BANGKOK, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and China will sign contracts to build the high speed rail from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima province in two months, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said late Wednesday.
Attending a ceremony held by the Chinese embassy to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, Wissanu said Thai engineers and architects will learn from China's advanced technology in the construction of the 252 km high speed rail project, which adds technological cooperation into long-standing Thai-Chinese friendship.
He told Xinhua that Article 44 of the 2014 interim constitution was invoked for the project, showing that the high speed rail must be constructed.
"The two sides have talked 18 times... and now problems are solved by Article 44, so we expect we can sign the contracts in 2 months, according to our roadmap," he said.
Thailand's Royal Gazette released Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha's order under Article 44 of the constitution to solve legal snags involving the construction of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high speed rail on June 15.
According to the order, the State Railway of Thailand will sign contracts with a Chinese state enterprise, which will design the railway and serve as the advisor for the construction and provide system-related knowledge training, among others.
Thailand plans to build the 252 km high speed rail by four sections, namely 3.5 km, 11 km, 119 km and 119 km gradually.
