Thailand’s ambitious high-speed rail project, built by China, is poised to transform the country’s transportation landscape. The project has been in the works for years but has faced numerous delays and controversies, including concerns over financing and technological compatibility. Despite these setbacks, the project is still on track and promises to bring significant economic benefits to the region. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Thailand’s high-speed rail project, its progress, and the challenges it continues to face.
The Kingdom of Thailand is moving forward with a long-awaited Chinese-backed high-speed train project, threatening the destruction of one of the country’s oldest railway stations. The project will generate connections between Bangkok and Kunming in China via Laos by 2028 as part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative that cuts across Asia. The new elevated tracks will cut through a quiet corner of Thailand’s poor rural northeast while the “show-stopper” US$5.4 billion project account for lost heritage and closer ties to Beijing. According to The Jakarta Post, the project has faced ongoing delays and public resistance, warning that the traditional 19th-century charm of the state’s railway lines could be lost.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT)’s Lam Ta Khong station, located in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, has been in service for more than a century. Its original wooden structure, a graceful blend of European and Thai architecture, with a red-brick chimney and metal roof, was destroyed by Japanese forces during the Second World War and rebuilt during the 1940s.
One railway enthusiast, Pramot Masramon, has started a campaign to save the station, which is across the road from the new high-speed line, raising alarm bells about the consequences of the high-speed train development. Masramon believes that the modern station will disrupt the quaint railway charm of the area, and he is pleading with the government and Chinese embassy to ensure the restoration and preservation of the historical site.
A significant number of communities are also subject to displacement, demolition, and compensation for the government’s effort to get the high-speed train on the tracks. However, many residents of these areas are stating that their territories have yet to be officially designated as recipients, which has left communities in a state of limbo with options for relocating existing livelihood secured.
Furthermore, environmental groups and social activists have warned that the development of high-speed transport will result in environmental harm, including a loss of natural habitats and pollution that could eventually lead to long-term health impacts, particularly among the most vulnerable populations such as the elderly and children. The project’s environmental impact assessment report (EIAR) projected an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 hectares or the equivalent of 16 million to 40 million trees of forest land would have to be cleared for the project’s route.
The country is favourable to China’s Belt and Road initiative and has affirmed its position by opting for cooperation with China on the broad infrastructure plan in Southeast Asia. Thailand was the first of Southeast Asia’s countries to indicate that it would cooperate with China on the Belt and Road Initiative, but the country’s acceptance of Chinese developments has drawn both domestic and international criticism, with some arguing Bangkok is becoming too close to Beijing.
The concerns are more significant given that in the past, China has shown a willingness to engage in aggressive tactics and interfere with domestic politics in countries that cooperated economically with the country. As a regional power, analysts argue that China is using the infrastructure plan to accelerate its influence in Southeast Asia who may later find it challenging to resist its advances.
In conclusion, the objective of the Chinese Belt and Road initiative is to establish China’s hegemony, particularly over developing countries that are in dire need of infrastructure assistance. While infrastructure development in many of these areas may yield short-term economic gains, it comes at a lasting cost which may include environmental destruction, economic dependence, and political control.
