The procurement process for a double-track rail route from Chachoengsao to Saraburi’s Kaeng Khoi district will be kick-started later this year, says Budget Bureau director Somsak Chotrattanasiri.
The 11.3-billion-baht Cha-choengsao-Kaeng Khoi route still has six bidders vying to build the project, and it will be scrutinised by the junta’s committee public sector spending. This week, the National Council for Peace and Order approved a 2.4-trillion-baht infrastructure development plan, with 11 routes of one-metre gauge double-track rails.
Among the 11 lines, six routes with a total length of 887 kilometres are scheduled to begin construction this year and next. These routes comprise the 185-km section from the Jira intersection in Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen, 167 km from Prachuap Khiri Khan to Chumphon, 165 km from Nakhon Pathom to Hua Hin, 132 km from Map Kabao in Saraburi to Nakhon Ratchasima, 148 km from Lop Buri to Pak Nampho in Nakhon Sawan and 90 km between Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Muang and Hua Hin districts.
Mr Somsak said four of the six lines were expected to be ready for investment later this year, and one already finished its environmental impact assessment.
Borrowing and other sources of funding will be used to finance the construction costs, while expenses incurred from design and expropriation will come from annual budget. The Budget Bureau has set aside 10 billion baht in the fiscal-2015 budget to finance logistics development.
Meanwhile, Mr Somsak estimated 350 billion baht more will be drawn down from the fiscal-2014 budget, raising the disbursement ratio to at least 92% of 2.525 trillion baht. For the 2.575-trillion-baht budget in fiscal 2015, he forecast 1.22 trillion would be disbursed during the first six months through March.
Had the political tensions continued, only 900 billion baht in the 2015 budget would have been drawn down from October-March, he said, adding that the 320-billion-baht gap accounted for 2.4% of GDP.
Thai Bankers’ Association chairman Boontuck Wangcharoen worries Thai economic growth expanded by 3-4% in recent years, a level that will take it up to 50 years to become a high-income country.