WHA conducting study on Ranong-Chumphon Land Bridge project
Major industrial estate developers are showing interest in the Land Bridge mega-project, which is being promoted as a new destination for future investments.
Developers are considering establishing industrial estates in the Ranong-Chumphon area to support post-port industrial zones.
At its meeting on October 16, the Cabinet agreed to hold a hearing on the Land Bridge project.
The Ministry of Transport has outlined the plan into three parts:
1. Develop deep-sea ports on the Gulf of Thailand and the shores of Andaman Sea.
▪︎ The Gulf of Thailand port will be located at Cape Ao Ang, in Ranong province with a depth of 21 metres to accommodate 20 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units).
The Andaman Sea port will be located at Cape Riaw, in Chumphon province, with a depth of 17 metres, accommodating 20 million TEUs.
2. Transportation connectivity between ports
▪︎ Six-lane motorway covering 21 kilometres
▪︎ Dual-track railway (track size 1.435 metre and 1 metre)
3. Oil transportation pipelines for refined oil and natural gas
The government's active promotion of this project has piqued the interest of both Thai and foreign private companies. This includes industrial estate developers, as the post-port industrial zone development is being prepared.
The government plans to showcase the project internationally to attract foreign companies to invest through public-private partnerships.
The Land Bridge project will connect transportation routes to the Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi province. This will involve the development of two areas: the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC).
The government is strongly pushing this project. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin showcased it during visits to other countries, including China and Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, during his second visit to the United States from November 12-18, the project will be presented at the APEC Leaders' meeting to be held in San Francisco, California.
Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, chairman and group CEO of WHA Corporation Plc, said that the WHA had begun studying the possibilities of developing industrial estates in the Land Bridge project area. She said they believed this area offered more than just a transit route for transporting goods, and had significant potential.
"This location provides strategic advantages, allowing the centre to transfer goods and raw materials from both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand," she said.
Foreign investors are showing considerable interest in participating in the Land Bridge project. The prime minister has emphasised Thailand's commitment to this initiative. It is expected that within the next two years, investment tenders would begin, Jareeporn said.
Industry Minister Pimpattra Wichaikul stated that the Ministry of Industry would support the Economic Bridge project to connect the shores of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea (Chumphon-Ranong). This initiative would serve as a logistics gateway, linking the country's trade and economic regions.
Furthermore, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has been instructed to study the establishment of new industrial estates in the SEC area, covering four provinces: Ranong, Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Surat Thani.
The government is preparing to develop areas suitable for investment following the Land Bridge project. This is expected to transform the SEC into a global goods exchange centre, facilitating imports and exports from both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.
Plans are underway to draft the Special Economic Zone Act for the SEC, similar to the EEC Act, for easy regulation and supervision and to offer benefits to attract investors. This will not merely be a transit route for transporting goods, according to the industry minister.
Veeris Ammarapala, the governor of the Industrial Estate Authority Of Thailand (IEAT), revealed that the IEAT was conducting feasibility studies this month to explore the possibilities of developing industrial estates in Ranong and Chumphon provinces. Investors are now expressing interest and exploring the areas related to the Land Bridge project, which is expected to be one of Thailand's major mega-projects with an investment value exceeding 1 trillion baht, he said.
