Ambitious "landbridge" plans could see Thailand as hub of worldwide sea transport

[webfact]

Ambitious "landbridge" plans could see Thailand as hub of worldwide  sea transport

 

Picture: RYT9

 

Thailand's ambitious plans to link the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand and connect this to the Eastern Economic Corridor scheme for the eastern seaboard are moving forward.

 

The plans would see Thailand as a hub of sea transport cutting out the need to go round the Straits of Malacca and dock at Singapore. 

 

Time and money could be saved that will swell Thailand's coffers. 

 

The "Landbridge" plans could also be a boon for tourism with improved communications links on land and sea. 

 

Though the latest developments are not exactly strides in a forward direction, more like cautious steps.

 

The plan is to expand a port in the Ranong area then improve roads and railways to the Gulf. From there further improvements to ports and road and railway services as well as sea links to the eastern seaboard are envisaged. 

 

A company called Index International Group (IND) has now begun feasibility studies and is establishing a business development model.

 

They plan to present their first findings early in 2022 after which an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) will be completed along with other ideas by September 2023. 

 

The whole plan will ultimately link up with the EEC scheme on the eastern seaboard that includes a high speed train from Bangkok to Rayong and huge investment in infrastructure.

 

Ultimately the bigger picture is for Thailand to be a new connecting piece in the movement of sea freight goods to and from the west and China via the middle east and India cutting out some of the middle men on the way. 

 

Source: RYT9

 

 

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[AlfHuy]

Another hub.

[John Drake]

And where will the expertise, equipment, and money to build come from?  C-H-I-N-A.

[ThailandRyan]

The Hub of Hubs and wasted spending.  Nice idea, but take care of what is inside of your borders first instead of trying to line your corrupt pockets.

[Surelynot]

In principle it looks quite an attractive proposition.....in reality I doubt it will happen...

[mfd101]

Slowly the chips are falling into place for China's domination of half the world - Myanmar cot case, Thailand corruption, Cambodia ditto both, Laos ditto both, Pakistan ditto both ... India surrounded, Oz cut off, Japan cut off ...

[mtls2005]

More stuff to fall off the back of the train.

 

Will be inetersting to see if this is economically feasible, once the "study" is completed.

 

 

 

By the time this thing is completed we'll probably have matter transporters?

 

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/transport/governments-land-bridge-plan-still-floating#:~:text=The land bridge would consist,travel time by 2 days.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30395773

[Mr Derek]

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

The plan is to expand a port in the Ranong area

 

Another mad idea for the idea's sake. It won't happen, like all the plans for a canal, or like Dawei which turned out to be a white turkey of cosmic proportions.

 

It's all mudflats and mangroves around Ranong, isn't it? Hardly a deep-sea port for all that loading and unloading of containers. I can't see a mile-long jetty being sufficient. And they'll need to build another port on the other side for all the loading and unloading on that side. And how is a stream of trucks going to be a boon for tourism?

[Stocky]

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

"landbridge"

Apart from the fact this has been a dream for over 600 years. Originally envisaged as a canal now as a landbridge, with containers offloaded on the gulf coast and then reloaded on the Andaman side. Given corruption levels in Thailand compared with Singapore, I think many shipping companies will prefer to go the extra mile. 

[sweatalot]

1 hour ago, Mr Derek said:

Another mad idea for the idea's sake. It won't happen, like all the plans for a canal, or like Dawei which turned out to be a white turkey of cosmic proportions.

... but they will fly to the moon

[colinneil]

Dream on, the only hub this place is good at is the hub of BS.????

[emilyarin]

is this before are after they have gone to the Moon, ????????????????????????

[Disparate Dan]

Just how many times do we have to hear this? It's been rumbling for 150 years and nothing has ever happened, nor ever will. Give it a rest, will you?

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Stocky said:

Apart from the fact this has been a dream for over 600 years. Originally envisaged as a canal now as a landbridge, with containers offloaded on the gulf coast and then reloaded on the Andaman side. Given corruption levels in Thailand compared with Singapore, I think many shipping companies will prefer to go the extra mile. 

This is old news. I remember them discussing a landbridge many years ago, but went no where, obviously.

 

No need for this for Chinese goods going west anyway. I'm sure they have plans for a rail line from China to the Burmese coast. Save a lot of double handling to get to the same place.

