The Democrat Party is pitching its Southern Connect plan as a more effective alternative to the government's Land Bridge project, arguing that it would better serve southern Thailand's transport needs and strengthen regional trade links.
Speaking at a party seminar in Hat Yai district in the southern province of Songkhla on Sunday, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he had discussed flood mitigation and the Land Bridge proposal with party members.
The government's Land Bridge project was intended to provide international shipping companies with an alternative route between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, he said. However, he questioned the project's viability, noting that most feasibility studies found it uneconomical, as cargo would require multiple transfers.
He argued that making the project commercially viable would likely require the need for heavy industry or petrochemical estates, raising questions over whether the benefits justified the costs for the South. If it became a major shipping route, he added, it could also affect tourism, increase the risks posed by large vessels and concentrate development along the Ranong–Chumphon corridor.
"If the state is prepared to invest about 1 trillion baht on a mega-project, why not invest instead in infrastructure that directly benefits people in the South?" Mr Abhisit said, proposing double-track electrified rail links connecting with Malaysia and Singapore.
He said his Southern Connect proposal would prioritise infrastructure while requiring less investment. It would also facilitate the transport of local goods to Malaysia, Singapore and Bangkok, he said.
He also said that if Thailand developed a port in Songkhla's Thepha district, connecting the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand would require relatively little investment as some supporting infrastructure was already in place.
