Thailand to build motorway linking with Myanmar’s Dawei deep sea port

BANGKOK, Nov 3 (TNA) – Thailand’s Transport Ministry plans to construct a motorway which would be close to Myanmar’s Dawei deep sea port and could facilitate goods transportation as well as lower costs upon completion, said Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt on Saturday. Mr. Chadchart said while inspecting the area where the motorway would be constructed between Bang Pa-in linking with Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchasima province that his ministry would consider whether to allow the private sector to first invest on building the motorway and the government pay back later or the government invests alone by borrowing money. The ministry plans to extend the motorway in the future as it would be extended to the border province of Kanchanaburi and link with Dawei deep sea port. Mr. Chadchart said he believed every country in this region would develop its basic infrastructures after the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 and if Thailand could successfully use Dawei deep sea port, it could help the country in lowering transportation costs to the western side of the country. The four-year construction, starting in 2013, of the first phase of the motorway with the total distance of 196 kilometres is estimated to cost about 69 billion baht. Its extension to Kanchanaburi province covering the total distance of 96 kilometres is expected to cost about 15.5 billion baht and will also take four years to complete. (TNA)