[ThailandRyan]

Sounds like they want to reconnect the continents like they were many years ago, and how man walked from the cradle of civilization to the other continents.

https://www.livescience.com/64786-beringia-map-during-ice-age.html

[tinca tinca]

42 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

... but they will fly to the moon

just when ??

perhaps MARS is in their plans too, and I do NOT mean a MARS bar !!!

[Taswegian23]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The whole plan will ultimately link up with the EEC scheme on the eastern seaboard that includes a high speed train from Bangkok to Rayong and huge investment in infrastructure.

 

The word 'ultimately' worries me a bit given the Thai's usual long-term planning.

[Taswegian23]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The whole plan will ultimately link up with the EEC scheme on the eastern seaboard that includes a high speed train from Bangkok to Rayong and huge investment in infrastructure.

 

The word 'ultimately' worries me a bit...

[richard_smith237]

Thats this weeks 'Thailand hub of...’ article...   I expect to see the 'Thailand cracking down on....’ article by the close of day... 

[rabas]

1 hour ago, tinca tinca said:

just when ??

perhaps MARS is in their plans too, and I do NOT mean a MARS bar !!!

Myanmar Acute Respiratory Syndrome, MARS? 

 

That hub is in Samut Shakon.

[sanuk711]

"Albert Mathieu, planned the first tunnel under the English Channel in 1802, envisioning an underground passage with ventilation chimneys that would stretch above the waves."

************

In 1865, a deputation led by George Ward Hunt proposed the idea of a tunnel to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

*********

The first meaningful attempt to build a tunnel across the English Channel happened much earlier than most people think. In 1880,

*******

The idea for a canal across Panama dates back to the 16th century. In 1513,

****

 

Gosh aren't the Thais stupid ---they talked about this Hugh engineering feat of cutting through Thailand & joining two oceans a few years ago--but they "still" haven't done anything about it yet..... I guess thats Thailand for you. lazy gits............

[mtls2005]

2 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

Gosh aren't the Thais stupid ---they talked about this Hugh engineering feat of cutting through Thailand & joining two oceans a few years ago--but they "still" haven't done anything about it yet..... I guess thats Thailand for you. lazy gits............

 

Kra Isthmus Canal suggested as far back as 1677.

 

Your point is what, exactly?

 

????

[sanuk711]

5 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Your point is what, exactly?

My point is that they are exactly the same as any other country.......................

[mtls2005]

3 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

My point is that they are exactly the same as any other country.......................

 

But those countries you mentioned HAVE completed a tunnel and a canal?

 

????

 

 

[foreverlomsak]

3 hours ago, Stocky said:

envisaged as a canal

For Chinese warships to get to the Indian Ocean easier at one point in time, it'll be back

[RichardColeman]

More like the hub of appointing feasibility committees ! 

[abrahamzvi]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

The Hub of Hubs and wasted spending.  Nice idea, but take care of what is inside of your borders first instead of trying to line your corrupt pockets.

By creating opportunities like the one under consideration and examination (the Hub of Hubs, as you refer to it), you create a better way of greatly improving the "inside of your borders". If this project comes to fruition, it will make a great difference to the Thai economy and improve the life of the inhabitants of Thailand. So what is wrong with it????

[harada]

Diversion number 15 for the week to keep people’s minds off of what’s going on next door.

[ThailandRyan]

36 minutes ago, abrahamzvi said:

By creating opportunities like the one under consideration and examination (the Hub of Hubs, as you refer to it), you create a better way of greatly improving the "inside of your borders". If this project comes to fruition, it will make a great difference to the Thai economy and improve the life of the inhabitants of Thailand. So what is wrong with it????

Nothings wrong with it if you want your country to be the center of the next future conflagration of the world as all roads will lead to Thailand.  Irrespective of that, there are many other things that would benefit this countries economy outside of a land bridge.  

[Patong2021]

There is a fatal assumption that China trade will remain as is or grow in the next decade.

I think the world has had a wake up call with Covid and seen what happens when too much manufacturing  capability is given to China. Look at the dramatic shift that has taken place for PPE and pharmaceuticals in less than a year.  It's incredible. Many countries have repatriated the manufacturing of PPE and required viable alternative suppliers to China for their medications. Look at high tech electronics and IT with the shutting out of Huawei. The western world is looking to alternative suppliers in South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and India  even if slightly more expensive. No one wants to be at the mercy of China again, especially if there is  economic conflict in the coming years.