Thailand seeks private funding for ports, railways

As part of a proposal to privatise Thailand's railways and ports, the country's interim government is encouraging the private-sector to lease such facilities in a bid to raise logistical efficiency and lower the country's dependency on imported fuel, reports The Nation newspaper.Critics complain that at the moment it takes about two days to get goods loaded onto container trucks after arriving at receiving points, leaving much scope for logistical improvements. "More ports and longer railway lines won't ensure efficiency in logistics operations if the management is not improved," said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula at an economic seminar organised by Thammasat University. The privatisation plan calls for the private sector to lease and construct container yards and provide rail transportation services with particular focus on linking the east and southern parts of Thailand.
Under the privatisation plan, the State Railway of Thailand would build the railways and the private sector would lease and operate them.
The government is also reported to be considering a proposal for goods destined for the port of Laem Chabang to be received by the provinces of Songkhla or Surat Thani. Privatisation is not expected to happen overnight as the government is unlikely to issue a blueprint for the logistics plan until after a National Logistics Committee is established. Meanwhile, the government must wait for next fiscal year's budget to come out before it can begin to finance new investment in infrastructure.