Government spokesman says the rail line will connect Thailand to the global economy and bring it closer to becoming a logistics hub.

Thailand expects to complete its first high-speed rail network linking the country to China through Laos in 2030, a long-delayed project officials have touted as key to furthering bilateral relations and trade between the two nations.

Vietnam plans to build a 1,541 km (958-mile) high-speed rail line linking its two biggest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, at a cost of more than $67 billion, targeting the sta