Chinese government evinces interest in constructing high-speed rail in Thailand

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has shown interest in constructing Thailand’s high speed rail project. The Chinese government has proposed to develop the high speed rail system with two different speeds – 300 km per hour and 250 km per hour – with corresponding fares. The Chinese government has stated that the construction costs average only 608 million baht per km, much less as compared to Japan or Germany. The project will be implemented in two phases. Phase I, which is expected to be completed by 2018 at an investment of 400 billion baht, will cover four routes along existing lines – Bangkok–Pattaya, Bangkok–Pitsanulok, Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima, and Bangkok–Hua Hin. Trains on this route will run at a maximum speed of 250 km per hour. Phase II, with an expected completion date of 2022, involves the construction of four new routes: Bangkok–Rayong, Bangkok–Chiang Mai, Bangkok–Nong Khai, and Bangkok–Hat Yai. Bids for Phase I are likely to be called soon.