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Korn Slams PM Over Land Bridge Transparency Concerns

Korn Slams PM Over Land Bridge Transparency Concerns

Khaosod•Politics•2d ago

Reader Briefing

MP Korn Jatikavanich criticizes the Prime Minister's alleged intentional concealment of the massive Land Bridge project, citing a lack of transparency and potential economic and environmental risks.

  • •MP Korn Jatikavanich raised concerns in parliament about the proposed Land Bridge project's transparency and viability.
  • •He accused the Prime Minister of deliberately omitting the project from policy statements.
  • •Jetikavanich proposed an alternative 'Southern Connect' project involving motorways and dual-track railways.
  • •The debate occurred during a parliamentary session on May 28, 2026, chaired by the First Vice Speaker.

Overview

  • •On May 28, 2026, at 15:10, the Parliament convened to debate the Land Bridge project.
  • •MP Korn Jatikavanich stated that the Prime Minister intentionally concealed the Land Bridge project, leading to a lack of transparency.
  • •The Land Bridge project is a mega-project potentially over 1 trillion baht, with significant economic, environmental, and national security risks.
  • •Malaysia is nearing completion of a similar land bridge project, with two deep-sea ports and connecting rail infrastructure.
  • •Korn Jatikavanich argued that the Land Bridge project lacks transparency and does not address the needs of the Southern people adequately.
  • •Korn Jatikavanich proposed the 'Southern Connect' project, a motorway and dual-track railway linking Bangkok to Narathiwat, as a more viable alternative.
  • •The 'Southern Connect' project is estimated to cost less than 700 billion baht, with lower risks and greater public benefit compared to the Land Bridge.
  • •Korn Jatikavanich proposed the establishment of a special parliamentary committee to jointly study the project alongside the government's committee, to gather more information before a crucial national decision.

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Key Quotes

Korn Jatikavanich
"PM intentionally concealed it, therefore it was not in the policy."
นายกฯ จงใจปกปิด จึงไม่มีในนโยบาย
Korn Jatikavanich
"This project is perhaps the largest mega-project Thailand has ever undertaken, with high risks that could cause disaster to the economy, national finances, ecosystem, environment, and national security."
โครงการนี้ ถือเป็นหนึ่งในเมกกะโปรเจกต์ที่อาจจะใหญ่ที่สุดที่ประเทศไทยเคยดำเนินการ เป็นโครงการที่มีความเสี่ยงสูง อาจทำให้เกิดมหันตภัยกับระบบเศรษฐกิจสถานะทางการคลังของประเทศ ต่อระบบนิเวศน์ ต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมและต่อความมั่นคงของประเทศ
Korn Jatikavanich
"What they added is a railway connecting these two ports and a railway almost to Narathiwat province. Thus, operators and shipping companies have land route options beyond other sea routes, which our neighboring country has already invested in, now over 90% complete."
สิ่งที่เขาทำเพิ่มเติมคือเส้นทางรถไฟเชื่อม 2 ท่าดังกล่าวและเส้นทางรถไฟขึ้นมาเชื่อมต่อเกือบถึงจ.นราธิวาส ฉะนั้น ทางเลือกให้กับผู้ประกอบการและบริษัทขนส่ง บริษัทเดินเรือ มีนอกเหนือจากเส้นทางทางทะเลอื่นๆ ก็ยังมีเส้นทางทางบก ที่ประเทศเพื่อนบ้านเราลงทุนเสร็จแล้ว ตอนนี้ 90 กว่าเปอร์เซนต์
Korn Jatikavanich
"If the Land Bridge does not meet the needs for developing the Southern people, the Democrat Party has a plan called Southern Connect, meaning the construction of a motorway connecting Bangkok all the way down to Narathiwat."
ถ้าแลนด์บริดจ์ไม่ตอบโจทย์ในการพัฒนาให้กับประชาชนคนใต้ พรรคประชาธิปัตย์มีแผน ที่เรียกว่า เซาท์เทิร์น คอนเน็กซ์ (Southern Connect) หมายถึงการก่อสร้างมอเตอร์เวย์ที่จะเชื่อมระหว่างกรุงเทพฯ ยาวลงไปถึงนราธิวาส

Key Entities

Person

Korn Jatikavanich(กรณ์ จาติกวณิช)ℹ️
Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Democrat Party, who presented a motion to study the Land Bridge project and proposed an alternative.
Prime Minister(นายกฯ)
The executive leader of the government, accused by MP Korn Jatikavanich of intentionally concealing the Land Bridge project.
Ms. Mallika Jiraphanvanich(น.ส.มัลลิกา จิรพันธุ์วาณิช)
The First Vice Speaker of the Parliament who presided over the session debating the Land Bridge project.

Organization

Parliament(สภา)ℹ️
The legislative body where the debate on the Land Bridge project took place.
Democrat Party(พรรคประชาธิปัตย์)ℹ️
The political party represented by MP Korn Jatikavanich, which has proposed the 'Southern Connect' project as an alternative to the Land Bridge.

Place

Malaysia(มาเลเซีย)ℹ️
A neighboring country that is completing a similar land bridge project, serving as a comparison point in the parliamentary debate.
Parliament House(รัฐสภา)
The location where the parliamentary session to debate the Land Bridge project was held on May 28, 2026.
Chumphon(ชุมพร)ℹ️
A province mentioned in the context of alleged public acceptance efforts for the Land Bridge project, which reportedly led to local protests.
Narathiwat(นราธิวาส)ℹ️
A Southern province of Thailand that would be connected by the proposed 'Southern Connect' motorway and railway project.
Gulf of Thailand(อ่าวไทย)ℹ️
One of the bodies of water that the Land Bridge project aims to connect.
Andaman(อันดามัน)ℹ️
The sea on the western side of the Malay Peninsula, one of the bodies of water that the Land Bridge project aims to connect.