BANGKOK — Thailand's government is advancing plans for a multi-billion-dollar land bridge across the country's peninsula to link shipping between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, offering an alternative to the Strait of Malacca. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has cited uncertainty around maritime chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz, as justification for moving the project forward.

The proposed 90-kilometer land bridge would connect Thailand's west coast port at Ranong on the Andaman Sea with the east coast port at Chumphon on the Gulf of Thailand. The plan calls for a dedicated superhighway with modern warehouses and facilities, oil and natural gas pipelines, and a fast rail line running parallel to the road. The corridor could be used by China, the United States and other countries for commercial, military and other shipping, potentially reducing fuel costs and travel time on routes between the Persian Gulf and the South China Sea.

The project could cost more than US$30 billion, with funding from private and public sources. Bangkok has opened the project to international investors, attracting interest from India, Dubai, Japan, Europe, port developers, shipping lines and real estate developers, and the government is preparing a series of international roadshows to attract additional foreign investment.

Singapore's Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing met Anutin in Bangkok on April 27 to discuss the land bridge and other issues. "They recognize the project's potential and the opportunities it could create for Thailand and the wider region if it proceeds," government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said.

The project could align with China's Belt and Road Initiative by linking to Thailand's existing railway lines and highways. Beijing's use of the route could benefit China if the United States were to blockade the Strait of Malacca during a regional conflict. Bangkok is also promoting the land bridge's potential to transform Thailand into a marine fuel supply base and petroleum refiner.

Korn Chatikavanij, Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party, has argued that the project is economically unfeasible, noting that loading, unloading and overland transport across the peninsula would reduce cost savings for shippers. "Vessels already stop to unload and transfer cargo at hubs such as Singapore," Transport Minister and deputy prime minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.

Construction of the two ports would require large-scale land reclamation and the creation of about a dozen reservoirs, and existing facilities at Ranong and Chumphon would need to be reconstructed to handle deep-sea vessels. Bangkok has promoted the concept for several years without securing committed investment prior to the recent blockades at Hormuz and the onset of conflict with Iran.