Developing Thailand’s megaprojects, but at what cost?
The world’s climate is deteriorating — and yet, destroying pristine mangrove forests and wetlands that help absorb carbon emissions is no longer unthinkable.
Our governments and politicians are known for pushing the envelope when it comes to costly development projects, often at the expense of nature.
A glaring example is the government’s latest mega-infrastructure plan: the Land Bridge project, part of the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC), which spans four southern provinces.
The legislation is currently awaiting cabinet approval.
As part of the scheme, two deep-sea ports are to be built — one in Chumphon province on the Gulf of Thailand, and another in Ranong on the Andaman Sea.
To connect them, the project includes a 90-kilometre motorway and dual-track railway.
Such massive construction in a coastal zone has raised serious concerns over the impact on the marine ecosystem, particularly the vast mangrove forests along the Andaman coast.
Ranong province is home to Thailand’s most abundant mangrove forests — hailed by Unesco as among the most fertile in the Asia-Pacific region.
Some 189,431 rai, stretching from the south of Muang district to the north of Kapoe district, has been designated the Ranong Biosphere Reserve under Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB).
Construction of the deep-sea port in Ranong is slated for Laem Ao Ang, an area that falls within Laem Son Marine National Park, which itself forms part of the Ranong Biosphere Reserve.
Equally troubling is the potential loss to taxpayers.
Experts have warned that the project may not yield the benefits it promises.
Saowaruj Rattanakhamfu, an economist and Research Director for Innovation Policy for Sustainable Development at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said there is little clarity on how the Land Bridge project will generate actual benefits.
“The environmental, social, and community impacts are already foreseeable. Shouldn’t the government put this project on hold to first study the pros and cons thoroughly and carefully?” she asked.
The project was conceived under the assumption that existing deep-sea ports will be unable to meet future demand for maritime commerce.
In response, Saowaruj questioned why the government does not simply upgrade existing ports such as Laem Chabang in Chon Buri and Songkhla, which are already well established.
Supporters — particularly the Bhumjaithai Party — have pinned their hopes on the Land Bridge helping Thailand compete with Singapore.
A key selling point is that the route will cut shipping times by four days for vessels seeking to bypass the congested Strait of Malacca.
But will it?
It’s a compelling pitch — until one considers the logistics.
Why would shipping companies pay extra to offload cargo at Chumphon, transport it by road or rail to Ranong, and then reload it onto ships again?
Even a study commissioned by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) under the Transport Ministry fails to address this fundamental question.
Meanwhile, Singapore has already invested around US$200 million (6.7 billion baht) to develop what is arguably the world’s largest fully automated port — a facility known for its transparency and efficiency. Can Thailand’s new ports realistically compete?
The real question is this: Who will foot the bill if the trillion-baht Land Bridge project fails to deliver? Will taxpayers be left holding the bag for another white elephant?
The more I research development projects along Thailand’s southern coast, the more I question their logic.
Last year, I came across a Thai PBS report on the Khlong Yai project — a multi-purpose port in Trat province.
Built at a cost of 1.29 billion baht of public funds, with an annual maintenance cost of 14 million baht, the port has sat unused for eight years.
An investigation found that the feasibility studies — conducted by two consultancy firms — grossly overestimated demand and potential.
As Saowaruj aptly put it, Thai policymakers often “think fast but implement slow”. A case in point is the high-speed railway meant to link Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima.
Conceived in 2010 with a 179-billion-baht budget, construction didn’t begin until 2017.
As of January, only 35.74% of the project had been completed — and it’s unlikely to meet the 2027 deadline. Budget overruns have plagued the project.
So how much will the Land Bridge — already estimated at a trillion baht — balloon in cost? And how much money will be wasted if it fails?
In many ways, the Land Bridge could be a Trojan Horse for the broader Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) Act, which is now in the pipeline. If implemented, the SEC Act would override several existing laws on labour, environmental protection, and resource management.
In a bid to attract investors, it would offer generous privileges — including land ownership and usage rights for up to 99 years.
The government claims the entire scheme will boost local employment. I beg to differ. If a Chinese firm wins the concession to build the road, rail, and ports, it’s likely the entire construction process — and much of the supply chain — would be handled by Chinese contractors and workers.
The people of southern Thailand will be the first to bear the brunt — but they won’t be the last. Indigenous communities and coastal residents risk being displaced. Orchard owners will have to make way for new infrastructure.
Fisherfolk will face rising costs and reduced marine safety, as their coastal ecosystem is upended.
These communities have lived in harmony with nature for generations. Now, they are being asked to give it all up — and are labelled “anti-development” for resisting.
But all they want is not to trade sustainability for cash.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/3011696/developing-megaprojects-but-at-what-cost-
