Have the two high-speed rail projects between China and Thailand been officially launched?

Recently, two high-speed rail projects between China and Thailand were officially launched, worth approximately 1 billion yuan

It was reported on September 6 that Anuan, acting director of the National Railway Administration of Thailand, revealed on the same day that Thailand It signed two high-speed rail project contracts with Chinese state-owned enterprises, covering engineering design and hiring technical consultant teams, worth 5.2 billion baht (approximately 1 billion yuan). He said that the signing of these two contracts marked the official launch of the Thailand-China high-speed rail project.

According to reports, the two contracts were signed during the BRICS summit this week in the presence of the two heads of state. According to the contract, the first phase of the project is to build a 250-kilometer railway connecting Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, and Nakhon Ratchasima Province in the northeast. The project will break ground in October this year and is expected to be officially put into operation in 2021. Reuters said that the project has been in the planning since 2014, but has been repeatedly delayed due to negotiations on some details

The China-Thailand high-speed rail project has been in the pipeline since 2014, but due to its construction costs, loans, The project has been repeatedly delayed due to twists and turns in negotiations over various issues such as conditions and land development rights.

The China-Thailand high-speed railway is an important part of the Pan-Asian railway network advocated by China. It is also part of the Thai government’s plan to update the increasingly aging railway network. It is planned to be 873 kilometers long, running through the north and south of Thailand, and is under construction. The China-Laos Railway is connected and finally reaches Kunming.

The China-Thailand Railway is an important landmark project under China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative. The "One Belt, One Road" initiative aims to create a modern "Silk Road" to connect China, the world's second largest economy, with Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Pakistan through land corridors, while also developing trade with the Middle East and Europe through maritime routes.

Looking forward to the early completion of the China-Thailand high-speed rail, traveling to Thailand by high-speed rail is just around the corner.