China steps in with 90 million baht aid after Thai train tragedy
China has reaffirmed its close diplomatic ties with Thailand today, January 15, by donating 20 million yuan, approximately 90 million baht, in humanitarian aid, in the wake of a crane collapse at a high-speed rail construction site.
At 11am today, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jianwei met with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at the Government House to formally deliver the assistance. The package includes 10 million yuan in direct financial support and 10 million yuan worth of relief supplies, a total of roughly 90,229,640 baht.
The prime minister expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and people, emphasising that the gesture reflects the deep and longstanding friendship between the two nations. He noted that this support is a testament to the sincerity of China’s commitment to Thailand during difficult times.
Ambassador Zhang also extended his sympathies on behalf of the Chinese government regarding the recent fatal incident involving a crane at the Thai–China high-speed railway project.
Beijing places great importance on safety and has instructed the Chinese companies involved to fully cooperate with Thai authorities in the ongoing investigation, he added.
The prime minister praised the aid as a symbol of the strong relationship between Thailand and China. He added that the two countries have worked closely across all sectors for decades, and such support during hardship strengthens those ties further.
In addition to the humanitarian aid, Anutin expressed hope that China would proceed with its plan to purchase 500,000 tonnes of Thai rice, as previously discussed during bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping.
Matichon reported that the prime minister also encouraged greater efforts to attract more Chinese tourists to Thailand, which would contribute to the country’s economic recovery.
In response, the Chinese ambassador affirmed Beijing’s willingness to advance trade cooperation and tourism with Thailand, pledging support to help meet the rice import target and facilitate travel for Chinese nationals visiting the nation.
In a separate development, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida arrived in Beijing for an official state visit, strengthening diplomatic ties between the two nations on the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations.
