Investment/EEC-smart city

Chatrudee Theparat

Smart city in EEC takes a further step.

The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) plans to ask for 5 billion baht from the fiscal year 2024 to pay for land compensation and other expenditures for the development in the first phase of smart city.

Special advisor policy and planning to EEC, Ms Pojanee Artarotpinyo said the agency yesterday accepted with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, that there has been a progress of EEC’s smart city worth 1.35 trillion so far.

The agency plans to ask for five billion baht from a central budget in the fiscal year 2024. Of the total, 2.5 billion baht will be spent on land compensation of 2,600 rai and the rest to be spent on expenditures for the first phase of the project development.

The first phase of 5,000 rai is planned to complete in five years. The agency has took 2400 rai for land development which the government has allocated 1.4 billion baht from the fiscal year 2023.

Ms Pojanee said the agency plans to categorize the zone into major groups within six months such as special promotion zones and special promoted categories. Especially promoted categories, it is served for regional headquarters and centers of government agencies, financial centers, digital industry, logistics services, research centers and residential buildings for workers.

Later, the agency plans to open bid for pubic private partnership (PPP) to develop the first phase of digital infrastructure and facilities.

“The government aims to draw investors from Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia to develop the project because smart cities are well prepared and has shown a successful development,” she said.

EEC Policy Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha since July 2022, approved the new smart city development which covers a 15,000-rai plot of land in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province, 15 kilometres away from U-tapao airport.

Special advisor policy and planning to EEC, Ms Pojanee Artarotpinyo

Ms Pojanee said the cabinet last week (December 20th) approved an action plan of the new smart city development.

The agency reported that the new smart city is estimated to draw 1.35 trillion baht's worth of investment over a period of 10 years (2023-2032). It expects to create 200,000 new jobs, worth more than 1.2 trillion baht's worth from employment, leading to contribute 2 trillion baht to GDP over 10 years.

She said EEC Office aims to upgrade the living standard of people in the EEC and investment in smart cities. To do so, 5G development will play a key role to help improve their living standard and job efficiency. Also, it expects the number of people living in EEC will double in ten years.

Smart cities will use advanced technologies to make the project digital. They include information and communication technologies, the internet of things, artificial intelligence and digital technologies, which will make infrastructure and services more complete to help improve the quality of government services and life quality and welfare for those living in the areas.