BANGKOK: The government may review its land bridge project if an ongoing feasibility study finds that it is not worth the massive investment of 1 trillion baht, Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri (pic) said on Thursday (Jan 18).
She was responding to questions from opposition MPs regarding the mega-project during a parliamentary meeting.
Manaporn was standing in for Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit, who was accompanying Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on a trip to Switzerland to persuade foreign investors for the land bridge project.
The land bridge project involves the construction of deep-sea ports in Chumphon and Ranong provinces and railway and highway links between the two ports, connecting the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.
“The consultancy will look into all aspects in their study on the worthiness of investment in this large project. Prospective investors also will conduct their own feasibility studies. If they find it is not worthwhile, they will not invest. If the study finds the project is impossible, we must review it,” the deputy transport minister said.
She also said that a feasibility study was still underway, particularly involving industries to be included in the project area, adding that the government would disclose details of the study when they were available.
According to the deputy minister, the study was divided into three parts: designs of the two ports, construction of the railway linking both ports, and environmental impact assessment on the planned motorway between Ranong and Chumphon.
She admitted that any project of this size would have an impact but that the government would base its decision on the results of public hearings with local residents and majority support from Parliament.
“The study involves 10 areas covering logistics system, port design, environmental impacts, investment pattern, concerns of residents, fishermen, and joint ventures. The opposition's concerns would also be taken into consideration in the study,” Manaporn said.
An opposition MP from the Move Forward Party, Surachet Praweenwongwutthi, asked the deputy transport minister during the House meeting about the study's results on such matters as shipping lines expected to use the land bridge, estimated number of container ships, reduced shipping costs, and worthiness of investment when compared to the Malacca Strait.
He cited the results of a study by the National Economic and Social Development Council two years ago that a land bridge project was not worth the investment and that the project size should be reduced. - The Nation/ANN
