The cabinet yesterday approved a 3.9-billion-baht budget to build a second Thai-Myanmar bridge across the Moei River and a four-lane road.
Sansern Kaewkamnerd, deputy government spokesman, said the budget was aimed at supporting Mae Sot's special economic zone, which the government intends to implement this year.
The new bridge and the 21.4-kilometre four-lane road network will also help facilitate trade and investment in border areas, he said.
Of the total budget, 500 million baht will be allocated from fiscal 2015, 3.25 billion baht from fiscal 2016 and 150 million baht from fiscal 2017.
According to Mr Sansern, the approved budget includes 1 billion baht worth of Thailand's financial aid to Myanmar's government.
Transport Minister Prajin Juntong earlier said that the construction budget would be used to pay for various sections — 1.6 billion baht for the construction, 800 million baht for the bridge itself, 1 billion baht for customs and immigration outpost buildings on both sides of the bridge and 300 million baht for the cost of land acquisition for the project.
Following the cabinet's green light, the concessionaire will be finalised later this month and construction is expected to start in September.
The government is in the process of renovating and expanding Mae Sot airport, ACM Prajin added.
He said the airport expansion required more land. A total of 303 rai will be needed at a cost of 200 million baht. The total budget for the project will be 298 million baht.
In a related development, the cabinet yesterday approved amending cross-border agreements with Myanmar and Cambodia in order to facilitate the mobility of workers from neighbouring countries who work in Thailand's SEZs.
The agreement covers four border checkpoints including Mae Sai-Tachilek checkpoint, Mae Sot-Myawaddy checkpoint, Baan Phu Namron checkpoint and Singkhon checkpoint.