The Government of Thailand is poised to unveil a series of ambitious infrastructure projects, seeking to attract over 1.5 trillion baht in private investment. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is said to outline these initiatives in her policy statement to Parliament on September 12 to 13, focusing on economic stimulation and critical infrastructure enhancements.

 

One of the flagship projects is the “Pearl Necklace,” a major flood protection initiative designed to safeguard Bangkok and its surrounding regions from the escalating threat of flooding due to global sea level rise.

 

Plodprasop Suraswadi, former Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of Pheu Thai’s Environmental Policy Committee emphasised the urgency of the project, noting that rising sea levels from melting polar ice caps could inundate significant parts of Thailand, including Bangkok and neighbouring provinces.

 

The project proposes the construction of nine artificial islands along a 100-kilometre coastal stretch. These islands, each covering 50 square kilometres and situated 1 kilometre offshore, will feature protective seawalls with adjustable gates.

 

The first island will be located at Bang Khun Thian, with the remaining extending up to Chon Buri. Investment for this monumental project will be primarily driven by the private sector, with developers granted a 99-year concession. Plodprasop predicts the construction will span over 20 years, marking it as Thailand’s largest infrastructure investment to date.

 

 

 

 

Another key initiative is the Land Bridge project, spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Juangroongruangkit. This project involves developing deep seaports on both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman coasts to improve goods transportation and travel efficiency.

 

Planned for 2030

 

The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the project is anticipated to be completed by early 2026, with investor selection and a Royal Decree for land expropriation expected in the second quarter of that year. The first phase of construction is slated to begin in the third quarter, with operations projected to commence by the end of 2030.

 

The total investment for this project is estimated at 1 trillion baht. Investment opportunities will include a single contract covering management of both Chumphon and Ranong deep seaports, motorways, and railways, with options for joint ventures if companies prefer to focus on specific segments.

 

In addition, the government is advancing plans for a large-scale entertainment complex, inspired by Singapore’s model. The project will feature casinos occupying no more than 10% of the total area, with the remainder dedicated to concert halls, luxury hotels, and shopping malls.

 

The Finance Ministry estimates the investment requirement will range between 300 and 500 billion baht. At least three locations in Bangkok will each require investments of no less than 100 billion baht, while four tourist provinces outside the capital will see investments of approximately 50 billion baht per site, reported The Nation.

 

These projects mark a significant push towards enhancing Thailand’s infrastructure and economic landscape, with a strong emphasis on attracting substantial private sector investment.

 

By Ryan Turner

Image Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2024-09-09

 

 

Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

Well unfortunately not a shred of evidence the sea levels are rising....And even if the sea was rising unless the sea wall was water tight and covered the entire coast of Thailand it would be useless....

 

Just stick to building the useless land bridge which is also a dumb idea....But at least it should cost a lot less than the seawall...

How do you get private investment for things like flood defence and land bridges?  Is there a return on the investment?

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

One of the flagship projects is the “Pearl Necklace,”

What?

1 minute ago, chickenslegs said:

What?

 

Such a nice lady......And such dirty talk....

So they are going to surround Bangkok with a wall of jizz?

I'd help her with a pearl necklace for free.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

One of the flagship projects is the “Pearl Necklace,”

 

Is this one of those occupations reserved for Thais?

Are foreigners allowed to participate?

What if we offer to volunteer supervisory services at no cost?

Surround Bangkoks waterways with a high wall to keep out rising water levels.. great idea.

And when it hammers down with rain where does all the flood water inside the wall go?

Pearl necklace. You can't make this stuff up. Fairly sure I couldn't attach an image to this post. 

hahaha... google it...

Government leaders Sangsom all around show me the money!🤑

They need to bring in some Dutch experts to advise on the practicality of building sea defences. The Dutch have experience in this field from their own polder defences.

 

Thai maintainers could practice leak repairs by visiting Pattaya and plugging a finger into a dyke.😋

19 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

What?

I never knew Pearl Necklaces had such powers.

easy... they expect 2.34 trillion bht from foreign tax revenue

What they really need to do is work on High-Speed Rail which would include the transport of cargo, and that would take some of the pressure off of the seriously choked highways. This has to be done sooner or later. 

 

Let China finance and handle the construction, so it would take 3 years instead of 20 years. And then just default on the loans like most other members of the Belt and Road Initiative are doing.

 

Free transport at that point, and you're helping to bankrupt China, which is a huge bonus. 

 

 

On 9/10/2024 at 3:08 PM, PETERTHEEATER said:

They need to bring in some Dutch experts to advise on the practicality of building sea defences. The Dutch have experience in this field from their own polder defences.

 

Thai maintainers could practice leak repairs by visiting Pattaya and plugging a finger into a dyke.😋

Done that already 20 plus years ago. Did not work because the Dutch did not agree with payments under the table.

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

What they really need to do is work on High-Speed Rail which would include the transport of cargo, and that would take some of the pressure off of the seriously choked highways. This has to be done sooner or later. 

 

Let China finance and handle the construction, so it would take 3 years instead of 20 years. And then just default on the loans like most other members of the Belt and Road Initiative are doing.

 

Free transport at that point, and you're helping to bankrupt China, which is a huge bonus. 

 

 

And this helps with floodings how?

5 minutes ago, bubblegum said:

And this helps with floodings how?

Reading the entire article helps to inform oneself. 

I know Thais are dumb, but no one can believe this rubbish, i hope the bbc picks up on these project will show the world how  idiotic Thailand is  ( pearl Necklaces that's a good one)

I wonder if they realize what they are saying

On 9/9/2024 at 8:01 PM, redwood1 said:

Well unfortunately not a shred of evidence the sea levels are rising....And even if the sea was rising unless the sea wall was water tight and covered the entire coast of Thailand it would be useless....

 

Just stick to building the useless land bridge which is also a dumb idea....But at least it should cost a lot less than the seawall...

Actually, an oceanic research college in Florida just reported that the sea has risen about ONE FOOT in the last 100 years. They expect it to double due to the "industrial revolution". That would be two feet in 100 years.

OR .......

1/4" per year.

Dang! Break out the waders.

On 9/9/2024 at 2:22 PM, chickenslegs said:

What?

Obviously doesn't have the same meaning here. Cue a lawsuit for undermining  Thai moral values.

On 9/13/2024 at 12:02 PM, spidermike007 said:

Reading the entire article helps to inform oneself. 

Will that work though? 

On 9/13/2024 at 6:02 PM, spidermike007 said:

Reading the entire article helps to inform oneself. 

What article

Trillions and trillions. Just be good and look after your people and don't give in to china.

What about getting on with building rapid public transport in Bangkok? The speed they've built so far is glacial.

 

Would have cost peanuts to crack on with it 20 years ago and would have improved the air quality no end if people didn't have to use cars for many journeys.

9 minutes ago, Rolo89 said:

What about getting on with building rapid public transport in Bangkok? The speed they've built so far is glacial.

 

Would have cost peanuts to crack on with it 20 years ago and would have improved the air quality no end if people didn't have to use cars for many journeys.

Everything happens at glacial speed in Thailand, they are even slower than UK in fixing potholes.

 

Pearl Necklace?

 

 

36 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

Everything happens at glacial speed in Thailand, they are even slower than UK in fixing potholes.

Yep, but if they did the public transport years ago, even if 90% of the money mysteriously got lost, it would have been a huge net gain.