Thai Govt presses ahead with Land Bridge megaproject linking the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea
The 1-trillion-baht Land Bridge, connecting Ranong with Chumphon is expected to help ease congestion in the Strait of Malacca, help reduce shipping time by three days, and shipping costs by 15%.
The government is pushing legislation to support the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) and the Land Bridge megaproject linking the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.
According to Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) has completed public hearings in Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat, all of which are involved in both the SEC and the 1-trillion-baht Land Bridge project.
The OTP will then update the bill using the suggestions from public hearing panels and propose the final bill draft for cabinet approval by next month.
The bill will be proposed to the House when the general session resumes on July 3. It is expected to finish the three reading stages in September.
The draft is set to undergo Senate reading for two months, then the OTP will seek royal approval for the SEC Office and committee establishment at the end of this year, said Ms Manaporn.
After that, invitation documents for investors will be prepared in the first quarter of 2026 before a bidding process in the following quarter.
Construction will start in the third quarter of next year before a slated completion in 2030, she added.
The project will not be affected by the US’s reciprocal tariff policy, said Ms Manaporn, as it will draw demands from shipping lines and investors looking for cost-effective logistics in an advantageous location like Thailand. She expressed confidence that the project could kick off under the term of this government.
OTP director-general Panya Chupanich said that the SEC Act received feedback from at least 9,000 participants, with more than 8,000 reacting positively to the bill.
As for the project’s progress, he said that OTP had completed the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and will start the contractor bidding this year as planned.
Bidders are expected to bid for developments of deep-sea ports, motorways and railways, under one contract, said Mr Panya, in order to achieve an integration of infrastructure, resulting in an efficient management of the project.
International bidders are welcome to bid along with Thai investors under joint ventures, with no stake ratio caps, he said. The first-phase bidding is expected to be valued at 500 billion baht.
Mr Panya said the Land Bridge would help support the export of processed agricultural products from the South.
The 1-trillion-baht Land Bridge, connecting Ranong with Chumphon is expected help ease congestion in the Strait of Malacca, said Mr Panya, and help reduce shipping time by three days, and shipping costs by 15%.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3011586/govt-presses-ahead-with-land-bridge
