BANGKOK, 11 May 2015 – Japan has agreed to enter a trilateral cooperation with Thailand and Myanmar in developing the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The three nations are scheduled to sign an agreement this July, and Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha will attend the official signing ceremony by himself, Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula said today.
MR Pridiyathorn announced the cooperation after Special Advisor to the Japanese Prime Minister Hiroto Izumi paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Prayut.
MR Pridityathorn said the investment cooperation would be conducted in stages beginning from the construction of public utilities and infrastructure on a 27-rai plot of land and roads linking Dawei to Ban Phu Nam Ron in the Thai province of Kanchaburi. Then the SEZ development will move to mega projects such as power plants and small sea ports.
The Japanese representative also expressed Japan’s interest in two of Thailand’s high-speed train projects, namely the Laem Chabang-Bangkok-Kanchanaburi-Phu Namron Project which is designed for goods and passenger transport and the Bangkok-Chiang Mai high-speed train project.
The two countries agreed to hold more meetings for discussion on budget details of both routes while the Thai Minister of Transport will visit Japan in June to sign the agreement in principle.
Apart from this, Japan also showed interest to develop a coal-fired power plant and construction of three motorways in the central and eastern regions of Thailand.
