Proposed Kra Canal not current government project: Thailand

 

A Thai spokesman said Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had insisted his government did not have a policy on the project.

 

BANGKOK: The Thai Government has made it clear that the proposed Kra Canal project is neither a priority currently nor does it have a policy on the proposed man-made waterway which will link the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

 

A government spokesman, Lt-Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had insisted his government did not have a policy on the project.

 

"There are still other 'problems' in the area, therefore they (the other problems) must be prioritised," he said in a statement, in response to a movement by a group led by influential figures in drumming up support for the highly controversial multi-billion dollar project.

 

Full story: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/proposed-kra-canal-not-current-government-project-thailand-9950434

 

-- CHANNEL NEWSASIA 2018-02-12

The Malacca straits and Singapore Straits presently link the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean  and that is the way it will remain for the forseeable future.

And to add, they have even more influential figures in Singapore.

Edited February 12, 20188 yr by ratcatcher

This seems to be brought up once a year to unhinge Singapore.  It would be quite an undertaking.  Not sure if Thailand could do it without help from China or Japan. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had insisted his government did not have a policy on the project.

PM Prayut's policy on this matter is not to have policy which is good. It seems like it is not even on the dream radar like most of his other policies. High speed trains everywhere, Thai people doing good under the Thai Niyom scheme, stopping corruption, reducing the road death toll, having an election. The dream list is endless.

Edited February 12, 20188 yr by Cadbury

Not sure if salinity transition factors will have anything to do with this but 

guess the study would be intense, as salt mixing point, temperature , wind wave and current

would all have to be looked at, 

Some species of fish or crusteanceans movement would also have to bee looked at,

 

30 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

This seems to be brought up once a year to unhinge Singapore.  It would be quite an undertaking.  Not sure if Thailand could do it without help from China or Japan. 

Somehow I rather doubt that Singapore is particularly bothered, I don't suppose they take it seriously...

Quote

Among a number of issues that needed consideration, he said, included security and cost of the project.

 

Starting with, if it takes 6 Somchais 6 hours to dig one hole, how long does it take to dig a 100km long canal?

 

he's not lying of course. They don't have an offical policy on it.

 

Unofficially, many of their mates at the big infrastructure firms are busily doing all the groundwork to study it...

1 hour ago, leeneeds said:

Not sure if salinity transition factors will have anything to do with this but 

guess the study would be intense, as salt mixing point, temperature , wind wave and current

would all have to be looked at, 

Some species of fish or crusteanceans movement would also have to bee looked at,

 

mai mee bpunhaa - Prayut can invoke Article 44 to expedite the project and bypass all those messy environmental concerns.

The Chinese-supported Malaysian ECRL-project will provide a land-bridge anyway, so those local construction-firms & important people supporting this canal-project are in-danger of missing-the-boat, so to speak !

 

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/01/15/china-projects-to-hit-singapore-the-giant-republics-aggressive-investments-in-ports-and-rail-links-i/

 

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/one-belt-one-road-malaysia-chinas-strategic-enabler/

 

The Thai government appears to have recognised this  ...

 

http://www.theindependent.sg/kra-canal-is-dead-says-thai-ambassador-to-kuala-lumpur/

Edited February 12, 20188 yr by Ricardo

4 hours ago, JAG said:

Somehow I rather doubt that Singapore is particularly bothered, I don't suppose they take it seriously...

If it were to ever open, at a size capable of all vessels, it would certainly bother Singabore. It would strangle their port consolidation business and decimate the shipping industry there.