Experts Urge Reluctant Thai Government to Move on Kra Canal

• 4 April 2018
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Experts have again urged the government of Thailand to set up a committee to study the feasibility of building the controversial Kra Canal project in the south of the country, according to a report in The Nation. The government, however, remains reluctant to commit to any formal proceedings.

The proposed Kra Canal would be a man-made canal connecting the Indian sea on the west coast of Thailand to the South China Sea on the east coast of Thailand by cutting through the southern landmass of the nation. It has become known as the new gateway to the Chinese-inspired maritime Silk Road.

Expected to be more than 100 kilometres long, the project would cost billions of dollars and take years to build. If built, it would serve as an east-west shortcut between the two seas allowing ships a direct route without having to detour all the way south around Singapore island at the bottom of the peninsula, saving at least 1,000 kilometres travelling distance.

In February, Channel News Asia reported Thai government spokesman Lt. Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd as saying that Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha has insisted that his government does not have a policy on the project.

The same report said that the Thai government is still considering the positive and negative impact of the proposed canal. While doing so, Lt. Gen. Sansern also urged the people to be careful over messages about this project which could be misleading and create misunderstanding among the public.

However, the issue has been brought back into the public sphere again following a forum held on 24 March by Rangsit University called Stakeholders in Kra Canal@Klong Thai, where experts in the industry gathered to discuss the canal’s impact.

Experts have expressed their opinions both for and against the canal. However, they are urging the government to set up a committee to study the project.

Anek Laothamatas, chairman of the Political Reform Committee, strongly supports the idea and insists that Thailand needs to exercise its “sea power”, as the Kingdom has an advantage in geo-politics and so should not be afraid of doing so, according to The Nation.

In contrast, Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, the deputy dean of the fisheries faculty at Kasetsart University, raised concerns over the impact on tourism and environment as the tourism sector generates around Bt3 trillion for the country annually.

The Kra Canal project remains controversial and, at present, the Thai government appears determined to appear non-committal.

Kra Canal. Source: The Nation