(Bangkok, 14th)—Although Thailand's government is strongly promoting the 'Southern Land Bridge Plan' with official backing, it continues to face skepticism from both domestic and foreign sectors. Many in the shipping industry and policy analysts believe the plan's benefits are questionable and warn it could become a political bargaining chip or a tool for real estate speculation.
The land bridge project aims to build a logistics corridor connecting the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea. It was proposed by former Prime Minister Chatchart and the new government led by his daughter Paetongtarn has stated it will continue pushing the initiative. However, analysts believe any instability in the ruling coalition will further stall the project’s progress.
According to The Bangkok Post, former Bangkok Deputy Governor Samart pointed out that the plan 'may never pass a feasibility study', criticizing that the existing research is overly optimistic and lacks a realistic foundation. He remarked: 'If you talk to people in the shipping industry in detail, you’ll find that the data just doesn’t add up.'
Double Transshipment Is the Biggest Obstacle
Shipping industry insiders generally believe the land bridge plan cannot effectively replace the Strait of Malacca. By design, cargo must be unloaded at Chumphon, transported 90 kilometers overland to Ranong, and then reloaded onto ships. This not only causes transshipment delays, but may also offset the original five days of sailing time supposedly saved.
An executive in the shipping sector pointed out: 'This transfer process is extremely time-consuming, not only does it not save money, it might actually lead to higher operational costs.' Another operator was even more blunt: 'In theory, it shortens transit time, but in practice, it could actually end up even slower.'
The Thai government estimates the total cost of the project at as much as 1.1 trillion baht (about 43 billion SGD), proposing to build two deep-sea ports in Chumphon and Ranong as well as 90 kilometers of rail and expressway. However, the truly interested investors are mostly property developers, not logistics companies.
A source said: 'There’s little interest in the port operations themselves; most people are focused on the development potential around the ports.'
Legal Stalemate Adds More Uncertainty to the Plan
In addition, the 'Southern Economic Corridor Act' which underpins the land bridge plan has been blocked in parliament due to public opinion and civic backlash. Analyst Brasi Chai noted that recent political instability has further weakened the government’s ability to push the legislation.
Even so, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya insists the land bridge project is still at the study and design stage and is expected to open for bidding in 2026.
However, analysts who have long focused on infrastructure policy pointed out that projects like this 'are brought up almost every election', but then come to nothing, serving more as political bargaining chips rather than real transportation solutions.
Infrastructure consultant Kato Makoto, based in Thailand, wrote earlier: 'Thailand indeed has both the geographical advantage and the political will to develop a land bridge. But without a stable policy environment and legal safeguards, it will be difficult to win the trust of international investors.'