Landbridge Committee Urged: Profitable or Just a Dream?

Thansettakij•Economy•21d ago

Reader Briefing

A prominent former Bangkok Deputy Governor is demanding clarity from the Landbridge Committee regarding the project's financial viability, citing contradictory study results.

•Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte is questioning the profitability of the massive Landbridge project.
•Two government agencies, TIPES and NESDC, produced conflicting feasibility studies for the project.
•The Landbridge Committee is urged to resolve the discrepancies and provide a clear financial outlook.
•The project's success hinges on convincing both the public and global investors of its profitability.
•The ultimate goal is to determine if the project is financially sustainable or merely an unrealistic vision.

Overview

•Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte stated that the formation of the Landbridge Committee reflects the government's serious intent to proceed with the project.
•The Landbridge project is a multi-trillion baht initiative aimed at connecting the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.
•Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte highlighted societal skepticism regarding the project's ability to divert shipping traffic from the Strait of Malacca.
•Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte questioned the project's actual time savings, cost reduction, sufficient shipping volume, and investor profitability.
•The feasibility study by the Transport and Trade Policy and Planning Office (TIPES) projected an FIRR of 8.62%, NPV of 759,985 million THB, and a payback period of 24 years.
•The feasibility study by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) projected an FIRR of -4.37% and an NPV of -189,522 million THB.
•Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte acknowledged that the Landbridge Committee cannot conduct entirely new studies within 90 days but must review existing data.
•Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte emphasized the need for the committee to explain the significant discrepancies in study findings and justify assumptions in order to prove the project's profitability.

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Source: Thansettakij (Original)

Key Quotes

Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte

"If these questions cannot be answered, this project may end up as just a dream on paper."

หากตอบคำถามเหล่านี้ไม่ได้ โครงการนี้ก็อาจจบลงเพียงภาพฝันบนกระดาษ

Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte

"What confuses society most is that the project's feasibility studies from two government agencies have clearly contradictory results."

สิ่งที่ทำให้สังคมสับสนที่สุด คือผลการศึกษาความเป็นไปได้ของโครงการจาก 2 หน่วยงานรัฐ กลับออกมาตรงข้ามกันอย่างชัดเจน

Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte

"One side says 'huge profitability,' the other says 'heavy losses.'"

ฝ่ายหนึ่งบอก "คุ้มทุนมหาศาล" อีกฝ่ายบอก "ขาดทุนหนัก"

Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte

"Therefore, if the Landbridge Committee is to conclude that 'the project is profitable,' it must explain why the numbers are so different."

ดังนั้น หากคณะกรรมการแลนด์บริดจ์จะสรุปว่า "โครงการคุ้มทุน" ก็จำเป็นต้องอธิบายให้ได้ว่า เหตุใดตัวเลขจึงต่างกันมาก

Key Entities

Person

Dr. Samart Ratchapolsitte(ดร.สามารถ ราชพลสิทธิ์)ℹ️

Former Deputy Governor of Bangkok, he is critically questioning the financial viability of the Landbridge project.

Organization

Landbridge Committee(คณะกรรมการแลนด์บริดจ์)

The committee tasked by the government to push forward the Landbridge project and assess its feasibility.

Transport and Trade Policy and Planning Office(สำนักงานนโยบายและแผนการขนส่งและจราจร)

A government agency that conducted a feasibility study for the Landbridge project projecting profitability.

National Economic and Social Development Council(สำนักงานสภาพัฒนาการเศรษฐกิจและสังคมแห่งชาติ)ℹ️

A government agency that conducted a conflicting feasibility study for the Landbridge project projecting losses.