Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will visit Japan Feb 8-10 with railway projects high on the agenda.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his wife take a high-speed train ride from Beijing to Tianjin on Dec 23. He will be in Japan next month to offer Japanese investment in other train lines in Thailand. (Government House photo)
Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said Tuesday Thailand will offer Japan a choice of three routes to build during the summit between Gen Prayut and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Feb 8.
Available are a 770-kilometre line from Mae Sot district in Tak to Mukdahan, a 339km route from the Thai-Myanmar border in Kanchanaburi to the Map Ta Phut industrial zone in Rayong, and a 653km line from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. All will be built on the 1.435-metre gauge.
ACM Prajin predicted Japan would select the Chiang Mai line for investment because it on the Thai government's priority list. The two governments will sign an agreement later after Japan chooses its preferred project, he added.
The government already has awarded two rail-investment projects to China. They are the routes from Nong Khai to Map Ta Phut, and Kaeng Khoi district in Saraburi to Bangkok.
Japan has lobbied the Transport Ministry to allow it to invest in train lines in Thailand.
Gen Prayut originally planned to visit Japan last year but the visit was deferred after Mr Abe dissolved parliament in November.
The minister said the government will not award all train projects to only one country. South Korea and the United Kingdom also are keen build rail lines in this country.