Anutin revises Thai land bridge, fast-tracks China rail links
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- PM Anutin Charnvirakul ordered relevant agencies to revise the 1-trillion-baht land bridge megaproject planned across Chumphon and Ranong while accelerating other transport projects linking Thailand, China, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore, government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said Wednesday.
- Rachada Dhnadirek said the directive targets "missing links" along the "north-south economic corridor" connecting China to Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, framing the move as a way to speed cargo, cut logistics costs and attract investment without waiting for the mega project.
- Anutin told Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a recent China visit that Thailand is committed to extending railways from Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai to Nateuy station in Laos, which connects with Mohan in China — Nateuy being a key stop on the China-Lao high-speed railway.
- The Thai government will rapidly upgrade Ranong port and connect it to Chumphon via rail and road, creating an alternative cargo route between the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Thailand.
- The government's stated criteria for new projects emphasize feasibility, investment returns and "practical" results that benefit people and businesses, signaling a pivot from the single mega-project approach to smaller, quicker wins.
Why it matters: By pivoting from the 1-trillion-baht land bridge to faster fixes on the north-south corridor, Thailand is trying to capture cargo flowing out of China's Yunnan-Lao railway before rival routes do — the Chiang Khong–Nateuy–Mohan rail extension and a Ranong–Chumphon link would give shippers a Gulf of Thailand outlet that bypasses the congested Strait of Malacca choke point.
