Thailand and China have agreed to accelerate the design of the first 3.5 kilometres of the 250km joint high-speed rail project and draw a final conclusion on its construction next month, despite uncertainties about the rest of the project.
A transport ministry source said on Friday that was the most conclusive outcome from the latest negotiations between the Thai and Chinese governments about the project, which have entered 11 rounds.
China agreed to speed up the design of the 3.5km section at the Klang Dong station in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima, with the route linking the northeastern province to Bangkok.
The Chinese side is also expected to reach a conclusion on the exact construction budget so the bid for the concession for the section can be held in July or August. Construction can then begin in September, the source said.
Although the decision to first bid for and construct only 3.5km pf the route "might seem new and strange for this large project", it "isn't against the investment principles" and the ministry thinks it won't have to wait until both sides can decide on the entire project, the source said.
The sooner any part of the project can begin, the more likely the government will implement bilateral cooperation to develop Thailand's first high-speed rail route, the source said.
The source claimed construction of the 3.5km section of the route is estimated to cost 1.5 billion baht, while the entire project is estimated to cost 163 billion baht.
Thailand and China, however, could not reach agreement as to who should shoulder the cost of redesigning the project after it had been changed from a maximum speed of 250kph to 180kph.
The cost of the redesign is estimated to come to three billion baht. Thailand will likely have to pay for it as China had only agreed to pay for the first design, the source said.
Sangwon Liptapanlop, president of the Thai Contractors Association, said it was strange the government wanted to press ahead with the project without any certainty about the implementation.
"A project of this large scale should have waited until a clear plan to implement it is ready and clear sub-contracts for construction are drafted so that the interested bidders can be confident in it," he said.