Global investments start Southern Land Bridge project in 2026

The Southern Land Bridge megaproject is set to move forward, with companies from China, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States expressing interest in investing, according to the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy Planning (OTP).

OTP Director-General Panya Chupanich stated that if everything proceeds as planned, construction will commence in 2026 and conclude in 2030. The Land Bridge aims to provide an alternative route for ships travelling between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

The project is expected to enhance activities along the Southern Economic Corridor, which will include the construction of two deep-sea ports in Chumphon and Ranong, connected by both a motorway and a railway.

The OTP is currently working on the design of the ports and preparing the necessary environmental health impact assessment (EHIA) report. Simultaneously, the Department of Highways and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) are designing the motorway and railway systems, respectively. These agencies will also conduct their environmental impact assessments (EIA).

These tasks are to be completed by September next year, with project bidding anticipated to begin either late next year or early 2026.

The OTP plans to hire a consultant to prepare the required documentation and provide advice on the selection of investors, with a budget of 45.959 million baht. The 840-day employment contract for the consultancy is expected to be signed by next month.

International investors, including Dubai Port World (DP World) and other companies from the United States and China, have shown significant interest in the Land Bridge project. Senior executives from these companies have already visited the project’s proposed location.

Panya expressed confidence that the Land Bridge project will proceed as planned.

“The OTP is confident that the Land Bridge project will proceed.”

OTP is also pushing for the approval of the SEC Act to further drive the Land Bridge project forward. This act would incorporate the four southern provinces of Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chumphon, and Ranong into the Southern Economic Corridor.

The bill for the act is scheduled to be presented to the cabinet by November, with parliamentary approval expected in April next year, reported Bangkok Post.