China-Thailand railway
The China-Thailand railway will be Thailand’s first standard-gauge railway to be jointly built by China and Thailand. Its planned length is 900 kilometers.
A “rice for high-speed rail” plan was first proposed by both countries in 2012 during the visit of the then Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to China. The plan was then shelved as a result of political turmoil in Thailand. After approval by the Thai Parliament on December 6, 2014, a memorandum of understanding for the rail project was signed on December 19. The signing was witnessed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Formal consultation on the project followed.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held in Thailand on December 19, 2015. The construction of the Bangkok-Kaeng Khoi section began in early 2016, and is scheduled to be completed in three years. The entire rail system is expected to be operational in five years.
This rail cooperation project will be a showcase for effective alignment between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Thailand’s infrastructure development plans. Serving Thailand’s northeastern regions and covering major cities, the network will be a great boon to economic development and standards of living in those regions.
中泰铁路
中泰铁路是中国与泰国合作建设的泰国首条标准轨铁路，按最初计划，该铁路全线总长近 900 公里。2012年，时任泰国总理英拉访华，两国提出“大米换高铁”计划，但随着泰国政局的动荡，这一计划被搁置。2014年12月6日，泰国国家立法议会批准中泰铁路合作谅解备忘录草案。同年12月19日，李克强总理和巴育总理共同见证了《中泰铁路合作谅解备忘录》的签署，随后，中泰铁路进入正式协商阶段。2015年12月19日，中泰铁路项目在泰国举行了启动仪式。2016年初，中泰铁路曼谷－呵叻段开工建设、大约三年内完工，而整条线路将在五年内建设完成。中泰铁路合作项目是中国“一带一路”倡议与泰国巴育政府基础设施建设规划有效对接的范例。中泰铁路沿线主要途经泰国东北部地区，所经站点均为泰国重要城市，因此将大大促进泰国东北部经济发展，惠及民生。