Bangkok: Monporn inaugurated a seminar to discuss the “Land Bridge Project,” directing the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (ONEP) to initiate the bidding process to attract investors and propel the project into actionable phases to boost the national economy. The seminar aims to gather insights and comprehensive recommendations from public, private, and community sectors.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Manoporn Charoensri, Deputy Minister of Transport, led a seminar that summarized the results of the feasibility study, preliminary design, environmental impact assessment, and business development model analysis for the Land Bridge Project, which aims to connect the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. The seminar, held at the Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom Hotel, saw participation from government representatives, private sector participants, community leaders, and the public, who were invited to provide their comments and suggestions on the detailed project information presented.
Ms. Manoporn highlighted that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, delegated her to oversee the seminar summarizing the Land Bridge project’s study results. This project is a crucial element in advancing the country’s maritime transport infrastructure, a key initiative under Prime Minister Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra’s administration, designed to stimulate the Thai economy through significant infrastructure investment. The Ministry of Transport is actively promoting large-scale transport infrastructure projects to enhance Thailand’s trade potential and competitive edge, aligning with the government’s strategy to elevate the country from a middle-income to a high-income nation and establish Thailand as a regional transport hub under the “Transportation for Opportunity Thailand” policy.
Ms. Manoporn further explained that the Ministry of Transport, via the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), has been developing the Land Bridge project by leveraging Thailand’s strategic geographic location at the core of the Indochinese Peninsula. The project aims to create a new seaborne container transport alternative within Thailand, bypassing the Strait of Malacca, thereby improving efficiency and reducing time and costs for global container transport. This initiative is expected to significantly boost Thailand’s trade capabilities and competitiveness. The seminar marks a milestone for the Ministry of Transport and the OTP, as they present the results of a study conducted over 60 public hearings from 2021 to 2025, offering stakeholders a comprehensive view of the project’s development and investment models, return on investment, and subsequent steps, necessitating collaboration from all sectors.
“I would like to reaffirm the readiness of the Ministry of Transport and the government to conduct a bidding process to attract Thai and international investors to jointly develop the Land Bridge project. I urge everyone to utilize this forum to its fullest potential by providing useful feedback and suggestions to the study team, which will contribute to a more comprehensive study,” stated Ms. Manoporn.