Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob will lead a high-level team of government officials to Laos to discuss the construction of a railway that will connect Thailand, Laos and China.
The team — coined Team Thailand 7 — will be in Laos from Aug 30 to Sept 1 to meet high-ranking Lao officials and entrepreneurs about constructing the railway from Nong Khai province to Vientiane, Laos.
The team comprises officials from the Transport Ministry, Finance Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Public Health plus private sector representatives.
Mr Saksayam said the visit aims to study areas along the route for transport and infrastructure construction.
Moreover, the future railway is expected to provide a number of services for both passenger and cargo purposes.
As part of the project, a bridge will also be built across the Mekong.
“The Department of Highways is assigned to design the second bridge crossing the Mekong at Nong Khai-Vientiane. The research process will cost 10 million baht and take approximately six months to complete,” Mr Saksayam said.
He also said the bridge should facilitate transborder travel through a dual-track and high-speed rail crossing that should also accommodate vehicles.
Mr Saksayam also said he had asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to look into the China-Laos railway which is a single-track line system.
He said that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was concerned that the rail system in Thailand would not be compatible with it.