thailandedition
Abhisit: Land Bridge a Security Risk, Thailand could become superpower battleground

Abhisit: Land Bridge a Security Risk, Thailand could become superpower battleground

Post Today•Politics•1d ago

Reader Briefing

Former PM Abhisit Vejjajiva warns the proposed Land Bridge project poses significant security risks and could turn Thailand into a battleground for superpowers.

  • •Abhisit Vejjajiva, a list-MP for the Democrat Party, raised concerns in the House of Representatives about the 1,000,000 million baht Land Bridge project.
  • •He argued the project is based on five fallacies, including economic non-viability and environmental damage, and carries serious geopolitical and security risks.
  • •Vejjajiva proposed the Democrat Party's "Connect South, Connect World" project as a more beneficial alternative with less cost and wider opportunity distribution.

Overview

  • •Abhisit Vejjajiva stated the Land Bridge project is based on five fallacies and urged sincere government consideration.
  • •The Land Bridge project is valued at over 1,000,000 million baht.
  • •Environmental experts warn the route will cut through World Heritage sites, wetlands, and destroy biodiversity, impacting future tourism and the bio-business of the South.
  • •The project connects only Ranong to Chumphon, potentially benefiting only contractors and land speculators, leaving 10 southern provinces and 3 southern border provinces without direct benefit.
  • •Geopolitical risks are high, as the project could make the area a superpower conflict zone like the Panama Canal or Strait of Hormuz due to US-China tensions.
  • •The project is seen as driven by the possibility of foreign companies, especially Chinese firms, controlling shipping through joint ventures (PPP).
  • •Abhisit Vejjajiva proposed using the budget for the "Connect South, Connect World" project, including a motorway to the Southern border and a dual-track railway to Malaysia.
  • •Abhisit Vejjajiva concluded the Land Bridge project was a "stealthily" executed mega-project, and the government's refusal to form a committee raised suspicions of vested interests.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on Post Today (Thai Version)View in Google Translate

Source: Post Today (Original)

Key Quotes

Abhisit Vejjajiva
"The Land Bridge project is a mega-project done "stealthily," not appearing in the government's stated policy."
โครงการแลนด์บริดจ์ถือเป็นเมก้าโปรเจกต์ที่ทำแบบ "ลับ ๆ ล่อ ๆ" ไม่ปรากฏในนโยบายรัฐบาลที่แถลงไว้
Abhisit Vejjajiva
"If Thailand proceeds with this project, the area could become a battlefield for superpowers, similar to the Panama Canal or the Strait of Hormuz."
หากไทยเดินหน้าโครงการนี้ พื้นที่ดังกล่าวอาจกลายเป็นสมรภูมิแย่งชิงของมหาอำนาจคล้ายคลึงกับคลองปานามาหรือช่องแคบฮอร์มุซ

Key Entities

Person

Abhisit Vejjajiva(นายอภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ)ℹ️
List-MP for the Democrat Party who expressed concerns about the Land Bridge project.

Organization

Democrat Party(พรรคประชาธิปัตย์)ℹ️
Political party of Abhisit Vejjajiva, which proposed the 'Connect South, Connect World' project.
United States(สหรัฐฯ)ℹ️
A superpower whose conflict with China in the South China Sea poses geopolitical risks to the Land Bridge project.
China(จีน)ℹ️
A superpower whose conflict with the United States in the South China Sea poses geopolitical risks to the Land Bridge project.
House of Representatives(ที่ประชุมสภาผู้แทนราษฎร)ℹ️
The legislative body where Abhisit Vejjajiva debated the Land Bridge project.

Place

Strait of Malacca(ช่องแคบมะละกา)ℹ️
A maritime strait that the Land Bridge project aims to bypass for shipping.
South China Sea(ทะเลจีนใต้)ℹ️
Area of geopolitical tension between the US and China, relevant to the security concerns of the Land Bridge project.
Panama Canal(คลองปานามา)ℹ️
A waterway used as an example of a strategically important chokepoint that could become a geopolitical battleground.
Strait of Hormuz(ช่องแคบฮอร์มุซ)ℹ️
A waterway used as an example of a strategically important chokepoint that could become a geopolitical battleground.
Ranong(ระนอง)ℹ️
One of the provinces that the Land Bridge project is planned to connect.
Chumphon(ชุมพร)ℹ️
One of the provinces that the Land Bridge project is planned to connect.
Phuket(ภูเก็ต)ℹ️
A southern province whose tourism potential could be negatively impacted by accidents related to maritime transport in the Andaman Sea.