BANGKOK (AP) Thailand's plans to plow $69.5 billion into building high-speed train lines and other transport infrastructure are in limbo after the main opposition party launched a legal challenge to the spending.
The Democrat Party's move came after the Senate voted Wednesday 63-13 in favor of a financing plan
which allows the Finance Ministry to borrow 2.2 trillion baht in Thailand and overseas without going through the annual government budget. The party submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court, asking it to rule if the bill violated the country's charter.
The 7-year infrastructure spending plan is expected to be a significant contributor to economic growth. Delays could add to problems for the government, which suffered a setback this month after street protests derailed amnesty legislation that would have paved the way for Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, to return to Thailand. The current government is led by Thaksin's younger sister.
Opposition lawmaker Churin Laksanawisit said final endorsement of the bill, which includes submitting it to Thailand's king, would have to be put on hold until the Constitutional Court rules on its validity.
The projects will include four high-speed rail lines that will connect Bangkok with Chiang Mai in the north, the Laotian border, Thailand's industrialized eastern seaboard and Malaysia.
