Thailand expects its 609-km (378 miles) portion of a high-speed railway that will connect it with China through Laos to begin operations in 2030, its government said on Wednesday, nearly a decade later than originally planned.

Thailand says its $13bn high-speed railway to China through Laos will enter service in 2030, South China Morning Post reports.

The project is part of Thailand's broader strategy to bolster links with China, its largest trading partner, as it strives to keep pace with regional peers.

Thailand has announced that its section of the high-speed railway, which will connect the country with China through Laos, is slated to begin operations in 2030, marking a delay of nearly a decade from the original timeline of 2021.

By 2030, the US$13 billion Thai network is expected to connect to the Laos-China high-speed railway via a bridge over the Mekong River.