In a bid to speed up development, the Eastern Economic Corridor of Digital (EECD), one of the flagship developments under the government's much-touted EEC scheme, will be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
According to Kanit Sangsubhan, secretary-general of the EEC Office, Friday's EEC Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha approved the PPP plan for the EECD.
The scale of investment for the new industrial estate for digital business has yet to be finalised.
Mr Kanit said the private sector will bid to develop and handle the EECD and will be allowed to screen investment projects and take charge of the investment.
The terms of reference (ToR) for the EECD are expected to be completed by November or December this year, with the bidding process set to begin early next year.
In a related development, the EEC Office reported that investment applications for the EEC during the first half of the year totalled 142 projects worth 183 billion baht.
The EEC Office is confident that investment applications for the EEC will exceed the 300-billion-baht target this year.
Actual investment is expected to account for more than 60% of the applications, Mr Kanit said.
According to Mr Kanit, the committee on Friday also approved the selection of a new secretary-general for the EEC Office, as required under the EEC Act, which will be enacted in May.
Mr Kanit was appointed under Section 44. However, Mr Kanit is highly likely to be reappointed as new secretary-general of EEC Office, as he is one of three candidates.
Mr Kanit said he wants to continue working for the EEC Office, citing many significant infrastructure projects that are being processed, including the high-speed rail network to link three airports, the aerotropolis, the third phase of the Laem Chabang and Map Ta Phut ports and the maintenance repair overhaul (MRO) facility at U-tapao airport.
Mr Kanit said the committee on Friday also acknowledged the progress of significant projects in the EEC, including the high-speed rail route linking the three airports.
The ToR for the high-speed train project has been purchased by 31 companies from seven countries.
The EEC Office is expected to announce the winning bidder in January next year. The high-speed train connecting the airports will begin operations after five years.
The committee on Friday also approved the extension of high-speed rail to reach Trat province.
According to Mr Kanit, the MRO project is expected to call for bids by next September, while the third phase of the Laem Chabang and Map Ta Phut ports is expected to be won by bidders in February 2019.
In a separate development, Usanee Sangsingkeo, acting president of Thai Airways International Plc (THAI), said the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Royal Thai Navy and EEC Office on Wednesday to let THAI operate at U-tapao airport.
Under the MoU, the EEC Office, which owns EEC, and the Royal Thai Navy, which manages the EEC area, will hand over authority for THAI to operate and provide services at the MRO facility, known as TG MRO Campus, that will be constructed at U-tapao.
Once the project receives approval in principle from the EEC Office and the cabinet, THAI and the EEC Office will enter into an agreement to establish leasing conditions and benefits, compensation, and rights and responsibilities.
The MRO at U-tapao is planned as a cutting-edge facility for the commercial aviation industry.
Services will range from ramps handling technical maintenance and various type of aircraft maintenance, fully equipped with the most modern technology, and auditing that will be able to analyse and forecast aircraft maintenance tasks.
The TG MRO Campus will be equipped with smart hangars that will reduce costs and be eco-friendly, including an aircraft engineer training school that paves the way for a strong future for aviation and aircraft maintenance in Southeast Asia.