China to join Bangkok Skytrain

China to join Bangkok Skytrain

BANGKOK (AFP): A Chinese state firm will build a 300 million
dollar extension to Bangkok's debt-burdened light rail system
known as the Skytrain, a report said Saturday.

The Shanghai Metro Construction Corp (SMCC), a Shanghai city
enterprise, will come to the aid of Thailand's ailing Bangkok
Transit System Co (BTSC), which owes creditors more than 30
billion baht (US$660 million).

The Chinese company will invest some $300 million in the
project that will add 10 kilometers of track and six stations to
the skytrain route, which currently spans 20 kilometers (12.4
miles) in Bangkok.

The Chinese-funded Skytrain expansion comes alongside a
separate Chinese train project that city officials are expected
to discuss with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji during his visit to
Thailand this week.

Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej is scheduled on Monday to
meet with the premier, who arrives in Bangkok Saturday, to
discuss a proposed 80 kilometer (49.7 miles) suburban electric
railway to be built by China Rail Construction Ltd, the Thai
language Daily News reported.