BANGKOK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Wednesday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to transform the Southeast Asian country into a regional trade and logistics hub.
In his opening remarks at the Asia Pacific Rail 2026 in Bangkok, Phiphat reaffirmed the government's push to elevate Thailand's rail network into the core engine of the nation's and ASEAN's infrastructure, economy, and logistics.
Phiphat said this involves accelerating feasibility studies for the landbridge mega-project, which aims to link the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea via an integrated land, pipeline, and rail network designed to significantly reduce transit time and logistics costs.
He emphasized that the expansion of cross-border rail links is a crucial strategy for enhancing regional integration and fostering collective economic advancement across the Lancang-Mekong subregion and ASEAN.
Thailand seeks to be the connectivity hub by developing railway links to Malaysia and China through Laos, the deputy prime minister said, adding that achieving this success will require close collaboration in terms of standards, technology, and regulations to ensure truly seamless connectivity.
He also noted that Thailand remains committed to fostering public-private partnerships in advancing the rail network, while simultaneously prioritizing the integration of clean energy and green innovation to achieve a sustainable, zero-emission transport system for the region.
According to the organizers, the 28th edition of Asia Pacific Rail drew record-breaking participation of more than 5,500 industry leaders, policymakers, and regulators to the region's leading event for rail technology and infrastructure development.
With over 200 exhibitors and 160 speakers, the two-day conference provides a platform for attendees to evaluate the latest innovations in rolling stock, signaling, digital rail, track infrastructure, maintenance, payments, and ticketing. ■
