An eight-year plan to develop Thailand’s transportation infrastructure at a cost of 2.4 trillion THB is expected to turn the country into a key logistics hub for the ASEAN Economic Community, according to DDproperty bulletin.

The bulletin has quoted Roengsak Tongsom, director of the rail project development office, as saying that the top priority is to develop 10 rail routes worth 700 billion THB in total in Bangkok and its suburbs before 2019.

These lines will form part of plans to support the inner-city transportation system and city expansion from the heart of Bangkok to the suburbs. They are expected to reduce crowding in the central business districts.
The next stage of the plan is to develop the country’s wider transportation system and link Thailand and neighbouring countries by rail, through a double-track system in particular.

Work on the system will commence in 2015 with completion scheduled for 2021. The double-track routes will help Thailand become a key strategic and logistics gateway to the AEC, which is set to come into effect next year.-VNA