Southern Land Bridge to be Expedited Connecting Eastern Coast of Thailand
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has issued a directive to expedite the construction of the southern land bridge connecting Chumphon on the eastern coast along the Gulf of Thailand to Ranong along the Andaman Sea.
Deputy government spokesman Karom Polpornklang revealed that the cabinet, in its Monday meeting, granted approval for the 1 trillion baht project to move forward, with the primary objective of revitalizing the economy and attracting foreign investors.
"The Prime Minister has tasked the Transport Ministry with accelerating this project, originally explored by the previous administration, and transforming it into a mega-initiative aimed at bolstering the economy. The Transport Ministry will finalize its site inspection by April next year," he stated.
The long-discussed land bridge project, spanning four decades, seeks to establish a robust logistics network linking Ranong on the Andaman Sea to Chumphon on the Gulf of Thailand. This initiative is an integral part of the southern corridor, encompassing areas of Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
However, during the cabinet meeting, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment voiced concerns about the potential environmental impact on Ranong's forests.
According to Mr. Karom, the project's development timeline includes plans to launch a roadshow overseas from November to January to attract foreign investments. The investment model will take the form of a public-private partnership, with the government opening bidding for private sector involvement between April and June next year.
Additionally, a policy committee and an office for the Southern Economic Corridor will be established by December 2024. Draft legislation for the Southern Economic Corridor will be crafted, and royal decrees for land expropriation will be issued between January 2025 and December 2026.
The project is slated to be presented at a cabinet meeting for consideration and approval in July to August 2025. Construction is expected to commence in September 2025, with operational readiness projected for October 2030.
This colossal undertaking, requiring a 1 trillion baht investment, will be executed in four phases, with the first phase estimated at around 610 billion baht, the second at approximately 165 billion baht, the third at about 229 billion baht, and the fourth at 85.1 billion baht.
The project encompasses the development of ports in Ranong and Chumphon and the connection between these ports, with a budget allocation of 6.21 billion baht for land expropriation.
Mr. Karom mentioned that the prior government's study had already pinpointed suitable locations for constructing both ports: Laem Riw Cape in Chumphon on the Gulf of Thailand side and Laem Ao Ang Cape in Ranong on the Andaman coast.
Each port is anticipated to accommodate approximately 20 million twenty-foot equivalent units of container throughput.
The project also encompasses a 93.9-kilometer transportation link, with 89.3 kilometers on land and 2.15 kilometers at sea for the Ranong port and 2.48 kilometers at sea for the Chumphon port. This comprehensive project involves the establishment of a special highway and standard-gauge double-track railway to support both freight and passenger transport within an integrated transportation network.
In a related development, the Prime Minister instructed the Energy Ministry to review measures aimed at assisting gas users and present them to the cabinet meeting scheduled for next week.
Source: Bangkok Post
