Govt denies plan to dig Kra Isthmus Canal

BANGKOK, 8 October 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has brushed aside rumors of a Thailand-China deal to build a canal through the Isthmus of Kra, saying no bilateral talks have ever been held on the matter.

After reports were circulated by Chinese media in regard to an agreement between Thailand and China to dig the Kra Isthmus Canal in the southern region of Thailand, Thai Foreign Minister Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn has come out to reject the information as false.

He suspected that the reports might have stemmed from certain individuals’ opinions in favor of such a project.

Since it would yield many benefits for maritime traders, Gen Tanasak admitted the canal initiative is one of the issues of international interest that might have been raised at international meetings in the past.

However, he confirmed that Thailand and China have never discussed the matter on a bilateral basis, adding that the government would need to consider it with the utmost discretion should it ever be proposed.

Prior to his official visit to China from October 8th to 10th, the Foreign Minister said the trip would only aim to discuss bilateral ties and cooperation, and the Kra Isthmus Canal project was not on his agenda.


-- NNT 2015-10-08

No problem then - if it comes from the mouth of the Thai junta, it must be true.....................

No problem then - if it comes from the mouth of the Thai junta, it must be true.....................

I was thinking the exact same thing but you beat me to it.

A good place to hide those new subs.. or where they will eventually sink!

Many years ago when is plan was first mooted,many rich,influential people

bought land at the proposed site,and have been waiting for this project to

start so they can become even richer.

regards worgeordie

no money or convinced it's being a stupid idea?

Don't the Thais bring this up every two years so they can push Singapore around ? It could be hugely successful if not for the Thai elite wanting more than a fair share.

They have been talking about this for 300 years........

Many years ago when is plan was first mooted,many rich,influential people

bought land at the proposed site,and have been waiting for this project to

start so they can become even richer.

regards worgeordie

And this being a government of the rich and influential people, for the rich and influential people...

Many years ago when is plan was first mooted,many rich,influential people

bought land at the proposed site,and have been waiting for this project to

start so they can become even richer.

regards worgeordie

It's still happening.

Look at the new water works planned for BKK. The land was public land, but someone 'bought' it and is now asking a heap for it.

"Govt denies plan to dig Kra Isthmus Canal"

...... so we can expect the contract signed, paid for in rice from the stockpile and a ground breaking ceremony with 999 monks next week then .........

It will be a great tourist attraction and bring 40 million quality tourists next year

Why not???

Here we go again. I don't think the Thais even know where the Isthmus of Kra is - the vague idea for the canal seems to be somewhere much further south. I don't think they know exactly where it's supposed to be. The whole project is still at the fantasy stage and always will be.

Ok, so the Chinese media is lying?

But all Uighurs are trying to get to Syria to join Isis and life in China for them is just peachy?

A good place to hide those new subs.. or where they will eventually sink!

not deep enough to sink

I do remember reading something about this in an earlier post I found it very interesting although the subject was only mooted opening up the kra isthmus canal as a gateway into china would create more projects and more trade .

They have been talking about this for 300 years........

Indeed, since the time King Narai asked a French engineer to survey a route in 1677.

It's doable...

It is, but Singapore wouldn't be happy.

There are two options, a canal to directly connect shipping between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand and/or a rail and pipeline link so that oil & containers can be offloaded on one side and collected by a different vessel from the other.

There have been many suggested routes.

If the option adopted was a rail and pipeline link across the isthmus the government would be perfectly correct in saying there was no "agreement between Thailand and China to dig the Kra Isthmus Canal".

The canal could be fantastic for Thailand, but whatever happens and whoever does it, it will leave a sour taste as you know its all about the being in the know.

Name one large municipal project which was not riven by corruption. Even gov't officials admit that at least 33% of revenue from all large contracts go clandestinely in old men's pockets. It could be closer to 50%. And there's the small factor of whether the project will ever get finished, once started. It wouldn't stay incomplete like Don Muang's overhead rail project, or Bkk's sewage disposal project ....would it? Regardless, a lot of rich men will get a lot richer in the process.

It seems that this government does have at least one thing in common with the last one, they are always denying something. Why is that I wonder?

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Hilarious. Some of those routes cut straight through mountain ranges. The feasibility study must have been done by primary school children using crayons.

They are not digging a deeper hole, how wholesome offical channels have this locked down