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By APD writer Chen Jiabao
Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday has promised Chinese Foreign minister Wangyi who was on an official visit to Thailand that there will be no u-turn on the high-speed train project between the two countries.
Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha
Wang hoped the project would elevate Thailand's status in the region, saying that the two countries would overcome differences to bring the rail project to fruition.
Thai cabinet on July 11has approved US$5.2 billion for the construction of the first stretch of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway that will ultimately connect to China, expecting to turn Thailand into a regional hub that can link to China's Belt and Road infrastructure plan.
The 253km Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima railway project will connect Thailand's capital with the gateway city to the country's northeast region.
However, set to kick off around October, the project has been negotiated by Thailand and China for 19 times before it got the cabinet 's nod
During the two-year negotiation, the project has been held up by disputes over financing, economic viability and labour protection regulations.
To push for the project, Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government has earlier invoked the special power under the interim charter to clear legal snags that hinder the project's progress amid widespread speculation.
Apparently, the Thai government has been jittery on the long-delayed project. The prime minister has asked the public to support the project, insisting that the railway project is necessary in order to develop a network of interconnecting transport route across the country.
He urged Thais to consider lasting benefits that the project will bring, especially economic benefits that will occur in areas along the route, not just income from passengers.
Transport Minister Arkhom becomes a frequent guest in talk shows to clarify doubts on the railway project.
He reiterated that the project will not result in Thailand losing its sovereignty or territory to China as many media claimed, saying that China never asks for rights to develop and manage the lands along the rail route.
Though China has refuted various of rumors, especially about holding rights for land along the tracks for commercial purposes since last June, Thai media kept reporting the wrong version repeatedly.
At the same time, a surge of positive comments on the project from Thai experts came out to shape public opinions amid mounting criticism.
"Over the years, China’s high-speed network has been knitting the country’s political and economic heartland with its border extremities. It has been rapidly mushrooming network of 22,000 km — the biggest in the world. Recently, China’s high-speed technology crossed another threshold, following the inaugural run from Beijing to Shanghai of the Fuxing train." said former governor of State Rail-way of Thailand(SRT) Prapat Chongsanguan at a seminar.
He saw China's high speed train an offer that Thailand could not refuse, as the country has the best experience of running and managing high speed train, creditable technology and acceptable price. He pointed out that the project aims to connect Thailand to China, thus Thailand should use the Chinese railway system.
He told APD that Thailand, a country with no high speed train,has to build it in the future, maybe 10 years later and such projects may be more expensive than now.
"The railway project has been hitting the buffers. Thailand is the one to blame for being capricious and always changing its ideas in the last minute during the two-year negotiation." said Former depu-ty Bangkok governor Samart Ratchapolsitte, who worked on the city's mass transit projects during his tenure and known as an influential expert in railway engineering.
"Except China, we have no choice. So stop being swollen with pride and walk the walk." he called on the government to speed up the construction of the project on a televised talk show.
Indeed, public opinions have been shifting recently. Opposite voices are no long landslide in social media.
Even though the project has been under fire in seminars held by top universities, some Thai audiences could not help to question the academics on why they totally repudiate the projects.
"I believe more and more Thais will back the project if the government manages to make it more transparent, as the masterplan will economically benefits Thailand as well as changing the lifestyle and mindset of Thai people.We should not let such an opportunity slip." said the former governor of
SRT.
Chen Jiabao is the Thailand correspondent for APD news. Major in Thai, she's also a writer on Thailand issues with Xinhua News Agency.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
