The Ministry of Transport is set to inject 56 billion baht into infrastructure development, with a focus on improving transport safety and enhancing nationwide connectivity.
The initiative is expected to create jobs, support tourism, and stimulate economic growth.
According to a statement released by the ministry on Monday, the initiative followed a cabinet resolution on May 20, which approved a broad economic stimulus package valued at about 157 billion baht, with the goal of circulating capital, creating employment, expanding career opportunities, and supporting the recovery of the tourism industry.
As part of this initiative, six key agencies under the ministry have submitted project proposals totalling 56.66 billion baht.
The Department of Highways (DoH) leads the list with approximately 4,000 projects worth 37.63 billion baht, followed by the Department of Rural Roads (DRR) with around 3,700 projects, amounting to 17 billion baht.
Other agencies which also submitted proposals are the Department of Airports (DoA) for 766 million baht; the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) for 1 billion baht; The Transport Co Ltd for 15 million baht; and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) for 42 million baht.
The proposals are currently being reviewed by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) and the Budget Bureau.
If approved by the cabinet, the bidding and contract-signing phases will begin between July and August. Sources say the proposals are likely to be approved within the next two weeks.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said that most of the projects are small- to medium-scale, with a value of between 5 and 20 million baht. These projects can be immediately implemented and can be completed within a year.
Many of the proposals are aimed at improving transportation safety, easing congestion in high-traffic areas, and strengthening connectivity, particularly in regions lacking infrastructure.
Most importantly, the projects will improve access to secondary cities and key tourist destinations, which will in turn help boost economic activity.
One of the projects that will be carried out under this infrastructure development drive is an urgent safety upgrade to the road linking Kabin Buri and Wang Nam Khieo, a stretch known for frequent accidents.
The project will see more lighting installed to improve visibility, along with additional road markings and smart signage systems to warn drivers, and more guardrails along the road, he noted. "This demonstrates our commitment to raising the safety standards in our transportation sector. I'm confident that the budget will effectively stimulate the economy," he said.