The government has reaffirmed its plans for a Thai-Malaysian friendship bridge across the Kolok River in Sungai Kolok district, boosting border trade and tourism ties.
Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said both countries have agreed to tighten ties via a second Thai-Malaysian friendship bridge which will accelerate their bilateral trade target of US$30 billion by 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai, and Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato Sri Saifuddin Abdullah, co-chaired the 14th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation and the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Committee on Joint Development Strategy for Border Areas between Thailand and Malaysia, in Bangkok recently.
Ms Rachada said both countries also agreed to accelerate border infrastructure projects, not only this bridge but also a road alignment to connect Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security in Malaysia's Bukit Kayu Hitam town with the Sadao Customs, Immigration and Quarantine checkpoint in Thailand's Songkhla.
This would help to boost stability in politics, commerce, investment, tourism, energy, public health and other socio-cultural forms of cooperation, she said.
In Narathiwat, RAdm Somkiat Ponprayoon, secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre, said an adviser to the Malaysian transport minister and his staff recently visited Narathiwat to discuss progress of the bridge linking Thailand and Malaysia.
The group also discussed improvements to the customs checkpoint at the border districts of Sungai Kolok and Tak Bai and the Buketa checkpoint in Waeng district of Narathiwat, he said.
The bridge across the Kolok River will be the second bridge in Sungai Kolok district linking to Rantau Panjang town of Kelantan, Malaysia.
It is a joint project under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle.
The bridge starts at Tak Bai Junction in Narathiwat and runs to a highway in Malaysia, covering 11 kilometres.
It is designed as a four-to-six lane route.
The customs house and immigration office will be placed on the bridge in the ground-level area of tambon Koh Sathon in Narathiwat.
"Both the Thai and Malaysian governments are working on this project which people have been expecting for 10 years," added RAdm Somkiat.