Thailand postpones Land Bridge and SEC bill for wider consultation
Siripong Angkasakulkiat confirms the Land Bridge and draft SEC law will not be submitted to Cabinet while wider consultations continue.
- The Thai Transport Ministry has postponed the Land Bridge project and the related Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) Act, delaying their submission to the Cabinet.
- The project is not cancelled, but is being delayed to conduct a more comprehensive hearing process and wider consultation with all sectors to build a shared consensus.
- A tripartite committee, including government and public representatives, has been formed to guide the consultation, which is expected to take up to one year.
- The decision to postpone was also influenced by changes in the global situation affecting logistics and supply chains, prompting a reassessment of the project's timing.
Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Deputy Minister of Transport, gave an update on the transport infrastructure development project for the Southern Economic Corridor, intended to link transport between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, known as the Land Bridge.
He said the Transport Ministry would not move ahead with the Land Bridge for the time being, nor with the draft Southern Economic Corridor Act (SEC), and that there was still no timeframe for submitting them to Cabinet for consideration.
The ministry wants to conduct a more comprehensive hearing process with all sectors.
It has initially appointed a tripartite committee, comprising government representatives, public representatives and administrative representatives, with Siripong as chair, to jointly set guidelines for developing the southern economy before using the outcome to refine project details in line with people’s needs.
“The ministry is not going to cancel the Land Bridge project. It is delaying submission to Cabinet because it wants to study the information and listen to views until all sides reach a shared conclusion. This will be used together with the findings of the study previously carried out by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP). The ministry is also open to adjusting the development model so that it is consistent with future circumstances. The hearing process and conclusions are expected to be completed within one year, or at least there should be a clear implementation direction under this government.”
Siripong added that the decision to slow the project did not mean all previous studies would be scrapped.
The data and studies already completed were like the main structure of a house: even if improvements or a new design were made, the existing information could still support consideration.
However, it would have to be discussed with all sectors, especially people in the area, to exchange views, build shared understanding and find the most appropriate solution.
Although public hearings had already been held, feedback showed that the participation process still needed to be expanded, so all sides could fully express their views before the direction of the next phase of development was set.
The review was also prompted by changes in the global situation, which have affected logistics systems and global supply chains, leading the government to reassess whether it is the right time for Thailand to expand freight transport options.
