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Thailand revives $30 billion coast-to-coast corridor to rival Malacca Strait
The revived corridor could cut logistics costs by nearly 30% and move up to 20 million TEU a year, government documents say.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul resuscitated the 1 trillion baht Land Bridge project, designed to link deep-sea ports at Chumphon and Ranong as a logistics alternative to the congested Malacca Strait.
First proposed around 2020, the plan targets about 80% of regional trans-shipment cargo; unlike earlier iterations, this version excludes petrochemical complexes to improve community and investor viability.
Regulators ordered a new Environmental and Health Impact Assessment this month after identifying discrepancies between government and private research estimates on marine life density near the proposed ports.
Local residents, including coffee entrepreneur Chalermchart Seekhiao in Phato, oppose the plan, citing threats to established durian and coffee industries generating around 10 billion baht annually.
A government-appointed panel must submit its review of the project's impact assessments before the end of July, a milestone that will determine whether investor confidence can overcome logistical and regulatory hurdles.