Sino-Thai rail project advances with 13.3km track deal in Ayutthaya
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is set to ink a deal this month with Boonchai Panich (1979) Co Ltd, for the construction of a 13.3-kilometre rail track between Ban Pho and Phra Kaeo in Ayutthaya province. This development is a part of the ambitious Sino-Thai rail project stretching from Bangkok to Nong Khai.
Nirut Maneephan, SRT’s governor, unveiled this plan on Monday, announcing that the construction phase of the project, which has been allocated a budget of 10.3 billion baht, is set to commence soon. He confirmed that the SRT is currently awaiting a draft contract from the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) to kick-start the construction process.
The Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) of the design for the elevated rail track at Ayutthaya station, located around 2 kilometres from the province’s historical sites, has been sent to nine internal agencies and the Unesco headquarters in France for approval.
The SRT governor also addressed the ongoing negotiations concerning the overlapping routes of the project’s Bang Sue-Don Mueang section and the Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway. Nirut stated that the final decision would be taken by the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO) by the end of the year.
“The SRT might undertake the construction contract itself to avoid delay in the project.”
Further, he mentioned multiple options for financing the railway construction, including the application of the budget from the Thai-Chinese high-speed train project, the Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway, or a loan requiring Cabinet approval. The decision on the budget acquisition is expected to be proposed to the cabinet within the year.
Nirut reassured that the first phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed line, the Bang Sue-Don Mueang section, remains on track for completion by 2028. The total budget for the Thai-Chinese high-speed train project has been estimated at 179 billion baht. It includes the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai phases, spanning eight provinces and covering a total of 606 kilometres.
