The government expects to sign contracts for all 20 big-ticket infrastructure projects worth a combined 1.79 trillion baht this year.
Of the contracts, 10 signed will be signed in the first half and 10 in the second half, Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong said after chairing a committee meeting tasked with pushing measures to stimulate the economy and investment. Budget disbursement for the second 10 projects will be next year, he said without mentioning these projects.
The big-ticket infrastructure projects with contracts already signed where building has begun are the 185-kilometre one-metre-gauge double-track rail network linking the Jira junction in Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen, the Pattaya-Map Ta Phut motorway, the Bang Pa-in-Saraburi-Nakhon Ratchasima motorway, development of Laem Chabang deep-sea port and container terminal development at Laem Chabang.
The Orange Line electric train linking the Thailand Cultural Centre to Min Buri district is expected to seek cabinet approval next month and call bidding in April.
The Pink Line between Khae Rai and Min Buri and the Yellow Line linking Lat Phrao to Samrong are now under consideration for the fast-track public-private partnership scheme.