中文版：
泰国南北和东西的互联互通建设将会与所有的周边国家连接，并会在所有四个方向提升国内的物流运输，这一规划必定会对中国的“一带一路”倡议形成良好的补充
文｜醍乐堃·倪勇泰王国驻华大使 图片提供｜泰国驻华大使馆 翻译｜徐巍
支持“一带一路”倡议
习近平主席提出的共建“一带一路”倡议主要关注增强欧亚非和其他各国市场的互联互通和人心相通。据联合国统计，“一带一路”沿线共有60多个国家，占全球人口的60%、全球GDP的30%以及全球贸易总额的40%。
同时，丝绸之路沿线超过50%的人口仍生活在极端贫困线以下。习主席的共建“一带一路”倡议目标既包括推动经济增长，以消除贫困和缩小贫富，也包括进一步巩固和加强沿线社会、文化和人与人之间的联系。
泰国对这一倡议表示欢迎，因为我们认为它将会创造一个有利的环境，这一环境能够增强地区之间互联互通，推动全球经济增长，创造更多就业和在全球经济面临不确定性和增长停滞的挑战下推动经济的繁荣。2015年，中国与“一带一路”沿线国家的贸易额超过了1万亿美元。
双边关系源远流长
泰中两国是全面战略合作伙伴。在贸易方面，两国都是受益者。双边贸易额从1998年的区区36亿美元增加到2015年的630多亿美元，17年间增加了超过17倍。现在，中国已经是我们最大的贸易伙伴，东盟和泰国则是中国第四大和第十二大贸易伙伴。
去年是泰中两国建交40周年，但事实上我们的双边关系源远流长，可以追随到1000多年以前。一些史学研究表明，泰国人很多祖先都是源自现在中国的云南省区域。他们在公元前六世纪，也就是2600多年以前向南迁移，并定居在了我们现在成为泰国的地方。
连接东盟和中国的枢纽
泰国是东盟第二大经济体，地处东南亚的核心区域。东南亚人口总共有6亿多，GDP总额有2.8万亿，是一个潜力巨大的成长中市场。泰国将自己定位为连接10个东盟成员国的枢纽，并在“硬件”和“软件”层面提供增强互联互通的机会，同时在区域内培育更多的物流、贸易、旅游和文化方面的合作机会。这就是为什么泰国能够在推动东南亚国家联盟互联互通理念成型的过程中发挥关键作用，这一理念也最终在2009年10月24日与泰国华欣区七岩召开的东盟国家峰会上正式被采用。
与“一带一路”框架相似，东盟国家互联互通倡议要求共同建设连接东南亚各国之间的铁路和公路网以及连接东盟各岛国和大陆国的滚装船和短途海运港口网络。因此，泰国是一个连接东盟和中国的枢纽。
从次区域互联互通的角度来看，泰国也在升级和建设一流的基础设施来与周边国家通过铁路和高速公路来连接。泰国的北部线将会连接老挝、缅甸以及中国南部，并与马来西亚通过南部线来连接。东西线将会把缅甸、柬埔寨、越南和老挝连接起来，同时也会与缅甸土瓦和越南岘港等重要港口城市相连接。
更重要的是，泰国与中国在2014年12月签署了在泰国共同建设高速铁路的谅解备忘录。这一高铁将会连接东部的罗勇府、曼谷和东北部的廊开府，并会进一步将泰国和老挝连接起来（万象—琅勃拉邦），最终到达中国昆明和更远的地方。这一铁路将会极大地推动地区互联互通，并进一步推动区域发展和民生改善。预计在2016年9月，从曼谷到呵叻府全长253公里的高铁第一阶段的建设将会开始。
简而言之，泰国南北和东西的互联互通建设将会与所有的周边国家连接，并会在所有四个方向提升国内的物流运输，这一规划必定会对中国的“一带一路”倡议形成良好的补充。
泰中多领域合作
此外，泰国在与柬埔寨、老挝、缅甸和马来西亚边境地区省份推动的特别经济区倡议也已经启动，这一战略已经成为泰国推动经济增长、吸引外国直接投资和推动边境地区发展和东盟各国融合的战略的一部分。特别经济区内有13个类型的企业可以获得许可，包括（1）农业和渔业企业，（2）陶瓷，（3）纺织，（4）家具，（5)珠宝，（6）医疗器械，（7）汽车和汽车零部件，（8）电子产品，（9）塑料，（10）制药企业，（11）物流，（12）工业地产开发，（13）旅游。在这些区域内，投资者将获得特殊的优惠政策。
中国政府提出的《中国制造2025》规划和“泰国4.0”模式将会是21世纪新的增长引擎。两者互为补充。两大规划都是意在通过将国内的经济结构升级到以附加值为基础和创新驱动的经济发展上来。“泰国4.0”模式将主要通过以下途径来实现：（1）改革现有的五大产业，包括汽车、电子、医疗和保健旅游、农业和生物技术以及食品产业。（2）推动五大新兴产业发展，包括机器人、航空和物流，生物燃料和生物化学、数码产业和医疗中心。我们相信这一模式将会使泰国跨越中等收入陷阱，并把泰国经济的新面貌呈现在全球舞台上。
泰中两国在重塑本国历史的辉煌和重新发挥丝绸之路在21世纪的文化重要性方面有着相同的远景。现在，我们的合作伙伴关系将会更加牢固和有意义，因为我们有着相似的经济发展规划，双边贸易互补性强，人员往来紧密，这些都将为我们两国和两国人民未来创造更多的财富和繁荣打下坚实的基础。
英文版：
New Silk Road and New Future
By H.E. Mr. Theerakun Niyom; Ambassador ofthe Kingdom of Thailand to the People’s Republic of China;
Photo Provided by Royal Thai Embassy
The One Belt One Road initiative, putforward by President Xi Jinping, focuses on connectivity between the marketsand peoples of the People’s Republic of China and countries in Asia, Europe,Africa and beyond. According to the United Nations, some 60 countries are alongthe Belt and Road route, accounting for 60 percent of the world’s population,30 percent of the world’s gross product, and 40 percent of the world’s trade.At the time, more than 50 percent of the population along the Silk Road livesbelow the extreme poverty line. President Xi Jinping’s initiative aims to notonly boost economic growth, which will help to alleviate poverty and reduceincome disparity, but also reinforce and further strengthen social, culturaland people to people linkage among communities along the route.
