Government presents EEC project to foreign ambassadors

BANGKOK, June 6 (TNA) -- The government invited worldwide ambassadors to present its Eastern Economic Corridor project and assured bidding contests would be open for the EEC development. Prime Minister’s Office Minister Kobsak Pootrakul said the EEC was making much progress when it came to laws to facilitate its development, a high-speed railway project to link three main airports, an eastern aviation centre project, a double-track railway project, the phase-3 expansion of the Laem Chabang port, an aircraft maintenance centre project, an engineering school project, and the Digital Park project. The government expected to select contractors for five important projects in the EEC within this year, Mr Kobsak said. He referred to the U-Tapao airport development project, the aircraft maintenance centre, the high-speed railway, the Laem Chabang port expansion, and a project to expand the Map Tha Phut industrial port worth altogether 600 billion baht. “The government does not have any favourite bidder. It invited foreign ambassadors to Thailand to forward the message to the private sector in their countries so that they will join bidding contests. Other countries are interested in investing in Thailand because they want to see Thailand as a regional hub for activities including production in the next 20-30 years,” the minister said. In another development, the Foreign Ministry, the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee and the Board of Investment will brief foreign diplomats on the EEC and promotional privileges for investors at the Foreign Ministry on June 7. The briefing is called "The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC): Taking Off.” (TNA)