Thailand's Kra canal plan would link Indian, Pacific oceans, benefiting China

Lindsay Murdoch

 

A group of influential retired Thai generals, politicians, academics and businessmen with close links to China have revived plans to construct a US$28 billion ($35 billion) and 135 kilometre canal across southern Thailand to link the Indian and Pacific oceans.

 

Seen as an Asian equivalent of the Suez or Panama canals, the so-called Kra canal would save at least 1200 kilometres, or two to three days sailing time, for ships bypassing the narrow, traffic-choked and piracy-prone Malacca Strait, which links China, Japan and other Asian nations to the oil fields of the Middle East and markets in Asia.

 

A record 84,000 ships passed through the Malacca Strait last year, close to its capacity.

 

Full story: http://www.smh.com.au/world/thailands-kra-canal-plan-would-link-indian-pacific-oceans-benefiting-china-20170808-gxrgz1.html

 

-- The Sydney Morning Herald 2017-08-08

Project realization in 2050 or as a part of Thailand 12.0 goals?

 

The world needs dreamers.

Should already have been done a long time ago, but Singapore wouldn't like it.

Yeah good luck with that Thais are flat out building a road. Lets see how the high speed rail goes.

You know what the difference between letting China build your country's infrastructure and herpes is?

 

They may find a cure for herpes one day. 

In theory OK, Thailand needs to consider how they will benefit apart from a transit fee.

Just now, whatsupdoc said:

Should already have been done a long time ago, but Singapore wouldn't like it.

Temasek would probably acquire ownership if ever realised. 

 

Everything is for sale, for the right price.

This just about sums up anything that happens in Thailand where big money is involved just wonder why they mentioned retired ?

A group of influential retired Thai generals, politicians, academics and businessmen

 

6 minutes ago, starky said:

Yeah good luck with that Thais are flat out building a road. Lets see how the high speed rail goes.

I disagree Mr Starky.  Thais have been practising for the last three years building a canal under Sukhumvit in Pattaya.

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

A group of influential retired Thai generals, politicians, academics and businessmen

So the Thai rich are planning and dreaming about making themselves even richer at someone else's expense. Nothing unusual there.

 

If the floods keep happening they won't need a canal

Edited August 8, 20178 yr by Dave67

Why does this non starter pop up now and again?

They haven't even sorted the train upgrade yet and that was supposed to open some routes this year.

Singapore would pay a lot of money to make sure that doesn't happen. Or at least not before they move on to something else. 

The General don't want it, as the Muslims will divide the south.

 

"In 2005 a report for then US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfield leaked to the Washington Post said China was prepared to underwrite the project which called for construction over 10 years employing 30,000 workers.

The project will be discussed at an international conference in Bangkok in September.

A group of influential retired Thai generals, politicians, academics and businessmen with close links to China have revived plans to construct a US$28 billion ($35 billion) and 135 kilometre canal across southern Thailand to link the Indian and Pacific oceans." SMH.

The Thais can't even build drainage canals to help with the floods. No way could they build a Panama Canal type waterway.  More wet dreams !!

 

If they really build it,  resulting corruption and extortion would make that "piracy prone" Malacca Strait feel like a walk in the park.

Oh no... not this old chestnut again! 

 

1 hour ago, patyh said:

Singapore would pay a lot of money to make sure that doesn't happen. Or at least not before they move on to something else.

 

Rumour has it that they have been paying a large sum to prevent this from happening for a long time.

 

The retired wealthy guys have been buying up land along the proposed route also for many years, if they can fire up these rumours and make them slightly plausible, the land prices will shoot up and they can sell out.

 

But the horse has already left the stable.

 

China is sponsoring a rail link across Malaysia, which has now started to go ahead.

Edited August 8, 20178 yr by 12DrinkMore

Start digging.

 

Phase 1: South China Sea

 

Phase 2: Kra Canal

 

Meanwhile: Chinese military base takes shape in Djibouti - Financial Times

 

 

Usual Bullshit, plenty of words flying but no dirt flying !

"Thailand's Kra canal plan would link Indian, Pacific oceans, benefiting China"

That statement is the equivalent of saying that the Suez canal links the Indian and Atlantic oceans, which is accurate if you consider the fact that the Mediterranean Sea is between the two oceans. Likewise to join the Indian and Pacific Oceans requires control of the South China Sea. Control the straits of Malacca and  Singapore and the seas between Taiwan and the Philippines and you've pretty well got the lot.  China is on track to rule the waves, at least on paper, whereas the British merely waived the rules in their heyday.

Edited August 8, 20178 yr by ratcatcher

https://www.quora.com/How-much-should-Singapore-worry-about-the-proposed-Kra-Isthmus-Canal-Thai-Canal

 

In short, Singapore have been planning and anticipating this since the idea was first mooted some 60-70 years ago. They have been slowly moving away from the dependence on being in a strategic location. They also have doubts the canal will be built and the economic viability of the project. 

 

Panama receives ~USD2 billion/year from its canal, so worth considering. The alternative, ports on either coast with a rail link, was subject of a recent thread, complete with the usual Thai bashing.

The Pirates on the canal would soon make it a no go area.

Time Thais are going to look at a world map: the Suez canal cut off the entire trip around Africa , the Panama canal around South America, but the Kra canal only a short trip around the Malaysian peninsula.

All seem to forget, in such a canal the ships cannot go at their normal speed, but have to go a LOT slower. With that losing the majority of the distance cut advantage.

For such a short cut in transfer time to invest such a gigantic amount of money ? Crazy !

On the whole, who benefits...?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[uh-huh, just as I thought]