Thailand welcomes this initiative as webelieve that it will create a more conducive environment to strengthen regionaland sub – regional connectivity, bolster global economic growth, create moreemployment opportunities, and increase prosperity amidst challenges as a resultof uncertainty and stagnation in the world’s economy. In 2015, trading volumebetween China and countries in the Belt and Road Initiative surpassed 1trillion U.S. dollars.
Thailand and China are comprehensivestrategic partners. In terms of trade, both countries are mutual benefactors.From a merely USD $3.6 billion in 1998, the trading volume between our twocountries has surpassed USD $63 billion last year which is more than a 17 timesincrease within 17 years. Currently, China is our largest trading partner,while ASEAN and Thailand are currently China’s 4th and 12th largest tradingpartner, respectively.
Last year, Thailand and China celebratedthe 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations, but in fact our ties are deeplyrooted, dating back over a thousand of years. Many of our ancestors arebelieved to have originated from the area that is currently known as YunnanProvince. They migrated to the South to the place we called modern Thailandsince 6th century B.C. or 2,600 years ago.
Thailand, as ASEAN’s second largesteconomy, is strategically located at the heart of Southeast Asia, a growingmarket of tremendous potential with a population of about 600 million peoplesand a combined gross domestic product of $2.8 trillion. Thailand views itselfas the link to all the 10 ASEAN members and providing opportunities tostrengthen connectivity, in terms of both “hardware” and “software”, as well asto foster more seamless logistical, trade, tourism, and cultural cooperationacross the region. That’s the reason why Thailand has played a crucial role indeveloping the ASEAN Connectivity concept which later was adopted during theASEAN Summit in Cha-am, Hua Hin, Thailand on 24 October 2009.
Similar to the “One Belt, One Road” framework,the ASEAN Connectivity Initiative called for the joint building of roads andrailways to connect Southeast Asian countries with one another, as well as asystem of ports for RoRo (roll-on roll-off) vessels and short sea shipping tolink Southeast Asian countries with one another as well as with mainlandSoutheast Asia. Therefore, Thailand is a hub that serves as a bridge linkingASEAN and China.
In view of sub-regional connectivity,Thailand is now upgrading and building world-class infrastructures to link allneighboring countries through railways and highways. The Northern Line willconnect Laos, Myanmar and, in particular, the South of China, and link up toMalaysia through the Southern line. The East-West line will link up Myanmar,Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, while also connects with key port cities such asDawei in Myanmar, Bangkok, Da Nang in Vietnam.
More importantly, Thailand and China signedthe Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in December 2014 to jointly build a highspeed railway in Thailand. By connecting the eastern Rayong Province, Bangkok,and the northeast Nong Khai province, the railway will link Thailand further toLaos (Vientiane – Luang Prabang) and to China (Kunming) and beyond. Thisrailway will significantly facilitate greater connectivity which will greatlycontribute to regional development and the betterment of people in the region.It is expected that the construction of 253 kilometers railway from Bangkok toNakhon Ratchasima will commence its first phase in September 2016.
In short, Thailand’s North – South and East- West connectivity which link all neighboring countries and improve ourlogistic transportation in all four directions will certainly compliment China’sOne Belt One Road Initiative.
In addition, Thailand’s Special Economic Zones(SEZs) initiative at provinces along the borders of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar andMalaysia was established as part of our national strategy to stimulate economicgrowth, attract foreign direct investment, foster the development of borderareas and support ASEAN integration. There are 13 types of businesses thatqualify to operate within SEZs, namely, (1) Agro and fishing industries, (2)Ceramics, (3) Textiles, (4) Furniture, (5) Jewelry, (6) Medical Equipment, (7)Automotive and parts, (8) Electronics, (9) Plastics, (10) Pharmaceuticalindustry, (11) Logistics, (12) Industrial estate development, and (13) Tourism.Special incentives are offered to investors in those areas.
The Chinese government’s vision “Made inChina 2025” and “Thailand 4.0” model are the new engine of growth in the 21stcentury. They are complementary. The initiatives are designed to upgrade thecountry’s economic structure to a value – based economy driven by innovation.In this connection, “Thailand 4.0” model will be achieved by (1) reforming theexisting five industries, including, automotive, electronics, affluent medicaland wellness tourism, agriculture and biotechnology, and food, and (2)promoting five new industries, including, robotics, aviation and logistics,biofuels and biochemicals, the digital industry, and the medical hub. Webelieve that this model will enable Thailand to overcome the middle income trapand bring about the new face of Thailand’s economy on global stage.
Thailand and China share the same vision torevitalize of glory in the past as well as the historical and culturalsignificance of the Silk Road in the 21st century. In the modern era, ourpartnership will be stronger and even meaningful because we share similareconomic development initiatives with more interdependent bilateral trade andpeople-to-people connectivity which will lay a solid foundation for growingbusinesses and create wealth and prosperity for our peoples and nations in thefuture.