Four MFP MPs resign over 1-trillion-baht Land Bridge megaproject

A quartet of MPs from the Move Forward Party (MFP) resigned from a House committee that was examining the 1-trillion-baht Land Bridge megaproject. Their reason for stepping down was their refusal to passively approve a venture they fundamentally disagreed with.

MFP MP Julapong Yukate reported that the committee’s final meeting was held yesterday, where they were supposed to endorse a study on the project. However, he raised objections over several issues such as the absence of oil pipelines and an environmental impact study.

Julapong pointed out that there are conflicting reports from the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) and the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). The OTP projected a promising 17% return on the project, whereas the NESDC suggested it was an unwise investment. The House committee, he said, seemed to favour the OTP’s more optimistic appraisal.

Despite objections from the MFP MPs, they were outnumbered and hence chose to withdraw from the committee, effective from yesterday.

MFP Deputy Party Leader Sirikanya Tansakun, one of the MPs who resigned, shared that during a meeting on December 22, the committee had sought clarity from the OTP on the cost-effectiveness of the project, the types of ships that would utilise the services, and the expected volume of goods that would be transported through the ports. However, the OTP remained silent on these concerns.

The committee convened its final meeting yesterday but the chairman did not invite OTP representatives for clarification. Instead, the chairman attempted to get the committee members to approve the OTP’s report, a move that Sirikanya couldn’t support due to the report’s incomplete information.

Another MFP MP, Suphanat Minchaiynunt, who also left the committee, expressed the party’s desire to ascertain the project’s economic benefits.

“We still cannot find an answer after 90 days of studying the project, and why is the OTP’s report different from that of the NESDC? The government is using one-sided information from a state agency [OTP] to woo investors. The committee is being used to rubber-stamp the project.”

The 1-trillion-baht megaproject aims to establish a logistics network linking Ranong to Chumphon. It includes plans for deep-water ports in both provinces, a motorway to connect the two provinces, and a railway system, reported Bangkok Post.