BANGKOK, 16 June 2012 – Thailand is set to open a new rail route, which connects the country with Cambodia, to further boost the transportation connection with Vietnam.
Transport Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan said on Friday that Cambodia has recently asked Thailand to build a railway bridge to connect the country’s Aranyaprathet District with its Poipet District.
Mr. Charupong stated that the project, which will link the two neighbors’ railway service, is expected to be completed in 2013.
He said that the construction plan is a part of the policy to make Thailand and Cambodia become better connected by land, rail and water transport.
The Transport Minister noted that the new rail track will also strengthen the link between the 2 countries and Vietnam.
After completion, the entire route will enable passengers and goods to travel from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, via Aranyaprathet, Poipet and Phnom Penh.
Meanwhile, Sa Kaeo Governor Sanit Naksuksi said that the Province is planning to open a new border checkpoint by the end of this year, to help alleviate the traffic flow at the Aranyaprathet -Klong Luk checkpoint, where 12,000 people pass through each day.
He said that the heavy traffic of people has made goods transport to start only after 10 a.m.
According to Mr. Sanit, the total trade value at this checkpoint is worth nearly 40 billion baht, or almost half of the country’s total border trade value of 80 billion baht.
