A history lesson for those who fear China is ‘colonising’ Thailand
I agree with letter-writers who say that right now we need only normal-speed trains with standard-gauge tracks – which can be upgraded to high speed later.
The planned Bangkok-Korat route will not earn enough income to cover the investment of nearly Bt200 billion – in fact it won’t even pay for the Bt12-million daily interest on the project’s loan.
I disagree, however, with those who accuse the Chinese of exploiting the joint project, without any evidence. The Chinese have been coming to Thailand to trade for a millennium – without ever colonising our country. The French and British, meanwhile, arrived here just a few centuries ago and promptly colonised Indochina, Malaysia and Burma and also robbed Thailand of some of its land. The Japanese also partially colonised Thailand and printed our banknotes for their own use, while the Americans “rented” our land to build air bases and send planes to bomb our neighbours.
Prasan Stianrapapongs
