Thai cabinet on July 12 approved the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high speed railway project under Thailand-China rail cooperation, which is set to start operation in 2021.

The cabinet headed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha approved the proposal of the Ministry of Transport, which is in charge of the railway agency, for the construction of the 252-kilometer-long stretch of the high speed rail project between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima province, with an estimated 179 billion baht (5.2 billion U.S. dollars) in funding, all of which is to be raised by Thai government, according to Vice Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister Kobsak Pootrakool.

Following Tuesday's weekly cabinet meeting, Thai Prime Minister Prayut himself told reporters that the construction of the rail project between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima will be completed by 2021 and that Thailand will largely benefit from it in the long run.