Land Bridge Study Concerns: Cost-Effectiveness, Resource Loss

Matichon•Politics•3d ago

Reader Briefing

An academic expert questions the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of Thailand's Land Bridge project, citing conflicting studies and potential for significant resource loss.

•Academic expert Samart Ratchapolsitte has raised concerns regarding Thailand's ambitious Land Bridge project.
•He points to conflicting study results between the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) and the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).
•Concerns include the claimed time savings, overestimated cargo volumes, and the credibility of cost-benefit analyses.
•The expert warns of permanent loss of natural resources, environmental damage, and potential for abandoned mega-projects.
•The project requires an enormous investment of over 1 trillion baht, with foreign investors expected to conduct their own independent studies.

Overview

•On May 6, academic expert Samart Ratchapolsitte issued a statement regarding the Land Bridge project.
•Samart Ratchapolsitte stated that the project's cost-effectiveness is questionable, citing conflicting studies.
•The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) study concluded the Land Bridge is 'cost-effective', while a study commissioned by the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) concluded it is 'not cost-effective'.
•Samart Ratchapolsitte questions whether the claimed 4-day time saving is accurate, citing the need to include cargo handling times.
•The OTP study predicts 19.92 million TEUs will pass through the Ranong and Chumphon ports annually 30 years after opening (2030), compared to Laem Chabang's 8.34 million TEUs in 2021.
•Samart Ratchapolsitte questions the credibility of the assumptions used to project cargo volumes, suggesting they may be unrealistically high.
•Samart Ratchapolsitte warns that if the project proceeds, the country risks not only financial loss but also the permanent loss of valuable natural resources.
•The project demands an investment exceeding 1 trillion baht, with global investors expected to conduct their own thorough assessments.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Samart Ratchapolsitte

"Will the land bridge truly be cost-effective? How much time and cost will it actually save compared to shipping through the Strait of Malacca?"

แลนด์บริดจ์จะคุ้มทุนได้จริงหรือ? จะช่วยประหยัดเวลาและค่าใช้จ่ายได้จริงแค่ไหน เมื่อเทียบกับการขนส่งผ่านช่องแคบมะละกา?

Samart Ratchapolsitte

"Is it true that the land bridge will save 4 days of travel time?"

แลนด์บริดจ์จะช่วยประหยัดเวลาได้ 4 วัน จริงหรือ?

Samart Ratchapolsitte

"Is the projected volume of goods for the land bridge unrealistically high?"

ปริมาณสินค้าที่คาดว่าจะใช้แลนด์บริดจ์ สูงเกินจริงหรือไม่?

Samart Ratchapolsitte

"Does the 'cost-effective' return come from credible assumptions?"

ผลตอบแทน “คุ้มทุน” มาจากสมมุติฐานที่น่าเชื่อถือหรือไม่?

Samart Ratchapolsitte

"The country will still lose many things, such as land expropriation costs and valuable natural resources and environment, which are difficult to restore once lost."

ประเทศก็ยังต้องสูญเสียอีกหลายอย่าง เช่น ค่าเวนคืน ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและสิ่งแวดล้อมที่มีค่ายิ่ง ซึ่งเมื่อสูญเสียไปแล้ว ยากที่จะแก้ไขให้กลับคืนมาเหมือนเดิมได้

Key Entities

Person

Samart Ratchapolsitte(สามารถ ราชพลสิทธิ์)

Academic expert on transportation engineering who has analyzed the Land Bridge project.

Organization

Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning(สำนักงานนโยบายและแผนการขนส่งและจราจร)

Thai government agency responsible for transportation policy and planning, which conducted a study on the Land Bridge project.

Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council(สำนักงานสภาพัฒนาการเศรษฐกิจและสังคมแห่งชาติ)

Thai government agency responsible for economic and social planning, which commissioned a study on the Land Bridge project.

Chulalongkorn University(จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)ℹ️

University that conducted a study on the Land Bridge project.

Place

Ranong(ระนอง)ℹ️

Coastal province in Thailand proposed as one of the main ports for the Land Bridge project.

Chumphon(ชุมพร)ℹ️

Coastal province in Thailand proposed as one of the main ports for the Land Bridge project.

Strait of Malacca(ช่องแคบมะละกา)ℹ️

A major shipping lane that the Land Bridge project aims to offer an alternative to.

Laem Chabang Port(ท่าเรือแหลมฉบัง)ℹ️

Major deep-sea port in Thailand used for comparison in the Land Bridge project's cargo volume analysis.