Squatters face eviction as airport link gathers steam

The Transport Ministry is evicting squatters along the new Don Mueang– Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway construction route.

Chaiwat Thongkamkoon, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said staff had now served notice on all those occupying land needed by the Eastern High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Co Ltd.

The company plans to begin work on the 220km line, which is worth around 2.24 billion baht, with 208 illegal houses already having been removed.

He said a further 43 illegal households have agreed to move, while five had refused and were being taken to court. Another 46 are currently going through a negotiation process expected to conclude in October, he said.

Mr Chaiwat said there are 104 tenant contracts on State Railway of Thailand land along the Lat KrabangU-Tapao route that will be terminated next month and those along the Don Mueang-Phaya Thai section will be scrapped by December. After the last of the rented land is returned to the state, a Notice to Proceed letter will be released to the company by March next year.

Mr Chaiwat said the ministry has also assigned the Eastern High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Co Ltd to consider a location in Chon Buri for the planned railway’s Pattaya station.

Meanwhile, handing over the Airport Rail Link to the concessionaire, which was expected to happen this month, may be delayed because property and system inspections by Italian inspectors have been disrupted by the current travel ban.