People waiting in an arrival hall at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bangkok (NNT/VNA)– Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Development Policy Committee hasapproved high speed rail links to three airports.
Ahead of the body’s latestmeeting, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha, as chairman of the EECDevelopment Policy Committee, remarked that he wanted its members to focus onefforts that are possible and seek to support them and promote public understandingon aspirations which are or are not practical. He added that unrealistic goalsare those that require distortions of the law, while those that are realisticcomply with the law.
The committee then proceededto commission a four month study into expanding the EEC so that it connectswith Bangkok and other surrounding provinces, including those on Thailand’sborder. The study is to be presented to the committee once legislationsupporting the expansion is passed.
The panel also approvedprinciples for high speed rail links to Don Muang Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airportand U-Tapao Airport. The project is one of five urgent agenda forinfrastructure development needed by the EEC. - VNA
Thailand’s Ministry of Transport said the long-delayed Thailand-China high-speed train project is likely to be considered in details before a full report on the project can be submitted to the cabinet
The Thailand-China railway project will give priority to hiring Thai workers as up to 75 percent of its budget or about 136 billion THB will be used for the work.
Construction of the first section of the Thailand-China high-speed railway will begin in November although there is still a problem with an environmental impact assessment study, Thai Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith confirmed on October 16.
Thai Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana has expressed confidence that bidding for five major projects in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) will be completed in 2018.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
People waiting in an arrival hall at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. (Source: Bloomberg) 
