The five routes are from Bang Yai to Ban Pong in Kanchanaburi, from Nakhon Pathom to Cha-am, from Chon Buri to Map Ta Put, from Bang Pa-in to Nakhon Sawan and from Bang Pa-in to Nakhon Ratchasima via Saraburi.

Department director-general Songsak Phaecharoen said some of the financing for the construction would come from international institutions. The department is in negotiations with the World Bank for additional funding, he added.

TOT retirement

The TOT board yesterday approved the company's early-retirement programme, which requires a budget of Bt2.1 billion. The programme, which will involve 668 employees, will start next month. TOT has 20,429 employees. 

Power weighed

The stability of fuel supplies and environmental impact are two factors the government needs to pay more attention to in terms of power generation to satisfy growing demand, according to academics from the Chulalongkorn Research Institute.

Bandid Ua-arthorn, deputy director of the institute, said the government should consider carefully when promoting any type of fuel as all of them had advantages and disadvantages. For example, although natural gas is a low-cost fuel, slightly dearer than coal, 70 per cent of power generation in Thailand relies on natural gas.

While many parties are pushing for higher use of coal, Sriwan Iamrungroj at major energy company PTT said producers should also be concerned about sufficiency and price of fuels.

Globally, coal powers 39.8 per cent of power-generation, natural gas 19.6 per cent, hydropower 16.1 per cent and nuclear power 15.7 per cent.