Democrats seek House scrutiny of rushed Land Bridge plan

The Democrat Party is moving to force parliamentary scrutiny of the Chumphon–Ranong Land Bridge, accusing the government of rushing a trillion-baht megaproject that was not clearly presented to voters or Parliament and may not offer value for money.

Party-list MP and Democrat deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij, joined by the party’s Southern MPs, told a press conference at Parliament that the party had resolved to submit an urgent motion seeking the establishment of a special House committee to study the project.

Korn said the Land Bridge had returned to the headlines in recent days in a way that reflected what he called an “unusually rushed” government push to advance a project worth more than 1 trillion baht. He said a scheme of this size must be examined in detail, transparently and with proper caution before the country is committed to long-term spending.

Korn questions public mandate

Korn said one of the Democrats’ key concerns was that the Land Bridge did not appear in the election policy platforms submitted to the Election Commission by the ruling parties, Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai.

He also said the project’s details were not included in the government’s policy statement to Parliament, even though it now appeared to have become one of the government’s priority projects.

The Democrat Party argued that this raised a public mandate issue, as the project could bind the national budget for decades while affected communities and taxpayers had not been given enough information to assess its impact.

Shipping demand and value questioned

Korn said the party had received concerns from academics and private shipping operators over whether the project would be commercially viable.

He said several experts had warned that spending more than 1 trillion baht on the project may never be worthwhile. He added that private shipping companies had signalled to the Democrats that even if the Land Bridge were completed, it might not be attractive for them to use because cargo would need to be transferred through several stages, adding time and costs.

Korn warned that the project could risk becoming an expensive piece of infrastructure that private operators choose not to use.

He said this was why the House of Representatives should be allowed to examine the project before the government moves further, especially as no clear details had been presented to the public through the government’s policy statement.

Government pushes project as logistics alternative

The government has revived the Land Bridge as a proposed logistics route linking the Indian and Pacific Ocean sides of the region. Reuters reported that the project would involve two deep-sea ports in Ranong and Chumphon, connected by about 90 kilometres of road, rail and pipeline infrastructure, with a Cabinet proposal expected in June or July.

Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has said the government will proceed with the project and plans to visit Chumphon and Ranong on May 8 to explain the plan and hear local concerns. He said the project could create new opportunities for Thailand and for local communities, though he acknowledged environmental concerns.

The project has gained renewed attention amid global shipping and energy-security concerns, particularly after disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz and wider debate over Asia’s reliance on major maritime chokepoints.

Democrats propose lower-cost alternatives

Korn said the Democrats were not opposing Southern development, but believed there were other infrastructure options that could deliver broader benefits at lower cost.

He cited the party’s previous proposals, including a Southern motorway from Narathiwat to Bangkok, which he said would cost around 400 billion baht.

He also proposed upgrading rail transport through an electric double-track railway system, estimated at 100 billion to 150 billion baht, as well as deep-sea port projects on both the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea sides in suitable locations, costing around 100 billion baht.

Together, he said, these projects would cost around 700 billion baht, less than the Land Bridge, while potentially offering clearer benefits for the Southern economy and people’s quality of life.

Call for transparent review

Korn said that before the government proceeds with the Land Bridge, the House should be given a chance to study the project with academics and relevant state agencies.

He said the goal was to gather enough facts to determine whether the project truly served the public interest and represented a responsible use of taxpayers’ money.

The Democrat Party’s move turns the Land Bridge from an infrastructure proposal into a political accountability test for the government, with opposition MPs demanding clarity on cost, demand, local impact and democratic mandate before the project advances.