Thailand. Government plan for new infrastructure works.

The Thai government has announced new investment plans worth 652 billion baht (around EUR 17 billion), which will be distributed over the next two years for the implementation of 150 infrastructure projects. Among the main projects in the railway sector, the government intends to allocate 300 billion baht (EUR 8 billion) for the construction of the Thai-Chinese mega high-speed railway infrastructure, which will connect Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai — an integral part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In addition, the construction of the Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani high-speed railway is planned, which will reduce travel time from the current 12 hours to only 2 hours, and will cost an estimated 37.5 billion baht (EUR 987 million). Other major infrastructure projects include the double-track railway project between Khon Kaen and Nong Khai, with an estimated cost of around 29 billion baht (EUR 763 million), and the Orange Line project between Bang Khum Non and Min Buri, estimated at around 140 billion baht (EUR 3.6 billion). As far as financial coverage is concerned, the Thai government intends to rely on a mix of state funding, loans, and public-private partnerships (PPPs).