The next government is likely to bank on its fiscal budget, borrowing and private investment to finance infrastructure projects, but the outlay might be cut back to only about 1.1 trillion baht against 2 trillion planned earlier.
Chula Sukmanop, director-general of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, said related agencies are preparing a new time frame for infrastructure plans after the Constitutional Court recently ruled against the Yingluck Shinawatra government's ambitious 2-trillion-baht funding bill for seven years of investment.
Construction of four-lane roads, improving highways, land expropriation for motorways, construction of the Bang Pa-in-Saraburi-Nakhon Ratchasima Motorway, dual-track railways and a port should be based on the fiscal budget, he said.
The 196-kilometre Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima link requires an investment of 84.6 billion baht. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) was approved for the project since 2006.
The Highways Department completed the project's design in 2008, and early last year the cabinet approved a budget of 6.6 billion baht for land expropriation and compensation, with construction costs estimated at 78 billion.
Mr Chula said the next government should use domestic and foreign borrowings to finance the construction of mass-transit routes and some dual-track railways.
A key source of funds should be from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank, he said.
Projects expected to attract private investment are motorways linking Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district with Kanchanaburi and Pattaya with Map Ta Phut.
The 98-km Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi link is estimated to cost 55.6 billion baht including 5.2 billion for land expropriation and property compensation. The EIA and project design have been finished.
The 32-km Pattaya-Map Ta Phut motorway needs an investment of 14.2 billion baht.
Private companies should be allowed to invest in construction, management and operations, Mr Chula said.
He also suggested the Transport Ministry include the dual-track railways, port and four-lane roads with a budget of 90 billion baht in the fiscal-2015 budget.
The Transport Ministry has asked for a combined budget amounting to 388 billion baht in fiscal 2015.
Mr Chula said if a new government can be installed by May, the fiscal-2015 budget could be disbursed in December.
However, the Budget Bureau expects a new government in July, with the fiscal-2015 budget disbursed next February.