Thailand and Malaysia collaborate on new transborder road to boost ties

A new road connecting Thailand’s Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla to Malaysia’s Bukit Kayu Hitam town in Kedah state is set to be built, following an agreement between the two countries aimed at strengthening their ties.

Chonthun Sangpoom, the deputy secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC), said yesterday that the SBPAC and state agencies participated in the second meeting of the Expert Working Group (EWG) between Thailand and Malaysia on Tuesday to discuss the transborder road project.

The group was welcomed by Muhammad Haizul Azreen bin Usol Ghafli, the deputy undersecretary of Malaysia’s Ministry of Works. The working groups’ main focus was to address outstanding issues in the construction, such as the uneven width of the road connecting the border checkpoints on both sides.

Chonthun mentioned that Thailand’s EWG had conducted a survey to redesign the road link in accordance with Malaysia’s request. They confirmed that the construction could proceed as directed in the agreement without causing any negative impact on Thailand’s infrastructure, reports Bangkok Post.

The meeting resulted in four resolutions to facilitate construction. First, the cross-border route connecting the towns will be six lanes wide, as agreed upon by the Thai and Malay prime ministers during a meeting in February.

Secondly, the road, spanning 83.88 kilometres, will maintain an equal width on both the Thai and Malay sides. Thirdly, Thailand must expand the road corners from 108 degrees to 129 degrees, in line with Malaysia’s road regulations. Lastly, both countries need to approve a speed limit of 50-60 km/hour before crossing the borderline.

Both parties agreed to complete the project within 18 months and will proceed with technical work before holding a third meeting in the near future.