The project is expected to be submitted for Cabinet approval soon and the government will speed up amendments to the land expropriation law to expedite the project.

His comment came after the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) had approved the controversial high-speed rail project. The board also suggested that the government should set up a public organisation to oversee technology transfer from China.

Support from university rectors

Meanwhile, the Porametee Vimolsiri, secretary general of the NESDB, said they will submit the Bankgok-Nakhon Ratchasima rail project to the Cabinet for approval in the next two weeks. Somkid, however, was confident that the project would be submitted to the Cabinet sooner.

Somkid said the government had started to find solutions to the knowledge transfer issue as he met with rectors of 27 universities on Thursday.

He said that all the rectors had expressed their support for the project and wanted to work with the Transport Ministry on the technology transfer issue.

Somkid said the Transport Ministry plans to set up a new department responsible for rail transport. He said he will discuss the new department soon with Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.

The department will open a channel for universities to work with the Transport Ministry on technology transfer and will enable Thailand to fix the system when technical issues arise in the future, he said.

Asked whether the government will promote rail manufacturing in the kingdom, Somkid said they have to take economic scale into account – if it is not big enough it will not be beneficial.

The scale of rail manufacturing in Thailand may not be big enough and it would not be able to compete with other manufacturers in other countries.

Regarding the progress of an amendment to the land expropriation law, the government has been urging the Transport Ministry to speed up the procedure, according to Somkid.

The new law will change the way the government appropriates land and it also changes the way the government uses land.

The government needs to appropriate land along the rail routes. The law amendment is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval soon, he said.