Thailand’s Kra Isthmus Land Bridge promises economic boom for Penang Port

[snoop1130]

 

Thailand is eyeing a colossal infrastructure project, a 90-kilometre land bridge across the Kra Isthmus, set to revolutionise maritime trade and shower economic benefits on ports in northern Peninsular Malaysia.

 

Penang Port Sdn Bhd CEO V Sasedharan envisions this ambitious project as a potential game-changer, akin to the impact the Suez Canal had on Egyptian waterway-adjacent ports. The proposed land bridge, designed to link the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea via a comprehensive rail and road network, promises to significantly slash shipping times, offering a two-to-three-day reduction in the voyage around Peninsular Malaysia.

 

Amidst the hunt for partners to kickstart this monumental endeavour, estimated to cost a whopping US$28.5 billion (approximately 982 billion baht), Sasedharan foresees Penang emerging as a crucial trans-shipment hub in the northern Melaka Straits. He draws parallels with ports near the Suez Canal, facilitating seamless cargo transfers between the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

 

“The spillover from Kra would do Penang good. This would be much like ports near the Suez Canal which facilitate trans-shipment between the Mediterranean and Red Seas.”

 

By Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Caption: Photo courtesy of Free Malaysia Today

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-01-04

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[mokwit]

8 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

offering a two-to-three-day reduction in the voyage around Peninsular Malaysia.

Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope are a bit further.

 

Beneficiary is China as it means its exports can't be stopped by a blockade of the straits of Malacca - what they really want is a canal for their aircraft carriers. Now, who will be lending the money at high rates and who will be borrowing it to build China's project?

[baansgr]

If only Thailand had not surrendered to the British after the 2nd world war, they would be allowed to have a canal

[mfd101]

15 minutes ago, mokwit said:

Beneficiary is China as it means its exports can't be stopped by a blockade of the straits of Malacca - what they really want is a canal for their aircraft carriers. Now, who will be lending the money at high rates and who will be borrowing it to build China's project?

Only China would have the uneconomic (strategic) incentive + the economic capacity (though that's diminishing even as we speak) ... Noone else would have the irrational need: double your shipping fleet for the sake of 2 or 3 days shipping reduction + increase in land-sourced delays (unloading ship, reloading trucks or rail, unloading trucks or rail, reloading new ships) ...

 

The whole idea is off the planet. But perhaps they said that to Ferdinand de Lesseps in the 1850s ...

[StayinThailand2much]

So, Thailand is doing this for Malaysia's economic benefit? - Isn't the economic benefit of visa runners to neighbouring countries enough?

[mokwit]

33 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

So, Thailand is doing this for Malaysia's economic benefit? - Isn't the economic benefit of visa runners to neighbouring countries enough?

You spelt China wrong.

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, mokwit said:

You spelt China wrong.

 

LOL. That's a different story. I very much doubt that China wants to transport their aircraft carriers via such a Land Bridge to the Indian Ocean, nor do I think that, in case of a war, they could transport meaningful oil, or food supplies that way to China.

[South]

A deep water canal is the only way this will work (via a mountain range). Transshipping is time consuming and not cost effective at all. If you (Thailand) can't build a deep water canal you are on a loser. Time, cost et al etc means that the Malacca Straits/Singapore will be a lot cheaper and presumably much quicker.  Much more efficient and mush more cost effective.

Get digging is all I can say!

[mokwit]

8 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

LOL. That's a different story. I very much doubt that China wants to transport their aircraft carriers via such a Land Bridge to the Indian Ocean, nor do I think that, in case of a war, they could transport meaningful oil, or food supplies that way to China.

As I wrote: 'what they really want is a canal for their aircraft carriers'

 

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand is eyeing a colossal infrastructure project, a 90-kilometre land bridge across the Kra Isthmus, set to revolutionise maritime trade and shower economic benefits on ports in northern Peninsular Malaysia.

Thailand is looking for sponsors to build the bridge... lets wait and see.

[fondue zoo]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a 90-kilometre land bridge across the Kra Isthmus

 

 

Can we just call it a road, please, specialised yes, but still just a road. Land Bridge 

 

[CartagenaWarlock]

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Thailand is looking for sponsors to build the bridge... lets wait and see.

They have to prove that it is economically profitable and carbon neutral before any serious foreign investors will dig into it. 

[hotchilli]

21 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

They have to prove that it is economically profitable and carbon neutral before any serious foreign investors will dig into it. 

If China doesn't want it, no-one else will be.

[jacko45k]

41 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

 

 

Can we just call it a road, please, specialised yes, but still just a road. Land Bridge 

 

I thought it would at least be elevated like the Bangkok Expressways. 

[fondue zoo]

14 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I thought it would at least be elevated like the Bangkok Expressways. 

 

Yeah, that would make more sense, I wonder who will get the contract for all that concrete if it goes ahead. Kidding, we all know who.

[Mr Derek]

How would Penang port "facilitate seamless cargo transport" across the Kra, which is about 700km away? 

 

What 'spillover'? The Kra route is simply meant to speed up the global east-west shipping route. If a ship has to make two additional loading/unloading stops in Thailand, why would it then pull into Penang? It will mean less business for Penang if anything, as the Kra link will not make it quicker for ships to reach Penang from the east. This is all just nonsensical hype to generate funding.

 

They should look to the Dawei debacle, which was a waste of billions of dollars because nobody dared ask common-sense questions.

The Dawei 'land bridge' was meant to provide a boost for Laem Chabang at the other end. They've forgotten about all that?

 

[mokwit]

The cynic in me can't help but wonder if the dishing out of contracts and associated "incentives" is what this is about.

[mokwit]

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Thailand is looking for sponsors to build the bridge... lets wait and see.

You mean Thailand has a bridge to sell them?

[NeoDinosaw]

16 hours ago, baansgr said:

If only Thailand had not surrendered to the British after the 2nd world war, they would be allowed to have a canal

I think that British control ended quite a few decades ago !

[NeoDinosaw]

10 hours ago, South said:

A deep water canal is the only way this will work (via a mountain range). Transshipping is time consuming and not cost effective at all. If you (Thailand) can't build a deep water canal you are on a loser. Time, cost et al etc means that the Malacca Straits/Singapore will be a lot cheaper and presumably much quicker.  Much more efficient and mush more cost effective.

Get digging is all I can say!

I agree  - the need for a canal is a no-brainer !

[bamnutsak]

I doubt any investors are going to fall for this "bridge for sale" scam.

 

Easily the stupidest idea I've seen out of Thai officials, including GT 200 bomb detectors, digital wallets, and submarines.

 

But the PM will probably top this with another handful of idiotic ideas.

 

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, mokwit said:

You mean Thailand has a bridge to sell them?

No.