'Rail canal' technology offers lifeline to new shipping route
A technology called "Rail canal" could be the answer to sceptics of the controversial Kra Canal project, who fear it could split the Kingdom into two parts if a huge canal is dug at the Kra Isthmus in the South.
The narrow strip of land mass, about 100km wide, would remain intact. At the same time, large vessels could still cross from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean and vice versa via the canal using railway technology that will allow huge container ships to move on giant rails over the land mass. Logistics experts believe the technology is a good option for Thailand in its bid to become a new shipping route in the region and an alternative to the Strait of Malacca in Singapore, as there is no need for massive excavation of land in the proposed Kra Canal area.
According to a likely proposal from South Korea, the Thai government will be offered the technology for building the “Rail canal” at the Kra Isthmus. The site is from Ranong province’s Kra Buri district on the west to Chumphon province on the east with a distance of 57 kilometres. This infrastructure will allow the movement of ships from one ocean to the other overland through the rail canal.
Jinyu Choi, director-general of the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI), said earlier that the construction cost of the rail canal would be about US$4.8 billion (Bt160 billion), cheaper than the estimated $7.1 billion needed to build the conventional canal.
The proposed route in southern Thailand would be able to cut 2,000 kms in distance and two days off the shipping route through the Strait of Malacca.
Tanit Sorat, chairman of V-Serve Logistics Ltd, said he backed the “dry canal” concept, as it would be cheaper than dredging a “conventional canal”. In addition, there is a lower risk in terms of the impacts on environment and local people’s life and living.
“In terms of tourism, Thailand will gain vast numbers of benefits. But I’m not sure about the logistics transport industry and whether the rail is capable of carrying large super panamax ships with size exceeding 100,000 dead weight tonnes,” he said.
He added if the country had made a land bridge a decade earlier, it would have gained much more than today because many giant shipping lines are willing to encircle the Strait of Malacca and stop over at Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepus Port for transhipments, as the port was considered a significant transhipment centre of the region seven years ago.
“This may be too late for the country if it still thinks of making the Kra canal a new shipping route linking countries in the West to those in the East,” he said.
He added that the country should not be only a passage for shipping lines, but it needed to develop related logistics activities such as centres of ship building and repairing, shipyard, transhipments, and distribution.
Chula Sukmanop, director-general of Marine Department, said the rail canal technology would be better than the conventional canal regardless of water level adjustment, which would otherwise result in an average low speed of just 20km per hour.
“However, we need to consider the cost. If it’s very expensive, investment in the rail canal construction won’t be worth it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rattapoohm Parichatprecha, director of the Centre of Excellence for Road and Railway Innovation, Naresuan University, said the capability of rail canal was not an issue. The point was that the country could better compete with others by making a new trade lane for shipping cargoes, not only for tourists.
“This can help Thailand leap out of its middle-income country trap,” he said.
