Thailand mulls collecting tolls for roads used by cross-border motorists

Thailand might collect tolls for roads used by motorists crossing the border from neighbouring countries, a senior government official said on Monday, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

According to Wilairat Sirisophonsilp, deputy director of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, the agency is conducting a feasibility study on its plan to collect tolls for highways and roads on which motorists from the neighboring states may use while traveling by car in this country.

The tolls would primarily be used to fund repairs and maintenance of the roads which link Thailand with its neighbors as well as other expenditures related to the preservation of natural environment and the handling of possible road accidents, said the official.

The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning is yet to decide whether the tolls would be collected either by a manual or automatic or electronic toll system, she said.

The roads available for cross-border motorists are to be equipped with surveillance cameras and a GPS tracking system, she said.

-- BERNAMA