Prayut’s invitation shows Thailand’s key role in regional growth

It is expected to witness the signing of draft contracts for a high-speed railway project vital to the Southeast Asian nation.
Moreover, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will also discussions on political and security issues on the sideline of the summit attended by leaders of the bloc’s five emerging economies and other countries.
Such opportunities for non-BRICS leaders like Prayut are attributed to the “BRICS Plus”, a model progressively developed by the bloc grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to seek a wider partnership, particularly with developing countries.
The new model is expected to play a key role in making the bloc, that now contributes more than half to the global growth, a leading platform for South-South cooperation. 
The BRICS summit to be held on Sept. 3-5 in Xiamen, China, will thus represent an important moment in Thailand-China relations.
The railway project will create Thailand’s first high-speed railway network and has been the focus of widespread attention. 
A RAILWAY TO DEPICT SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION
“It will be the first standard-gauge high-speed railway in Thailand and will greatly shorten the travelling time from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima,” said Huang Bin, head of the Chinese department at the Kasikorn Research Center, a Thai think tank.
The future railway will “contribute to economic and social development in the less-developed northeast of Thailand,” Huang added.
During the BRICS summit, Thailand and China are expected to sign contracts for the design and supervision for the first phase of the railway project, according to Thai officials.
The first phase will be divided into four sections and will cover the 253 kilometres from Bangkok to the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima (known commonly as Korat) at a maximum speed of 250km per hour.
In the second phase, the railway will extend from Korat to Nong Khai on the border with Laos, where it will connect to the China-Laos railway that is already under construction.
When the project is completed, Bangkok will be connected by high-speed trains to Kunming, provincial capital of Yunnan in China’s southwest, 1,250km away.
“The railway will be an artery linking Thailand to Laos, China and other countries through China. It will upgrade Thailand’s role as a regional transport hub and contribute to economic growth in the region,” Huang added.
The Thai cabinet approved the design contract on August 22 and the supervision contract two days ago, just in time, according to Thai Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, for Prayut to take them to Xiamen.
Huang said he was excited that this final step was about to be taken, thus allowing for construction to begin in October. The Thailand-China Joint Committee on Railway Cooperation has met no less than 20 times over the past two years preparing for this, he said.
INVITATION TO HIGHLIGHT THAILAND’S ROLE
Huang said inviting the Thai leader to attend discussions during the BRICS summit showed the great importance China attaches to Thailand’s role as a key developing country.
Thailand is also a partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, first proposed in 2013, to build infrastructure and trade networks along ancient Silk Road trade routes in order to seek common development and prosperity.
This Initiative, in the opinion of chief economist of the Eurasian Development Bank Yaroslav Lissovolik, complements efforts by the BRICS countries to facilitate the flow of capital and trade.
At the same time, he said, the Initiative was “a showcase for economic collaboration”.
Observers have hailed China’s efforts to promote and highlight South-South cooperation during the Xiamen summit.
As the BRICS bloc enter their second decade, there are calls for these fast-growing countries to play a larger role in the world amid new challenges and uncertainties stemming from global economic sluggishness, a rise in protectionism in some Western countries and unpredictable geopolitical events.