BANGKOK, 17 MARCH 2013 The Transport Ministry has claimed that an overwhelming majority of people support the state-initiated infrastructure mega-projects, after they have seen the government’s presentation.
Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt cited a survey result in suggesting that 91% of the people, who had been to the “Thailand 2020” exhibition on the government’s infrastructure investment plans, wanted all the projects to go ahead.
He added, however, that there also remain some worries about possible corruption and the capability of the organizations tasked to carry out the projects, such as the State Railway of Thailand.
The “Thailand 2020” exhibition is a showcase of the government’s plan to invest 2.2 trillion baht in various infrastructure projects, including the high-speed train routes, the electric train systems, and the construction of the Dawei seaport in Myanmar as Thailand’s main connection point to other regions by sea.
The opposition Democrat party has expressed worries that the plan to borrow 2.2 trillion baht will increase public debt and has threatened to request a judicial review of the bill by the Constitution Court.
