Japan Transport minister Akihiro Ota and his visiting Thai counterpart, Prajin Juntong, signed on a memorandum on the two nations’ cooperation on a planned high-speed rail link between Bangkok and the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai.

Based on the memorandum, the Japanese and Thai governments will jointly conduct a feasibility study on the rail project on the assumption that Thailand will introduce Japan’s shinkansen bullet train technology.

The two sides will also consider Japan’s financial assistance to help cover the project’s construction costs, seen totaling the equivalent of ¥1 trillion. New tracks would be constructed for the 670-km-long line.

The high-speed train service is expected to attract tourists because there are sightseeing spots along the planned line, including Ayutthaya, a historic city, officials said.

The memorandum also calls for cooperation in improving an existing railway in southern Thailand and human resources development.

Source: The Sing Sian Yer Pao Daily News