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Thailand to seek sultan's nod for tunnel project linking Kelantan to Thailand
Report from The New Straits Times (Malaysia) dated 25 September 2012 :-
Thailand to seek sultan's nod for tunnel project linking Kelantan to Thailand
TUMPAT: Representatives from the Thai government will meet Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V to get the ruler's approval regarding their proposal to build an underwater tunnel connecting the border towns of Takbai and Pengkalan Kubor here.
Takbai district officer Somsaat Sithi Warkian said the meeting was expected to take place when a special delegation from Narathiwat province arrived in the state.
"Our committee members in Narathiwat have agreed to build the 400m tunnel as a gift to the sultan and the people of Kelantan, and decided to cancel the plan to build a bridge connecting the two places, which had been discussed over the years, but has yet to be implemented," he said.
"The delegation wants to meet the ruler so that the tunnel project, which is financed by the Thai government, can be carried out faster."
Somsaat added that the cost of building the tunnel had increased from RM120 million to RM150 million due to the increase in the cost of building materials.
He hoped the construction of the tunnel, which would be the first in the region, would ease the problem faced by people of both countries who had to travel across the Sungai Golok via boats and ferries.
In another development, Somsaat said the Thai government had issued a special facility card for the Malaysian enforcement officers to facilitate their travelling to the southern province for work purposes without using their travel documents.
He said the card, which was introduced last month, was only given to officers on duty along the Malaysian border areas, especially those operating in Pengkalan Kubor.
----- KatoeyNewsNetwork
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