High-speed railway to link China and Thailand: Thai official  

泰國官方透露坤敬與昆明間將通高鐵 具體日程未公布

泰國會議展覽局主席諾帕拉特·梅薩維庫柴15日在上海推介赴泰會展旅游活動時透露，作為泰國五個特色會展舉辦城市之一的坤敬，未來將與中國云南省昆明市之間連通高鐵，屆時由昆明至坤敬只需3個小時。[查看全文]

Shanghai (ECNS) – A Thailand official has said that a planned high-speed railway will cut the travel time from Thailand's Khon Kaen to China's southwest city of Kunming to three hours.

Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, disclosed the news on Sept 15 while promoting convention and exhibition tourism in Shanghai.

Khon Kaen, a city located in northeast Thailand, is an important transportation hub and investment center. It's also a key region for industrial development and convention tourism.

On August 9, Thailand waived visa fees for tourists from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan for stays shorter than three months, and an increase in convention tours has been seen since then. The railway is expected to further boost tourism.

Thai official statistics show that in the first three quarters of 2014, convention tourists from China to Thailand reached nearly 100,000, a 7.86 percent year-on-year increase.

Maythaveekulchai didn't provide details about the construction or timetable of the railway.