The division of responsibilities is well-organized for the two ministers of the Ministry of Transport after Mr. Piyaporn Chuchotithaworn took over as the Deputy Minister of Transport from Mr. Pichit Akkharathit. This time, Mr. Piyaporn has been assigned to oversee the debt clearance plan of 200 billion baht for three state enterprises, while also pushing forward the high-speed rail project worth over 300 billion baht to be ready for consideration by the Cabinet (Cabinet) within 2018.

Akom Termpithayapaisit, Minister of Transport

          In this division of work, Mr. Akom Termpithayapaisit, the Minister of Transport, has assigned the new Deputy Minister of Transport to manage the rehabilitation plans of three state enterprises under the Ministry of Transport, which have a combined debt of over 200 billion baht. These include the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), and Thai Airways International Public Co., Ltd. (THAI).


Ordered to expedite the procurement of NGV buses

          Regarding the BMTA, Mr. Akom has urged the procurement of 489 NGV buses to be completed within 2018. Meanwhile, the SRT must expedite the establishment of two subsidiary companies, namely the Asset Management Company and the Transportation Company, to generate revenue for the organization alongside the development of commercial areas to clear the existing debts amounting to hundreds of billions of baht. This is in conjunction with pushing forward the electric train project connecting three airports, with a budget of over 215 billion baht.


This is part of the urgent infrastructure investment plan for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), alongside the high-speed train project from Bangkok to Hua Hin, covering a distance of 211 kilometers, with a budget of 95 billion baht. The Ministry of Transport aims to present this to the Cabinet for approval within the next year.


          Additionally, the new Deputy Minister has been assigned to oversee the construction plans for two expressways by the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT), particularly the expressway projects that will raise funds through the Thailand Future Fund (TFF) for two projects with a budget of approximately 49 billion baht. These include the expressway route from Rama 3 to Dao Khanong and the outer western ring road, covering 17 km with a budget of 30 billion baht, and the northern expressway route N2 with a budget of 19.4 billion baht, which must be pushed to open for funding within 2018.

Waterway and Railway Projects Awaiting Acceleration

          In terms of waterway projects, Mr. Piyaporn has been assigned to oversee the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT), particularly the development project for Laem Chabang Port Phase 3, with a budget of 141 billion baht to support EEC development, as well as promoting private investment in the development of ferry and large cruise ship terminals to enhance Thailand's maritime tourism.


          Regarding the progress of railway projects, the Ministry of Transport is currently accelerating the development of the railway system under Thai-Chinese and Thai-Japanese cooperation. They are also expediting the bidding results for five dual-track railway projects covering 668 kilometers, with a budget of around 90 billion baht, which consists of 13 contracts. It is expected that they will be able to present this to the Cabinet and sign contracts by the end of this year, similar to the proposal for the Cabinet's approval for the Department of Highways to enter the construction area of the high-speed train from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, the first phase covering 3.5 kilometers, which is expected to be presented in the upcoming meeting.

          Similarly, for the progress of the second phase of the dual-track railway project, which consists of nine routes covering 2,217 kilometers with a budget of 398 billion baht, the results of the project studies for the first four routes with a total budget of 160 billion baht will be gradually proposed to the Cabinet early in 2018. These include the Chumphon-Surat Thani route covering 167 kilometers with a budget of 23 billion baht, the Hat Yai-Padang Besar route covering 75 kilometers with a budget of 7.941 billion baht, the Surat Thani-Songkhla route covering 339 kilometers with a budget of 51 billion baht, and the Den Chai-Chiang Rai-Chiang Khong route covering 326 kilometers with a budget of 76 billion baht. The remaining five routes will be gradually proposed to the Cabinet thereafter.


However, for the infrastructure investment projects and the action plan for 2018, there are currently eight new projects under detailed preparation, which are expected to be presented to the Cabinet by the end of this year.


          Not only will the two ministers be urged to expedite various projects, but there are also numerous issues for both ministers to resolve, including the procurement and leasing of 100 locomotives for the SRT, the procurement of seven Airport Rail Link trains, the construction of the electric train extension, or the construction of various motorways, as well as the recruitment of heads for various units that still lack real leadership. Some units are even embroiled in lawsuits, and many procurement projects are still delayed across years. This will be a test of the capabilities of both ministers to see how much can be accomplished in 2018?