The Maritime Silk Road will run through the country's southern part to Southeast Asia, South Asia and North Africa. Bangkok has made known its wish to be included in the Silk Road project. The Silk Road summit comes at a strategic time for China to assert its role on the world stage. After the Trump administration pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Silk Road project could be an option for international cooperation. This is not to say that the One Road, One Belt scheme would necessarily be bad for Thailand.

Source: Bangkok Post May 20, 2017 21:16 UTC