Thailand’s Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning approved the second part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the first phase of the railway line to China. Following this process, the EIA on the entire high-speed railway line is approved.
According to the Transport Ministry, the construction works for the initial section of 3.5 km are scheduled to be launched at the end of December. Next year, the authorities will launch the tender for the gradual construction of the remaining 249 km line. Under the plans, the second phase involves the construction of an 11-km section, followed by a 119-km section and finally the fourth phase, with another 119-km section.
Within the first phase of the project, the 25- km high-speed line will link Bangkok with the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, for which USD 5.4 billion are needed.
The two countries have already begun negotiation on the second phase of the project, with a new line linking Nakhon Ratchasima with Nong Khai at Thai-Lao border, as the high-speed line is set to finally link with China-Lao railway network, forming a 1,260-railway connection from Kunming in southern China to Bangkok.
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