and Orange Line (Thailand Cultural Centre-Min Buri) – to take place at the same time by the end of this month, with work on the projects giving a boost to the economy.

ADB PRESIDENT TO VISIT MYANMAR NEXT WEEK
Asian Development Bank president Takehiko Nakao will visit Myanmar next week to strengthen future cooperation in core sectors such as infrastructure, energy and power, transportation and telecommunications.
During his three-day visit starting next week, Nakao is scheduled to meet with President Htin Kyaw, State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi, and Planning and Finance Minister and chairman of the Myanmar Investment Commission Kyaw Win.
This marks Nakao’s first visit to Myanmar since taking office in April 2013.
Soe Tun, vice president of Myanmar Rice Federation and president of Myanmar Automobile Manufacture and Distributors Association, warmly welcomed Nakao’s visit.
He said that Myanmar needed more long-term, low-interest loans from development lenders such as the World Bank and ADB. He has high hopes that Nakao’s visit will help Myanmar implement a large number of much-needed infrastructure projects like electricity and road connectivity.
ADB has been involved in a number of development projects to facilitate Myanmar’s economic and social transition since 2012, with loans and grants amounting to US$991.5 million (Bt95 billion) from 2013 to 2015.
In its Asian Development Outlook 2016, Myanmar is set to lead all Asean nations in terms of growth rate in 2016 and 2017 fiscal years, with growth forecasts of 8.4 per cent and 8.3 per cent, respectively. This follows the 7.2 per cent rate in the 2015 fiscal year. – Eleven Media Group