On May 28, 2019, Mr. Pakapong Sirikhantharamas, Governor of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), announced that they are currently awaiting the State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO), as the secretary of the Public-Private Partnership Policy Committee (PPP Committee), to present the Orange Line electric train project from Bang Khun Non to Min Buri (Suwinthawong) for consideration by the Cabinet (Cabinet). This project has already been approved by the PPP Committee since February 2019. If the Cabinet approves it, the MRTA will proceed to establish a committee to select private partners for the project to find a company to construct the extension from Cultural Center to Bang Khun Non, covering approximately 13.4 kilometers with a budget of around 140 billion baht.

          “Once the committee for selecting private partners is established, it will take about 6 months to proceed. After that, we will have the winning company for the construction by early 2020,” said Mr. Pakapong.

          Mr. Pakapong stated that the selection process for private partners in this project will be similar to the Yellow Line electric train from Lat Phrao to Samrong and the Pink Line from Khae Rai to Min Buri. The winning company will operate the entire route from Min Buri to Bang Khun Non, which has been under construction for about 2 years. Currently, the construction from Cultural Center to Min Buri is over 30% complete, while the section from Cultural Center to Bang Khun Non will be fully constructed by the winning company. The MRTA will then gradually reimburse the costs over a period of 10 years.

          Mr. Pakapong mentioned that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report is still in progress, but he is confident it will be approved on schedule, as there are still several months left.

          He also noted that according to the operational plan, there is another project for the Purple Line from Tao Pun to Rat Burana (Kanchanaphisek Ring Road), covering 23.6 kilometers with a budget of about 100 billion baht, which also needs to be constructed. This project has passed the EIA and is currently awaiting permission from the Crown Property Bureau to use the land, as part of the construction route passes through that area.

          Additionally, Mr. Pakapong mentioned a light rail project in Phuket, with the first phase from Phuket Airport to Chalong Intersection, covering 41.7 kilometers, which is also part of the MRTA's plans. Discussions with the Department of Highways (DOH), as the landowner where the MRTA will construct, have progressed significantly. A meeting next week will aim to reach a clear conclusion. The initial route will include both elevated and underground sections, which will increase the budget, necessitating discussions with the Ministry of Finance as well.
“This project is a PPP model, so it must be presented to the PPP Committee and SEPO. Therefore, we expect to start construction around mid-2020. There is also a Chiang Mai electric train project planned, which will be delayed by about 6 months compared to the Phuket train, as it is still in the detailed study phase,” Mr. Pakapong added.

 

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