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Thai-Chinese High-Speed Rail Project Faces Delays: Land and Pipeline Challenges

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In a scene that seems like it was lifted straight from a gripping drama, the Board of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) gave a nod to extending three contracts tied to the ambitious Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project. Yet, the real plot twist lies in the obstacles tackled along the way—land expropriation hurdles and the cumbersome process of relocating oil pipelines proving too great a challenge for timely completion.

The contracts in question—Contract 4-3 (stretching from Nava Nakhon to Ban Pho), Contract 4-2 (from Don Muang to Nava Nakhon), and Contract 4-6 (from Phra Kaew to Saraburi)—all embody unique tales of delays that have nudged their completion dates further down the calendar.

Contract 4-3, originally slated for a seamless 1,080-day venture ending on January 23, 2025, now embraces a leisurely pace, extending the finale by a generous 452 days to April 20, 2026. This is not its first dance with delay; a previous extension of 163 days already challenged its timeline. The major antagonist in this drama? The SRT’s struggles in freeing enough expropriated land to hand over punctually to enthusiastic contractors awaiting the green light.

Meanwhile, Contract 4-2 sets off on its journey from January 20, 2022, with the crucial taskmaster’s stopwatch set for a finish on January 3, 2025—only to eventually concede to a 641-day extension, marking a new endpoint on October 7, 2026. Here, the intrigue lies in not just the typical land disputes, but also in the precision ballet required to adjust structural designs and meticulously circumvent oil pipelines overseen by BAFS Pipeline Transportation Co Ltd and Thai Petroleum Pipeline Co Ltd.

Not to be outdone in this melodrama of delays, Contract 4-6 faces the most formidable setback. Initially aiming for a close on January 3, 2025, it now finds itself with a finishing line nearly two years distant on February 23, 2027. The culprit, yet again, appears in the SRT’s inability to pass on land in a timely fashion to eager contractors ready to break new ground.

Amidst these delays, there’s another subplot brewing within the SRT’s strategical core. An insider confided that the Board also nodded approval to reassess plans for a specialized unit intended to manage high-speed rail operations on the line spanning from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, a decision reflective of a cabinet resolution made in 2017. Rather than simply expand under the SRT’s umbrella, the notion mooted involves leveraging a public-private partnership (PPP) for the entire route stretching as far as Nong Khai.

The chess pieces for this strategy have already been positioned on the board with a 40 million baht allocation aimed at enlisting consultancy experts to scrutinize the feasibility of adopting such a PPP model—a process expected to spin tales over a six to eight-month period until these experts unveil their findings to the Transport Ministry.

The Department of Rail Transport, seeing potential in these developments, encouraged the SRT to further delve into this PPP model, alongside aligned frameworks outlined by the Public-Private Partnership Act BE 2562. The department optimistically views this PPP approach as a path to alleviate financial burdens traditionally shouldered by the government, potentially setting a groundbreaking precedent for future ventures in Thailand.

24 Comments

  1. AnnaB December 23, 2024

    Why do these projects always seem to face such huge delays? Can’t they plan these things better from the start?

    • Mark R. December 23, 2024

      Exactly! It seems like they should have anticipated these land issues and pipeline relocations. It’s not like these things pop up overnight.

      • EngineerDan December 23, 2024

        As someone who works in infrastructure, trust me, things are never as straightforward as they seem on paper. There are always unforeseen issues that arise.

        • AnnaB December 23, 2024

          I get that, Dan, but how can they justify these massive delays to taxpayers? That’s a lot of money and time wasted!

  2. globalview32 December 23, 2024

    This project is critical for Thailand’s development! Delays might be frustrating, but they’re sometimes necessary for ensuring everything is done right.

    • Cynic_72 December 23, 2024

      Critical? More like a vanity project for political gain. I’ve heard arguments both ways, but it seems like more money is going down the drain than anything.

    • AnnaB December 23, 2024

      Exactly, Cynic! These kinds of projects seem to drag on forever, costing the people so much.

  3. Larry Davis December 23, 2024

    What’s interesting is how much of a role these public-private partnerships could play in the future. It might be the solution to avoid such delays.

    • grower134 December 23, 2024

      Those partnerships often mean the public pays more for something that should have been publicly funded in the first place.

    • Larry Davis December 23, 2024

      True, but they also bring in expertise and efficiency from the private sector that purely public projects often lack.

  4. newsaddict77 December 23, 2024

    What I’m curious about is how much of this is going to affect neighboring countries’ plans to connect with Thai railways. They’re counting on timely completion too.

  5. Eco_Warrior December 23, 2024

    Honestly, all this construction is terrible for the environment. Are there even any environmental assessments being done for projects like these?

    • SustainableSam December 23, 2024

      Exactly my thought! High-speed rail might be greener than planes or cars, but they need to be built with the environment in mind right from the start.

  6. Joe December 23, 2024

    I’ve already read about a similar delay in China. It seems these issues are universal when it comes to land acquisition.

    • hina_007 December 24, 2024

      True, but China has also shown that once these hurdles are overcome, things move very quickly. Maybe Thailand could learn from them.

    • Joe December 24, 2024

      Good point, though, cultural and bureaucratic differences might still be a barrier.

  7. TravelBuff December 23, 2024

    Once this is up and running, it’s going to be a game-changer for tourism. Can’t wait to ride from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima in style!

  8. Kritik68 December 24, 2024

    Every large project has growing pains. These delays are just part of the process. The only thing that matters is learning from them.

    • Cynic_72 December 24, 2024

      But do they ever learn? Or do we just keep seeing the same issues again and again?

  9. Larry D December 24, 2024

    I’m sure there’s political manipulation behind these delays. It’s all about who benefits in the end.

    • ConspiracyCarl December 24, 2024

      Couldn’t agree more. Projects like this are rife with under-the-table deals. It’ll be interesting to see who profits here.

  10. Rail_Fanatic December 24, 2024

    Despite the setbacks, this is such a cool investment in future tech! High-speed rails are the future of transport.

  11. SkepticalSue December 24, 2024

    When will they actually learn to manage these projects properly? It’s always the same story of delays, delays, delays.

    • curiousmind December 24, 2024

      But Sue, isn’t it somewhat better to have delays and get it right, rather than rushing into mistakes?

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