When the Thai government discusses the Land Bridge, the conversation almost always centres on GDP growth and economic returns. The mega-project, expected to cost at least 1 trillion baht, forms part of the planned Southern Economic Corridor, another effort to boost development in the South.
The idea itself is not new. Since the reign of King Rama V, Thailand has explored ways to connect the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Earlier proposals focused on a canal; the Prayut government almost a decade ago scaled the idea down to a land-based transport corridor linking two deep-sea ports by road and rail. Yet the project has long faced opposition from local communities, environmental groups and some logistics experts.
