Government spokesman says the rail line will connect Thailand to the global economy and bring it closer to becoming a logistics hub.

Thailand started the construction of the high-speed rail network in 2017 under the Chinese government’s Belt and Road Initiative, according to the project’s website. The Thai government is responsible for entire project investment, civil works construction, and application of Chinese construction technologies and railway systems.

Vietnam plans to build a 1,541 km (958-mile) high-speed rail line linking its two biggest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, at a cost of more than $67 billion, targeting the sta

By 2030, the US$13 billion Thai network is expected to connect to the Laos-China high-speed railway via a bridge over the Mekong River.