The State Railway of Thailand and the Charoen Pokphand Group-led consortium are putting pen to paper and signing the contract for the high-speed train project on October 25.

The much-discussed high speed railway will link Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao international airports. The new SRT board was approved by the Thai cabinet today.

Deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul says he is confident the contract will now be signed, adding that he has already met with Supachai Chearavanont, CEO of the CP group, and assured him of the government’s full cooperation and support.

The Charoen Pokphand-led consortium won the bid to develop the 224-billion baht high-speed train infrastructure as a signature project for the government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) high-tech investment hub. The train service is scheduled to be operational in 2024 (The Thaiger is taking bets now).

Recently, however, the CP-led consortium raised concerns over land expropriation and eviction problems and asked for the government to share the risk on this issue. The Transport Ministry has already rejected the request putting the onus on CP as part of the proposal.

Mr. Anutin explained that, in any large infrastructure project involving expropriation of land, it is usual for the government or state agency not to be able to hand over the land to the contractor all at once. In such cases, the contracted completion date can be moved back.

He said the CP-led consortium should proceed with the high-speed train project without further delay because 70% of the land is ready to be handed over.

Meanwhile, the deputy PM admits that he didn’t know why the entire SRT board resigned en masse, delaying the signing of the contract, and denied that he had put pressure on the board to quit. He also denied that Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, also of the Bhumjaithai party, objected to the SRT board’s mass resignation because the latter wanted the contract to be signed quickly.

SOURCE: Thai PBS

PHOTOS: Pattaya Update News

The driver of a ten-wheeler truck got more than he bargained for after stopping for a toilet break at the side of the road in Pattaya.

Pattaya Update News reports that 57 year old Jirawat parked his truck on the Krathing Rai-Rayong road at about 1.30am over the weekend. While he was away from his vehicle, attending to business, a six-wheeler truck ploughed into the back of his truck.

The driver of the six-wheeler, 42 year old Suthin, suffered head injuries, while his 45 year old wife passenger, Netchanok, sustained a leg injury. Both occupants of the truck had to be cut free by rescue workers before being rushed to hospital.

Meanwhile, Jirawat says the sound of the crash startled him, causing him to fall over and urinate on himself. Returning to his vehicle, he alerted the authorities. It’s unclear what, if any, action will be taken by police against either of the drivers.

SOURCE: Pattaya Update News | ThaiVisa

MONTAGE: Daily News

A 29 year old karaoke worker, Suree Huangsila, was shot deat on Saturday night in Sattahip, south of Pattaya. She was found shot in the mouth by a 9mm gun. A well-known DJ at a nightclub in Sattahip is now in custody over the shooting of his alleged mistress.

Suree was found naked and dead in a rented room in the Sattahip sub-district. Police say her face was covered with a pillow when she was shot. She had worked at a karaoke lounge at the Thong Thip market.

Her boyfriend Dusit Phiakhammeuang, a DJ at a club in the town who lived 100 metres away from the victim, grabbed his possessions and fled after the shooting. But he surrendered on Sunday after driving to a hotel in Nakhon Ratchasima and was taken back to Sattahip to assist in the inquiry.

Police say they have witnesses who heard an argument between the couple about the woman seeing other men. 39 year old Dusit has a wife and child, or children.

Dust has reportedly told police that he only threatened his mistress after being told that she was leaving him because he already had a family. He claims he pointed the gun at her and it fired accidentally.

Police say they intend to charge him with murder.

SOURCE: Daily News | ThaiVisa