Thailand’s land bridge project touted at Chinese forum
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday invited Chinese corporations to invest in the land bridge project in the south of Thailand, noting that it will significantly reduce the costs of logistics from the Andaman Sea to the South China Sea by bypassing the Malacca Strait.
The Thai PM was speaking at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Beijing, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the initiative that focuses on global infrastructure development.
During a high-level forum on the topic “Green Silk Road for Harmony with Nature” held at the China National Convention Centre, Srettha told the audience that a land bridge connecting the coasts of the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand will complement the China’s initiative by establishing seamless and efficient transportation route in the region.
Under the concept “One Port, Two Sides”, the main infrastructure of the Land Bridge project includes deep-sea ports in Chumphon province on the Gulf of Thailand side and Ranong province on the Andaman Sea side. The connecting route between the two ports spans approximately 90 kilometres and consists of a six-lane expressway and standard gauge railway tracks. The project takes advantage of the country's geographical location as a strategic transportation and trade hub in Southeast Asia.
The land bridge project is part of the Southern Economic Corridor development programme and is expected to be completed by 2039.
Srettha expressed confidence that the land bridge project would seamlessly assimilate with the infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative and further complement the global transportation network. He added that Thailand is ready to cooperate with China and partners under the BRI to ensure sustainable, comprehensive and equal growth for all.
After the meeting, Srettha met with Wang Tongzhou, president of China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) to discuss possible investment in the land bridge and other projects in Thailand, including the highway and rail system in phase 3 of Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi province.
CHEC has been conducting construction and civil engineering businesses in Thailand since 1994 through its subsidiary CHCC (Thai) Company Limited.
Srettha later met with Daniel Li, chief executive officer of Geely Holding Group to discuss its investment in automotive manufacturing facilities in Thailand with a focus on electric vehicles and related components.
Geely plans to start selling its EV pickup trucks in Thailand by the end of this month and is also interested in investing in solar energy and battery swap stations in Thailand.
