For centuries, Thailand has dug the idea of a canal

[webfact]

For Centuries, Thailand Has Dug the Idea of a Canal
Not a spade has been turned, but the notion won’t die; squabbling, cobras and tigers
By JAMES HOOKWAY

CHUMPHON, Thailand—People here have been dreaming for more than 300 years of digging a canal linking the Indian and Pacific oceans.

King Narai the Great of what was then Siam hired French engineers to have a look at cutting a channel through the 30-mile-wide Isthmus of Kra in the 17th century. The British East India Company explored the option 200 years later. A plan in the 1970s suggested using nuclear bombs to blast a channel through miles of thick jungle and rock.

“Dig, dig, dig,” former army chief Chavalit Yongchaiyudh grumbled at his home recently after a group of Chinese businessmen lobbied for his support for yet another proposal. “It’s all anyone wants to talk about.”

Full story: http://www.wsj.com/articles/for-centuries-thailand-has-dug-the-idea-of-a-canal-1437011519

-- THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 2015-07-16

[worgeordie]

The MP's and other VIP's who bought land near the

proposed canal site,many years ago have been hoping

the canal will one day be built,so they can make a lot of

money.which is why it keeps getting brought up.

regards Worgeordie

[canman]

It will never happen

[Robroona]

Make a short cut for the submarines?

[rametindallas]

The MP's and other VIP's who bought land near the

proposed canal site,many years ago have been hoping

the canal will one day be built,so they can make a lot of

money.which is why it keeps getting brought up.

regards Worgeordie

There. What you said. That is the ONLY reason I am against the idea. If it weren't for the endemic corruption and inevitable cost overruns, kickbacks, and contracts given to 'friendly' contractors it would be good for Thailand. I really bothers me that 'insiders' get to exploit every government project or policy regardless of who the government is.

.

[ThaiKneeTim]

If there was a sound economic reason the money would have been found for it years ago! The Panama and Suez canals shave off thousands of miles, and are therefore worthwhile economically. Can the same be said of this canal?

[harrry]

If there was a sound economic reason the money would have been found for it years ago! The Panama and Suez canals shave off thousands of miles, and are therefore worthwhile economically. Can the same be said of this canal?

Possibly there is an economic argument.,

Large volumes of traffic pass throught the straights between Malasia and Indonesia...some of the worst piracy areas in the world. Even 20% of this traffic would be a lot. Probably 200 miles off on a trip to Japan or China too.

[h90]

The MP's and other VIP's who bought land near the

proposed canal site,many years ago have been hoping

the canal will one day be built,so they can make a lot of

money.which is why it keeps getting brought up.

regards Worgeordie

I think they got a nice compensation from Singapore.

[canman]

The MP's and other VIP's who bought land near the

proposed canal site,many years ago have been hoping

the canal will one day be built,so they can make a lot of

money.which is why it keeps getting brought up.

regards Worgeordie

I think they got a nice compensation from Singapore.

Got it in one. Singapore will never let this canal to be built.

[Morakot]

The real story ---that seems to got lost in this thread-- is that some local guys want to connect two small natural waterways by digging an approximately 2km (two kilometres!) long canal.

This would create a passage across the Isthmus. The potentials are enormous; once there is a working thoroughfare, connecting waterways can gradually be widened and straightened over time. That's how people usually build canals in many places.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Morakot

[harrry]

http://kra-canal.kracanalmaritimesilkroad.com/?keywords=kra%20canal&description={description}&gclid=CNW9vJKU38YCFYsqjgodgHsI3A

[Tomtomtom69]

If there was a sound economic reason the money would have been found for it years ago! The Panama and Suez canals shave off thousands of miles, and are therefore worthwhile economically. Can the same be said of this canal?

Possibly there is an economic argument.,

Large volumes of traffic pass throught the straights between Malasia and Indonesia...some of the worst piracy areas in the world. Even 20% of this traffic would be a lot. Probably 200 miles off on a trip to Japan or China too.

It's not significant enough. The Panama and Suez canals allow ships to take a shortcut in the many thousands of nautical miles bypassing entire continents, whereas as you say, it's just a couple of hundred or so miles if there were a canal through the Kraburi. Also, as Singapore's port is far busier than Bangkok's, plus it handles most trade going to Indonesia and Australia, I don't think the economic argument is as strong for this one. Not to mention that ships heading to China from say Europe, Africa, the Middle East or India can simply sail just north of Aceh on Indonesia's Sumatra island, after which there is only a relatively short distance to pass through the Strait of Malacca to Singapore in order to head up to China via the coastline off southern Vietnam. This canal would mean sailing further north, then once on the Thai side you still need to negotiate the southern tip of Vietnam. Hardly much of a saving for such a huge investment, unless we're talking about trade going to Bangkok, which as we already know is hardly the economic powerhouse of the region.

I wish they would just bury the hatchet already. Every 2 weeks or so there is a similar article on this topic. Thailand does not need a canal - better try and get Dawei going because if Thailand can't even manage that, it sure as hell has no chance of getting started on this proposed canal, which is logistically and financially much more difficult to implement.

[Stocky]

The MP's and other VIP's who bought land near the

proposed canal site,many years ago have been hoping

the canal will one day be built,so they can make a lot of

money.which is why it keeps getting brought up.

regards Worgeordie

I think they got a nice compensation from Singapore.

Got it in one. Singapore will never let this canal to be built.

A Singaporean once told me over a few beers in Hat Yai, that Singapore gave funds to the separatists in Southern Thailand in order to destabilise the region to deter investors and banks from funding the Kra Isthmus Canal. That would have been in 2006 a few years after the insurgency had kicked off again.

He was no doubt raving, but it does make you think!

[Stocky]

If there was a sound economic reason the money would have been found for it years ago! The Panama and Suez canals shave off thousands of miles, and are therefore worthwhile economically. Can the same be said of this canal?

Possibly there is an economic argument.,

Large volumes of traffic pass throught the straights between Malasia and Indonesia...some of the worst piracy areas in the world. Even 20% of this traffic would be a lot. Probably 200 miles off on a trip to Japan or China too.

It cuts about 1,200 miles of the trip and saves travelling through narrow, crowded and sometimes dangerous shipping lanes.

[h90]

The MP's and other VIP's who bought land near the

proposed canal site,many years ago have been hoping

the canal will one day be built,so they can make a lot of

money.which is why it keeps getting brought up.

regards Worgeordie

I think they got a nice compensation from Singapore.

Got it in one. Singapore will never let this canal to be built.

A Singaporean once told me over a few beers in Hat Yai, that Singapore gave funds to the separatists in Southern Thailand in order to destabilise the region to deter investors and banks from funding the Kra Isthmus Canal. That would have been in 2006 a few years after the insurgency had kicked off again.

He was no doubt raving, but it does make you think!

I doubt that. Every new government without exception comes with this idea and every time after making noise about it they complete stop taking about it. That indicates a more direct payment.

[novo58]

This is why they wanted the submarines ...........................to patrol the canal !!!!!!!

[nithisa78]

The MP's and other VIP's who bought land near the

proposed canal site,many years ago have been hoping

the canal will one day be built,so they can make a lot of

money.which is why it keeps getting brought up.

regards Worgeordie

There. What you said. That is the ONLY reason I am against the idea. If it weren't for the endemic corruption and inevitable cost overruns, kickbacks, and contracts given to 'friendly' contractors it would be good for Thailand. I really bothers me that 'insiders' get to exploit every government project or policy regardless of who the government is.

.

If that were a good reason to be against it. We would have to halt all world progress. At once.