Land bridge on track, Transport Ministry confirms
Dubai Port World and the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning set up a joint working group
The Pheu Thai-led government is fully committed to the land bridge project and is working to bring it to fruition with the aim of maximising benefits for the people and the country and promoting sustainable economic growth, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Juangroongruangkit, confirmed.
In his update on the project, which connects the Gulf of Thailand to the Andaman Sea, he noted that the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) is currently preparing a draft bill for the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) to be reviewed by the Special Economic Zone Policy Committee (SEZPC). Once approved by the Cabinet, the draft will proceed to the House of Representatives and is expected to come into effect by September 2025.
Once the SEC bill is enacted, the SEC office will be established, and further plans will proceed, including the design of railways and expressways, environmental impact assessments (EIAs), and the Environmental and Health Impact Assessments (EHIAs).
The Natural Resources and Environmental Policy Office (ONEP) is expected to complete the EIA by 2025, in line with port design and EIA requirements.
For the selection of private investors, the Request for Proposal (RFP) is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026, with investor selection finalised in the second quarter. Land expropriation will then be addressed, and the project will be presented to the Cabinet for approval.
Construction is planned to start in the third quarter of 2026 and be completed by the end of 2030.
Referring to the proposed collaboration with Dubai Port World (DP World), Suriya confirmed that DP World is studying the project details and has shown readiness to invest in Thailand. The Ministry welcomes global investors and assures that all processes will be transparent, governed, and open to scrutiny, he added
DP World has requested detailed information about the project from the OTP and a joint working group has now been established between the two entities.
