Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak is urging the Transport Ministry to draw more private companies into investing in its multi-billion-baht projects to help the government relieve its debt burden.
Investment issues, as well as a need to prioritise infrastructure development projects, are priorities for Mr Somkid.
Unveiling his policy to transport officials, he said yesterday Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wants the Transport Ministry to throw its weight behind the projects.
Transport is one area which Mr Somkid's economic team must handle carefully as it involves a large amount of money and involves the industry, commerce and tourism ministries, which are also part of the team.
The deputy prime minister yesterday suggested public-private partnerships, known as PPP, as a new channel of investment between the ministry and private companies.
"The policy now is to have the private sector spend more money on joint investment [with the government]," Mr Somkid said, adding the government has to set its public debt ceiling at 50% of gross domestic product for sustainable development.
"So we have to invest whatever we [and private companies] can raise together."
The economic team regards domestic investment as a key means to alleviate the economic slowdown, as well as financial assistance to low-income earners.
The investment plans aim to improve public utilities in Thailand, including more roads and rail routes, so the government can pursue its goal of making Thailand a centre of transportation in Southeast Asia, Mr Somkid said.
Among projects being pushed ahead is a double-track railway across the country linking Kanchanaburi, which borders Myanmar in the West, and Sa Kaeo, the far eastern province adjacent to Cambodia. Japan is co-investing in the project.
Tokyo is also working on 672km Bangkok-Chiang Mai high-speed train project in another joint investment with Thailand.
It will take about one year to come up with a route design and the ministry plans to ask the cabinet to approve the project in the middle of next year, said Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.
Another dual-track rail route is a Thai-Chinese project to construct four sections of rail tracks including a route that will connect Bangkok and the Lao capital of Vientiane, where another rail line will be built to Kunming in southern China.
Thai and Chinese authorities will begin discussing an investment plan and financial issues for the Bangkok-Kaeng Khoi, Kaeng Khoi-Map Ta Phut, Kaeng Khoi-Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai routes, covering 873 kilometres, after the route is settled in a three-day meeting, starting today, Mr Arkhom said.
The transport minister said he agrees with the idea of inviting more private companies to invest with his ministry under the PPP framework.
The firms have mainly offered bids for service operations but, from now on, they also will be urged to share financial burdens with the government from the construction phase onwards.
Mr Somkid yesterday also suggested the transport and finance ministries talk about government plans for an infrastructure fund to raise money for mega-transport projects.
This fund many not attract many investors because infrastructure investment is, in their eyes, unlikely to yield handsome profits, Mr Arkhom said.
Meanwhile, the European Aviation Safety Agency plans an inspection of Thai Airways International airlines next Monday, the first of a series of international audits of the country's aviation standards, following recent safety concerns.