[Thailand Forum] When highways lead to smart cities: Korea, Thailand upgrade construction partnership

Maeng Sung-kyu, chair of the South Korean National Assembly’s National Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, speaks during the Ignite Thailand-Korea Business Forum in Bangkok, Monday. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)

BANGKOK — Sixty years after South Korea won its first overseas construction contract in Thailand, the two countries are ready to take their partnership into its technology-driven era, experts said at the Ignite Thailand-Korea Business Forum held in Bangkok on Monday.

Maeng Sung-kyu, who chairs the South Korean National Assembly’s National Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, framed the push for deeper cooperation in the context of long-standing ties.

“South Korea and Thailand mark 67 years of diplomatic partnership. Thailand dispatched 6,326 soldiers to the Korean War (1950-1953), with 129 killed in battle,” he said. “Thailand is a close ally that fought alongside us to defend democracy and freedom.”

The two countries went on to establish diplomatic ties in 1968, and seven years later, Korea secured its first overseas construction contract in Thailand. “They were the Pattani-Narathiwat Highway projects,” Maeng said, noting that the initial foothold helped propel Korea’s rapid expansion abroad, with cumulative overseas orders rising to more than $1 trillion.

The Korean lawmaker added that the relationship has since broadened across politics, the economy and people-to-people exchange, underpinned by memorandums of understanding on railway and smart-city cooperation.

“Today, Korea and Thailand are economic partners with trade exceeding $10 billion and more than 1.2 million annual travelers between them,” he said.

Karn Karuhadej, an economic adviser to Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaks during the Ignite Thailand-Korea Business Forum in Bangkok, Monday. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)

Karn Karuhadej, an economic adviser to Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, highlighted Korea’s transformation as a model for emerging economies.

“In just a few decades, Korea achieved remarkable growth — the Miracle on the Han River — and is now home to many global companies,” he said. Cultural exchange has further strengthened ties, anticipating momentum across trade, investment and tourism to grow even stronger, he added.

Both officials pointed to rising demand for collaboration in future industries. Maeng cited the Korea-Thailand summit on Oct. 30, where leaders agreed to accelerate cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital innovation and energy transition.

Saying investment still has room to grow, Karn highlighted the planned Korean-style industrial complex in Thailand, a project led by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, Korea Land and Housing Corp., and Thai partners. He said it could be a major turning point by speeding supply-chain shifts and boosting Korean investment.

“There are even greater opportunities for cooperation in future industries such as electric vehicles, clean energy, biotechnology, K-beauty, defense and smart electronics,” Karn said.

Maeng, a former vice minister of land, infrastructure and transport, said Korea is ready to support Thailand’s priority projects, from aviation and logistics to high-speed rail, electric buses and smart-city development. “The South Korean National Assembly will provide the institutional backing needed to deepen economic cooperation,” he added.