Anusorn Flags Risks with Land Bridge Project, Calls for Community and Environmental Impact Assessment
A Bangkok MP raises concerns over conflicting government assessments of the Land Bridge project, with one agency calling it economically unviable while the Transport Ministry projects significant job creation and returns.
On May 3, 2025, Anusorn Thammjai, a Bangkok MP from the People's Party, stated that the Land Bridge project originated during General Prayut Chan-o-cha's government, with the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) tasked with studying the project's feasibility and value. Conducted with research support from Chulalongkorn University's Academic Service Center, the NESDC concluded that the Land Bridge project lacks economic viability—contradicting the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) under the Transport Ministry, which has presented positive economic projections.
Anusorn noted that the Land Bridge has been continuously promoted from the Srettha Thavisin government to the current administration, though it was not included in the government's policy statement. The Transport Ministry has been actively pushing the project through its minister, using the OTP report to advance it further. Clear contradictions exist between government agencies on the project's feasibility and economic value. The OTP estimates an economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of approximately 17.43% for goods requiring transshipment, exceeding the government's baseline rate of 12%, potentially saving about four days compared to routing through the Strait of Malacca. The OTP also projects the project would create approximately 280,000 jobs in the southern region.
Conversely, the NESDC report, co-researched with Chulalongkorn University, presents an opposing view, finding the project economically unviable. It highlights limited economic returns against an initial investment exceeding one trillion baht, needed to build an extensive network including two deep-sea ports (Ranong and Chumphon), dual-track railway connections, motorways, and energy pipeline systems. This massive capital outlay results in a negative Net Present Value (NPV) because the billion-baht investment occurs upfront while revenues trickle in over many years.
The report notes that the project faces price competition with the Strait of Malacca route. If the Land Bridge charges higher fees to break even, shipping companies will revert to existing routes rather than pay duplicate transshipment costs. Additionally, the analysis suggests that most cargo using the project would be niche market goods rather than standard containerized cargo globally, limiting toll revenue sufficiently to generate profits. High long-term operational and maintenance costs further contribute to the negative NPV projection.
