Chamber of commerce and EEC to discuss ways to secure more investment

Jula Sukmanop took over recently as secretary-general of the EEC.

"This year, the government needs to attract as much investment as possible to the area," said Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the board of the chamber.

"Previously, there have been numerous projects in the EEC zone. The development of the projects is ongoing," said Sanan.

"We consider bringing more investment to the EEC to be absolutely critical, but we must admit that we lack strength in this area. Thankfully, we are receiving support from private organisations," he said.

This year the government is seeking to draw as much investment as possible into the EEC area, he said, adding, "We must rush to attract investments promptly."

Meanwhile, the private sector wants the government to accelerate all mega-investment projects, including the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway, the high-speed train project connecting three airports, the airport rail link, and the development of U-Tapao Airport, to support transportation of the increasing number of tourists and investors.

The private sector will soon hold a road show to attract more foreign investors to targeted projects and industries.

The most recent report of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on the development of the high-speed train construction project for each route shows civil construction work includes 14 contracts for the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima part of the high-speed railway, whose construction began in 2017.

Data as of February 2023 shows that work is in progress on 10 contracts, three have not been signed yet, and one has already been completed.

Contract for an airport-to-airport high-speed rail project is currently being revised as the SRT and the private sector are both working on the design components. Construction on the project is expected to begin in early 2023.