Thailand's Land Bridge Project Gains International Interest

[snoop1130]

Photo courtesy of Global Times

 

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to the ambitious Land Bridge megaproject, designed to connect the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea. This trillion-baht initiative is attracting significant interest from international players, particularly from China and the Middle East. Notably, Dubai Port World has expressed strong interest in participating in the bidding process.

 

Unveiled on March 24, the project aims to enhance Thailand’s global economic competitiveness through improved maritime transport. The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) is currently drafting the Southern Special Economic Development Zone (SEC) Bill. Available for public inspection since March 21, the bill precedes a public hearing and seminar in Bangkok and Surat Thani scheduled for next month. Feedback from these sessions will inform the bill's review by the Ministry of Transport.

 

The government plans to submit the SEC Bill to the Cabinet in May, with the aim of parliamentary approval later this year. Once approved, the bidding process is anticipated to begin next year. The project is set to follow a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, granting the private sector a 50-year concession to oversee development and management.

 

 

 

Key components of the Land Bridge include modernising Chumphon Port into a deep-sea facility and upgrading Ranong Port into a significant freight container hub. This transformation is expected to bolster trade links under the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) framework and enhance connections with Middle Eastern and African markets.

 

The SEC Bill is crucial for establishing an agency tasked with development planning, land use management, and industrial zoning, facilitating the effective implementation of this significant infrastructure endeavour. With proactive international engagement and strategic planning, Thailand's Land Bridge project promises to redefine the nation's economic infrastructure landscape, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-03-25

 

 

[ronnie50]

From Dubai Ports Corp and China's position, I kind of get the economic and geopolitical interest. But I still don't see the economic logic from a shipper's perspective. While it saves time and some fuel, by not sailing around Singapore, the logitics and additional costs involve two ships instead of one, and two loadings and unloadings (of ships) and an additional loading and unloading of container-carrying vehicles (and their labour and fuel costs). It would be good to get a shipper's perspective.

[kickstart]

24 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

From Dubai Ports Corp and China's position, I kind of get the economic and geopolitical interest. But I still don't see the economic logic from a shipper's perspective. While it saves time and some fuel, by not sailing around Singapore, the logitics and additional costs involve two ships instead of one, and two loadings and unloadings (of ships) and an additional loading and unloading of container-carrying vehicles (and their labour and fuel costs). It would be good to get a shipper's perspective.

Can not see it happening, as you said, the unloading and loading, would you use more fuel doing it this way than a ship sailing around Singapore?

And the environmental impact of it all, and what is the time scale, when it is all done the world could be a different place.

It will be granting the privet sector a 50-year concession, but with the Thai economy being not heathy, would anyone what to invest in the project, or will the main players try and screw Thailand, so the country gets nothing out of it, if China is involved the odds could be high.

[LosLobo]

I live on the Isthmus of Kra, equidistant between Ranong and Chumphon.

Discussions about a Kra project have been ongoing for the past 15 years that I can remember.

In my early days here, I used to be amazed at how large articulated low-loaders transported fishing boats between the ports of Ranong and Chumphon.
 

From my perspective, while the idea of the Thailand Land Bridge project has attracted international interest, the current state of global trade, especially with recent changes in U.S. policies, has caused too much uncertainty for anything to be decided anytime soon.

Maybe in the future there will be changes in technology with automated ROR container ships based something like the Channel Shuttle that will facilitate a more cost effect solution.