Thailand to sign rail pact with Laos, China

[Battlion25]

@Foinikas

Lets use this one and it has anyways come to it's conclusion and nobody is interested in it

 

[Foinikas]

We'll get banned for derailing it...lol

 

[Battlion25]

We'll get banned for derailing it...lol

Not really---

The thread is dead anyways we can use it..

 

[艹艹艹]

First Thai rice shipment delivered using Laos-China railway
PUBLISHED : 20 JAN 2022 AT 12:17

A first shipment 1,000 tonnes of Thai rice has been delivered using the Lao-Chinese railway to Chongqing, marking a new chapter in exports to China, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry announced on Thursday.

Exports of other farm products using the new rail link would follow, Alongkorn Polabutr, adviser to the agriculture minister, said.

He said the initial shipment of rice was carried in 20 carriages and had already reached Chongqing. More would follow.

The railway, which commenced service early last month, opened the possibility of extending export routes to other Chinese provinces and farther, to Central Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, Russia and Europe.

The government was looking into exporting fruit, orchids, rubber, cassava, palm oil and fishery and livestock products on the new railway, Mr Alongkorn said.

Thai fruit could reach Chongqing in 1-2 days, retaining freshness thanks to the railway. This would enable expansion to markets in China, he said.

 

[FuturePAF]

Transport Minister defends rail link plan
PUBLISHED : 18 JAN 2022 AT 04:00

The Transport Ministry says it has told parliament that it wants to connect the kingdom with the China-Laos railway to create a seamless inter-border transport link.

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, representing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, took to the floor in parliament to respond to a motion raised by Sen Suradet Jiratticharoen regarding issues surrounding the link.

The senator had put forth a number of questions to the government, including how Thailand would benefit from the China-Laos railway link, which was inaugurated last month.

Mr Saksayam said there is a vast opportunity to be had from the railway link as Thailand currently operates passenger and cargo train services to Thanalaeng station in the Lao capital of Vientiane.

Currently, 90% of imports and exports between Thailand and China are transported by sea, while the rest is via roads in Laos.

The trade volume between Thailand and China consistently expanded from 2012 to 2020. In particular, exports to China from 2017 to 2020 had tripled while imports were also on the increase.

The opening of the China-Laos railway line is expected to increase cross-border freight transport between Thailand and Laos by 50% when the line is connected to the kingdom.

Nong Khai station, which connects with Lao's Thanalaeng station, is capable of handling up to 728 freight containers daily although the actual volume passing through the station is estimated at 364 containers per day.

Mr Saksayam said the railway link gives Thai businesses the option to send and receive goods from China by train, a mode of transport considered to be cheaper and more convenient.

Goods destined for China by boat must load and unload at the Chiang Saen inland commercial port and the freight must also be delivered overland to the final destinations.

The minister said Thailand and Laos agreed to study the possibility of shortening customs procedures for trans-border freight transport in April.

Both countries also agreed to complete the missing link between the China-Laos railway stretch and Thailand's high-speed train route from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, the gateway to Vientiane. The State Railway of Thailand operates multiple daily round trips between Nong Khai and Thanalaeng in Laos.

Wasn’t there talk that Thailand wanted to pull out of this deal because China demanded land next to the track or some such condition? So is this project still on or is it on hold?