Firms allowed to join five megaprojects

INFRASTRUCTURE

Five investment projects ranging from high-speed trains and mass transit to airport expansion will be implemented under public-private partnerships.

The Public Private Partnership Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu made the decision yesterday.

The five projects are high-speed trains, a rail link from Thailand to the train network in southern China, three mass-transit projects, the second phase of Suvarnabhumi airport, and the motorway linking Bang Pa-in, Ayutthaya and Nakhon Ratchasima.

The government plans to promote public and private partnerships as an investment mode in its 1.5-trillion-baht second stimulus project to save the fiscal budget.

According to Mr Korbsak, the rail network to Kunming would help strengthen Thailand's logistic system from the North to the South and to other Asean countries.

For high-speed train projects, the partnerships would involve investment plans for the routes from Bangkok to Hua Hin and to Chon Buri which were already approved by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Mr Korbsak added that an appropriate high-speed train trip should take only 30-45 minutes.

Airlines would be better choice if the travel took more than one hour, he said.

According to Mr Korbsak, the joint investments would be also allowed for three mass-transit projects: the Purple Line running from Bang Yai to Bang Sue, Bangkok Mass Transit System Co's Green Line extension project, and the Red Line suburban route, which would run from Taling Chan to Rangsit via Bang Sue.

All details should be completed by a special task force in three months.