BANGKOK: Trade and investment between Thailand and Malaysia will be further facilitated by the proposed Sungai Golok-Rantau Panjang Bridge, notably in the border special economic zones.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said the second bridge connecting Sungai Golok in Narathiwat province and Rantau Panjang in Kelantan will help boost tourism, increase cross border trade by facilitating movement of goods, and people between the two countries.
She said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha, she said, was pleased with the outcome of the 3rd Malaysia-Thailand joint technical meeting for the Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok Bridge construction project held in Putrajaya, Malaysia on Tuesday.
She said the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre has proposed at the meeting that all related problems to be solved in time with the budget planning for fiscal year 2024.
“Then, the construction could complete sooner for the benefit of the people in the two countries especially in Thailand’s Narathiwat province and Malaysia’s Kelantan whom people have been waiting for the second bridge for over 20 years.
“The government has a policy to maintain friendly relations with all countries, especially the neighbouring countries.
“The Prime Minister (Prayuth) believes that the border situation will continue to improve through friendship and people-to-people exchanges,” she said in a statement today.
The value management for the Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok Bridge was carried out from July 18 to 22 last year in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
Besides that, the Malaysia-Thailand joint technical meetings held last year also discussed the bridge design readied by Malaysia.
Thailand also said that it concurred with Malaysia’s proposed bridge design concept. – Bernama
