Building of this canal has been talked about since 1677

Who will pay for it ?

China will, so long as they can build it with their own cheap labour and then operate it and collect the fees for the next 50 years.

In the end of little financial benefit to Thailand other than a small share of the fees and maybe China will buy some more rice..

But a very good idea so long as Thailand's ships can use it for free

true true maybe thailand can push their aircraft carrier up and down it,,because they aint figured out how to start the engine yet..

..the development of transport and logistics is central to Thailand';s economic future. This project would be great

the benefit to Thailand future would be to get their politics in order, corruption in toe and open up to foreign businesses properly without the stupid interference they muster at every point

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Ultimately you have to ask whether it will be cost effective and beneficial to the people of the region as a whole not just a money making opportunity for a rich minority.

Alright........I'm only kidding!

I wonder who'll get the lunchbox concession.......

These cheeky Chinese do realize that there is a fairly substantial mountain range between Chumpon and Ranong? It's also concerning that it might stop the Gulf of Thailand being immune from global rising water levels(that is according to a govt scientist the GOT would not be affected by rising sea levels - don't ask me why!).

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Building of this canal has been talked about since 1677

Who will pay for it ?

China will, so long as they can build it with their own cheap labour and then operate it and collect the fees for the next 50 years.

In the end of little financial benefit to Thailand other than a small share of the fees and maybe China will buy some more rice..

But a very good idea so long as Thailand's ships can use it for free

I would be careful of China kindness and it's long term motivation , full autonomy for Thailand to run the cannel and collect fee's

Beware of China bearing gifts.

These cheeky Chinese do realize that there is a fairly substantial mountain range between Chumpon and Ranong? It's also concerning that it might stop the Gulf of Thailand being immune from global rising water levels(that is according to a govt scientist the GOT would not be affected by rising sea levels - don't ask me why!).

Not near Chumpon !

'In the 20th century the idea resurfaced several times again, now changing the preferred route to somewhere in Southern Thailand, to connect the Bandon Bay near Surat Thani with Phangnga. '

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_Canal

This plan is around for decades and would bring a lot of money to Thailand, as what the Panama and Suez canal brought to their countries, but this plan is on hold, as everybody expects, that this would separate Thailand into two pieces, having a several hundret meter brought canal cut through it, giving the radical Muslims in the south the opportunity to take over that part. That's the common fear...

DidntThailand want to build a port in Myanmar to transport all this stuff from China coming by rail?

No...

hmm, Nakohn si Thammarat across Trang? Well, from what I remember it's less hilly there than up by Chumphon....as one poster pointed out. Samui to Phangna would be quite a feat too, the longest stretch, and would really set the cat among the pigeons in terms of tourism around Koh Samui and Phangan.

Are people really scared of 'Thai' Muslims partioning themselves off? Can we really envisage a determined Thai military allied to Chinese help being unable to put an end to any substantial insurrection?

The Thai Canal: To Be or Not To Be

http://world-economic.com/articles_wej-342.html

Building of this canal has been talked about since 1677

Who will pay for it ?

China will, so long as they can build it with their own cheap labour and then operate it and collect the fees for the next 50 years.

In the end of little financial benefit to Thailand other than a small share of the fees and maybe China will buy some more rice..

But a very good idea so long as Thailand's ships can use it for free

Thailand share of the fees ?????

I would lay money on it that some corrupt people have their hands in this including Thaksin - I have absolutely no doubt.

The full details of this project need to be disclosed to the public including who is going to benefit

The Kra Isthmus Canal project has been General Chavalit's pet project, and the man behind the yellow curtain, not Thaksin. I have been an advisor on the project in the past carrying out studies for the Kra Isthmus Canal Company. I was talking with some friends in the media about corruption and I reminded them about the Kra Isthmus Canal Project as it had been dead in the water (no pun intended). since TRT/Pheu Thai came into power. If it is now back on, I can only assume that the Dems and their buddies are ready to get their snouts back into the money trough once they take over running the country.

Chinese labour costs are around B9,000/month so that it would cost more than employing more localised labour such as Burmese and Cambodians.

All the details of the project and Power Point Presentations can be found on the internet.

Now then, Estrada, don't spoil the fun for the kindergarten brigade. You know their only pleasure in life is to scream abuse at Thaksin!

