Senator Noraseth Prepares to Submit Motion Requesting Government to Reconsider Land Bridge Project Amid Concerns Over Rushed Timeline

At 10:30 a.m. on April 27, 2025, at Parliament, Senator Noraseth Prachayakorn, chairman of the Senate Committee on Political Development, Public Participation, Human Rights, Freedoms, and Consumer Protection, announced plans to submit a motion to the Senate asking the government to reconsider proceeding with the Land Bridge project. He cited concerns that the massive infrastructure project requires substantial budget allocation and carries significant environmental impacts, yet the government continues to rush its implementation despite incomplete environmental and health impact assessments (EHIA) for both the Ranong and Chumphon port facilities.

Noraseth criticized Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn for pushing the project forward too hastily, noting that environmental impact assessments (EIA) for the dual railway and motorway components remain ongoing. He warned that expediting the process risks reducing EIA and EHIA assessments to mere procedural formalities.

The senator also highlighted ongoing public debate about the project's economic viability. According to the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), the project lacks economic justification. Multiple maritime experts have questioned whether any shipping companies would actually utilize two ports requiring cargo transfers via rail between them. When government spokesperson refuted such concerns, suggesting the public lacked complete information, Noraseth countered by asking whether the government had failed to establish open learning and public participation processes. He pointed out that the Senate committee invited relevant agencies to explain why EHIA reports—which should be public documents—were not being disclosed, only to receive excuses about personal data protection laws, despite the Information Commission previously ruling these reports should be released as matters of public interest.

Noraseth raised suspicions about whether the project is being driven by National Council for Peace and Order Order No. 9/2559, which allows expedited infrastructure procurement even while EIA and EHIA assessments are pending. He questioned whether the government is rushing to enact the SEC bill to further accelerate the Land Bridge process, potentially allowing committees to waive multiple legal requirements and fast-track environmental assessments.

"I must ask the government: is it truly necessary to rush a massive project requiring one trillion baht in funding that will significantly impact the southern region's environment, particularly coastal reclamation in Ranong and Chumphon, mountain blasting for motorways and railways in Thailand's agricultural heartland?" Noraseth stated.