Over the past few years, Thailand and China have discussed and made plans for a railway connecting two of their major cities – Bangkok and Kunming – as a part of the highly discussed Belt and Road Initiative. However, one component of this that they need to consider is the Lao border, being right in between these two cities. The goals of this railway are to strengthen the economy as well as aid in regional development, however there are other factors potentially getting in the way of this progress. Those factors include concerns over the environment, tensions across Southeast Asia, and costs just to name a few. At this time, only a little over 23% of the railway has been completed and even while building this small portion, the Thai government faced a number of challenges and roadblocks, metaphorically speaking. We do not know how this will end and whether or not the railway will be completed any time soon because of these difficulties. 

The Belt and Road Initiative with many railways and other forms of transportation being implemented in Southeast Asia has become very relevant in recent years and has become a main priority/focus of many of these countries. It is really important to focus on this initiative because having access to transportation across the region will not only help citizens of the area get from place to place, but it can also increase tourism therefore boosting the economy and creating a better quality of life for many. However, the challenges Thailand is facing because of this are great and not easy to fix. If these challenges can be overcome even if it does take a long time, this railway will prove to be a good thing. 

 

I think that the idea of a transnational railway between Thailand and China is a great idea, especially given the two cities that they connect. Bangkok is in the heart of Thailand, being the capital, and Kunming is a smaller city located at the bottom of China, making the journey not too long but still getting people to the country where they can disperse from there. I think that the challenges they are facing because of this railway are definitely difficult, yet I think that it is possible to create this railway as long as they take their time and consider the feedback they have gotten surrounding environmental concerns as well as costs. I do not know necessarily what the best next step is from here, but I think that if this railway does get completed, it will really help not only the Thai economy, but the rest of Southeast Asia as well. 

 

Source: https://thediplomat.com/2023/11/thailands-high-speed-railway-on-the-fast-track-to-ties-with-china-but-at-what-cost/

Image: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2023/40801/clmvt-connectivity-and-thai-chinese-high-speed-rai/