Reportedly, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) of Thailand is considering constructing a land bridge to improve logistics, connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans.
NESDC secretary-general, Danucha Pichayanan, suggested that the a proposal is expected to be submitted to cabinet in June or July.
If approved, the project could potentially start in the third quarter, with the government seeking investors for the estimated 1 trillion baht (US$30.97 billion) to complete it.
The decades-old idea has seen a resurgence due to geopolitical issues in the Strait of Hormuz affecting global trade.
Consisting of two deep-sea ports, one in Ranong on the Andaman Sea and another in Chumphon on the Gulf of Thailand, linked by 90km (56 miles) of road and rail plus energy infrastructure like pipelines.
This, the project’s architects hope, will improve the country’s energy independence and shore up its logistics corridors.
As such, the project would offer an alternative route to the Malacca Strait, the 900-km (550-mile) long channel bounded by Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, which provides the shortest sea route from East Asia to the Middle East and Europe.
Reportedly, the Thai government is now seeking to attract Singapore as a potential investor for the ambitious ‘Land Bridge’ initiative.
Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul outlined the plan during a meeting on Monday with Chan Chun Sing, the defence minister of Singapore.
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