This <deleted> has been talked about for donkey's years. Centuries ago ships used to unload on the Andaman side of the isthmus and goods were handballed across the peninsula on elephants. The latest discussions are just the same ideas, but with the port and rail link already happening it would seem counter productive to start digging a ditch as well. Could the Thais be trusted to play fair if they controlled a Kra Canal? You can be sure the toll would be equivalent to the cost of sailing the straits, minus 3-5%.

Read very enjoyable book a few years ago "To Venture Further" Tristian Jones true account of crossing the Isthmus

http://books.google.co.th/books/about/To_Venture_Further.html?id=_EioPwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Thailand will loose so much tourist revenue. The gulf of Thailand will get more polluted and the islands will lose all trade as they will have more oil and crap on their beaches. It all comes down to money at the end of the day and who is in power to say "yes or no".

Well, better late than never.

In 1946 the then Thai Prime Minister Thanon Kittikachorn announced plans to dig a canal across the narrow part of the Isthmus of Kra, around 44 kms but noted that there was a range of mountains up to 75 metres high that complicated construction.

Looks like lots of farangs will be granted Work Permits to use a shovel!

Cue PTP or caretaker-Minister Surapong announcing that the canal will go via Chiang Mai to the Bay of Bengal, to improve access-to-market of local fruits & veggies by high-speed catamaran, and link up with their new high-speed passenger-train network, also solving the flooding-problems ?

Who is going to own and operate the Canal Zone?

Read very enjoyable book a few years ago "To Venture Further" Tristian Jones true account of crossing the Isthmus

http://books.google.co.th/books/about/To_Venture_Further.html?id=_EioPwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Excellent yarns, but didn't someone later check the facts, and discover that Tristan was often somewhat creative-with-the-truth ?

I also believe that he ended his days here in Thailand, and have heard that he used to contribute to the Letters-page, of the paper-that-shall-not-be-quoted ?

They state it will cost 100 billion now. But if it is going through thailand the price will be increased tenfold for kickbacks, payoffs, and disappearing supplies.

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Get a couple of these bad boys and just go boring.

Between the big railroad plans for freight thru Thailand now and the canal for shipping freight, China is gearing up for it's world expansion. The Tiger is very hungry

'The Siamese Government undertake that no canal linking the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Siam shall be cut across Siamese territory without the prior concurrence of the Government of the United Kingdom.' --The Anglo-Thai Peace Treaty of 1946, Article 7

And United Kingdom is a colony of Singapore.

Wow! This will be great if China really goes ahead to do this project. Will be a slap on the face for the hakka ruling dynasty in Singapore, the Lee family, who always tried to make the Chinese more important there and always tried to mak Singapore a vassal state of China. They deserve it.

so, they are going to carve two bloody great canals through Thailand destroying hundreds of klm of land/forest. Which other country would allow anyone to do this to their country, none I would imagine. It will save the 1,000 klm of travel and bugger up Thailand, wonder if thaksins fingers are in this pie as it is certainly not for the betterment of the country.

The proposed canals are in Suthep territory, so I would consider that if anyone yet has a finger in this pie (assuming there is a pie), it is likely to be him and his cronies.

However, I doubt it will be built for a host of reasons, chief amongst which are that it will be of little benefit to Thailand and then there is the question of a foreign state owned company controlling swathes of Thai land. There is more prospect of the Beijing/Singapore rail link being built as it would be cheaper and easier for the Chinese to control.

I do recall a similar proposal by the Chinese to build a second Panama canal. Grand designs?

'The Siamese Government undertake that no canal linking the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Siam shall be cut across Siamese territory without the prior concurrence of the Government of the United Kingdom.' --The Anglo-Thai Peace Treaty of 1946, Article 7

And United Kingdom is a colony of Singapore.

Really ?

Since when ?

PM Chavailit wanted to build this canal using low yield nukes.

'The Siamese Government undertake that no canal linking the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Siam shall be cut across Siamese territory without the prior concurrence of the Government of the United Kingdom.' --The Anglo-Thai Peace Treaty of 1946, Article 7

Wow nice research find !! Wonder if Thailand knows about the provision in this treaty... :-)

With all the British tourists that have been treated badly here, I wonder if that could

come back to bite Thailand...... " No, we are very sorry Thailand, but here in Parliament

we have decided that as per the treaty, we will not allow you to build a canal. We are

tired of Thailand being the number one place in the world for British tourists to die

at, and feel we must take some action. Once again, our deepest apologies".....

Singapore strongly opposes this canal as it would greatly affect their economy when shipping bypasses their country.

Singapore is a small red dot, who cares?

All that and with absolutely no possible forseeable downside at all worth mentioning. What a deal!

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