Travel between China and Thailand will soon be possible via high-speed rail – ET TravelWorld

By 2030, Thailand will likely have its first high-speed rail network up and running, which will connect it to China via Laos. This game-changing initiative will strengthen bilateral trade and ties between the two countries. Officials are hopeful that this infrastructure will boost Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy in the long run, despite the delays.

Currently, the first phase of the rail line, which connects Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima province, is 36% complete. The design for the second phase, extending the line to Nong Khai in northeastern Thailand, has been finalized and is awaiting cabinet approval. When fully operational, the 609-kilometer (378-mile) rail network will cost an estimated 434 billion baht ($12.9 billion) and include a bridge over the Mekong River to connect Thailand with Laos and China.

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This rail network is part of Thailand’s broader strategy to strengthen ties with China, its largest trading partner. As the country faces challenges in maintaining its regional economic pace, the high-speed rail is expected to provide new trade routes and opportunities. Additionally, the two nations have recently waived tourist visas for their citizens, further enhancing tourism connections.

Thailand was in charge of financing and supervising the project’s development, as well as implementing Chinese railway technologies, when it started in 2017 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Passengers would be able to travel from Bangkok to Beijing, the capital of China, via stops in Vientiane, Laos, and Kunming, China, following the completion of the first phase, which is anticipated to cost 179 billion baht and be operational by 2027.

In addition to boosting trade, the high-speed train will greatly strengthen the transportation connections between China and Southeast Asia. The Thai rail network is anticipated to complete the Southeast Asian segment, with the Laos-China rail route, which opened in 2021, already connecting the two nations. The completed rail system will directly link China with several Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia and Singapore.

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In a region where countries like China, Japan, and Vietnam have made significant investments in rail infrastructure, Thailand’s high-speed rail network will be a crucial part. Thailand will gain from better access to trade routes and tourism opportunities, both of which are essential as the country seeks to solidify its position in the rapidly expanding Southeast Asian economy.