PM to explain land bridge project to Ranong people during Cabinet retreat
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Sunday that he would explain the benefits from the ambitious southern land bridge project to the people of Ranong during his visit to the southern province for a Cabinet retreat next week.
Srettha was responding to reporters’ questions on what he would do if the local people in Ranong were opposed to the project.
The government has been pushing for the project to build two deep seaports in Ranong and Chumphon and a comprehensive motorway and double-track railway to link the two ports, offering it as an alternative to the busy shipping route via the Strait of Malacca.
Local people are reportedly against the construction, fearing that the work would pollute the sea and damage tourism.
Srettha is scheduled to visit Ranong with his Cabinet members on Monday to hold a mobile Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The prime minister said if local people rally against the land bridge project, the government would hear their complaints and would try to explain the project to them.
“We must explain it to them. Actually, we have been explaining it all the time,” Srettha said.
Asked to comment on the local people’s perception that the government was ignoring their complaints while trying to please foreign investors, Srettha said he attached importance to local people all the time.
He said his several provincial trips showed his commitment to attending to the grievances of local people.
He said that after he had returned from Switzerland on Friday morning, he had visited Chiang Mai that night to visit the people there and he would visit Ranong on Monday.
“I also have schedules to visit several other provinces soon. Don’t worry, I pay attention to grievances of provincial people,” Srettha said.
The prime minister also dismissed speculation that he would reshuffle his Cabinet soon, saying he could still cooperate well with his Cabinet members.
