Land bridge project designed between Thailand's two seas

Construction of a land bridge in southern Thailand has been planned to link the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea.

The land bridge project is designed as part of a newly-built railway to ply between Surat Thani province on the shore of the Gulf of Thailand and Pang-nga province on the coast of the Andaman Sea to facilitate cargo and passenger transportation between the two seas, Chaivat Tongkamkoon, deputy director of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, said on Monday.

The project is designed to become a land-based gateway for logistical and economic development in the coastal southern Thailand which largely relies on rubber plantations and tourist industry, according to the OTP deputy chief.

There will be a dozen railway stations along the way between Surat Thani province and Pang-nga province, plus access to airports in those southern provinces as well as Phuket international airport, he said.

Phuket is an island resort just across Pang-nga, which is as well a seaside tourist destination.

The OTP is yet to conduct environmental impact assessment and public hearings on the land bridge project, which will be implemented by the State Railway of Thailand, he added. Endi