Srettha tells Foreign Ministry to see if any Thais stranded as powerful quake hits Morocco

In a message to the Moroccan government on Saturday, the prime minister extended his heartfelt condolences to the country and her people and said Thailand was ready to extend help.

The premier has also instructed the Foreign Ministry to closely follow the situation and determine if there are any Thai nationals in the affected area who need urgent help.

The powerful earthquake struck the city of Marrakech, a popular tourist destination.

Srettha has been touring the Northeast region of Thailand, stopping at key provinces like Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Nong Khai. The Northeast trip came just days after the new premier and his Cabinet were sworn in before His Majesty the King.

Srettha, who doubles as finance minister, said on Saturday that over the past three days of this trip to the three Northeast provinces, he has met with local residents, business leaders and public officials to hear their problems.

He said more infrastructure projects were underway for Nong Khai, which borders Laos, as it serves as an important trading gateway to China via Laos. These include the construction of a goods distribution centre with one-stop services, the extension of the nearby Natha train station to cope with more cargo and the construction of double train tracks.

PM Srettha said funding for the double train tracks from Khon Kaen to Nong Khai would need approval from his Cabinet.

“I understand it needs one final endorsement from the Cabinet. The budget has been allocated and this is an urgent matter. The project does not need much money, but will bring massive benefits,” he said.

The construction of double railway tracks has been completed for the Bangkok-Khon Kaen route and will be extended to Nong Khai in the second phase, State Railway of Thailand governor Nirut Maneephan said. Upon completion, he said, this project will open new transportation corridors between Thailand and China via Laos.