PM urges rail links to resorts
Private sector invited to joint investment
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has tasked agencies to do a feasibility study on building a high-speed rail network linking Bangkok and popular tourism destinations with joint investment from the private sector.
Gen Prayut made the suggestion yesterday while chairing the first Board of Investment (BoI) first meeting this year, said Industry Minister Chakramon Phasukvanich.
Related units were also told to study other high-speed routes in which the private sector could jointly invest.
“The private sector will be allowed to propose potential high-speed routes they are interested in working on as joint ventures, such as Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Rayong, Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima, Bangkok-Phitsanulok, Bangkok-Hua Hin or Bangkok-Pattaya,” said Mr Chakramon.
The National Economic and Social Development Board previously proposed the government develop the Bangkok-Pattaya route as it would run through both Laem Chabang port and Chon Buri, one of the country’s economic centres with a large population, he said.
On Wednesday, the Public-Private Partnership Policy Committee assigned the State Enterprise Policy Office to consult the Transport Ministry and Public Debt Management Office on increasing the value of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for transport infrastructure projects from the 300 billion baht earlier planned in the 1.9-trillion-baht infrastructure programme slated for 2015-22.
PPPs should be able to get off the ground soon as 17 relevant laws and regulations facilitating joint investments by the private sector are scheduled to be finalised this month.
The laws include those governing the calculation of project values, the method for evaluating projects, procedures to invite private firms into joint ventures, and the screening process, contract standards and joint investment rules for private firms in projects worth less than 1 billion baht.
The new regulations will allow relevant ministries to approve projects worth less than 1 billion baht. Only projects worth more than 5 billion baht are required to be vetted by the committee.
For projects valued from 1-5 billion baht, only those involving infrastructure and public services must go before the committee; the rest can be approved by the relevant ministries.
Development projects expected to be implemented this year include those pertaining to the digital economy, water management and social infrastructure schemes for education and public health.
The BoI yesterday approved more than 77 billion baht worth of investment applications, mostly involving wind, waste and biomass-based power generation and air transportation.
Energy Absolute Plc plans eight projects worth 26.26 billion baht to develop wind power production with a capacity of 448.5 megawatts at Nakhon Si Thammarat (two projects), Songkhla (one) and Chaiyaphum (five).
Thai Lion Mentari Co, trading as Thai Lion Air, a low-cost airline, plans four projects worth 17 billion baht. Other highvalue investments include 9 billion baht by Thai AirAsia X and 5.32 billion from Thai Vietjet Air Joint Stock.