THAILAND’s deputy prime minister and minister of transport, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, says that the government will accelerate work on a Baht 1 trillion ($US 31bn) project to build a rail landbridge for container traffic across southern Thailand. The project comprises 90km of new line to connect new deepwater ports in Ranong and Chumphon provinces.
The landbridge would create an alternative to the Strait of Malacca, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, the strategic importance of which has been highlighted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran.
“The Middle East conflict has demonstrated the advantage of controlling a transport route,” Ratchakitprakarn says. “Thailand will have a great advantage by operating the link between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.”
According to the minister, the landbridge would reduce transit times between the two oceans by an average of four days, and cut transport costs by around 15%.
The Thai cabinet is expected to approve a draft bill granting powers to proceed with the project later this year. Once the new legislation is passed, construction is expected to be completed by 2039, with the project forecast to achieve breakeven within 24 years.
However, the landbridge project has faced opposition on the grounds of its high cost and environmental impact. Following the completion in August 2025 of a detailed study by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, one opposition MP described the government’s numbers as “implausible.”
Opponents also warn that the project could lead to around Baht 1bn in lost income for the fishing industry each year, while potentially threatening six Unesco World Heritage sites in southern Thailand and damaging tourism.
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