The Ministry of Transport has introduced draft legislation to establish a dedicated Southern Economic Zone intended to facilitate the ambitious multibillion-dollar Land Bridge transport project that will connect the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.
According to the ministry’s statement, the bill would form a commission aimed at accelerating the development of the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) across the provinces of Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit expressed optimism that the new SEC Act could be enacted by September of this year.
The Pheu Thai-led government has been actively promoting the Land Bridge project, estimated to cost around 1 trillion baht ($29 billion), which aims to connect two planned seaports located in Ranong and Chumphon through an integrated highway and rail network.
This 100-kilometer link is designed to reduce shipping times between the Indian and Pacific oceans by providing an alternative route that circumvents the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors between Malaysia and Singapore.
The draft bill proposes the formation of a new SEC commission, led by the prime minister, tasked with developing logistics, infrastructure, information technology, and other critical facilities in the designated provinces. The commission will also be responsible for securing funding for the project.
The draft bill is currently being presented for public hearings before moving on to the cabinet and parliament for further consideration.
Former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has previously promoted the Land Bridge project to international investors during trips to the United States and China last year, receiving various expressions of interest, though follow-up efforts have been limited.
The ministry aims to complete the Land Bridge project by 2030, with plans allowing foreign investors to own over 50% of joint ventures with local firms involved in constructing the infrastructure.
The deep-sea ports in Ranong along the Andaman Sea and in Chumphon on the Gulf of Thailand are estimated to cost approximately 630 billion baht, according to the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning.
However, the Land Bridge project faces opposition from environmentalists and certain community groups in the southern provinces. Last year, protesters raised concerns that the proposed SEC committee could operate as an “independent state” for investors, potentially granting them rights considered above local laws, such as relaxed labor and land use regulations, along with exemptions from initiatives aimed at protecting the environment and natural resources.
Photo Credit: Thailand PBS 3
