BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s government under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul moved to ready a roughly 990 billion baht southern land bridge for tender within four years and attract private investors.
Cabinet backs land bridge as flagship project
The cabinet led by the Bhumjaithai Party had defined the land bridge as a core infrastructure project to expand transport and logistics in the south and connect freight flows between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. The project had already been approved in principle by a previous government and was now to be pushed into the implementation phase under Anutin with clear investment models and participation from the private sector.
Long history and revised scope
The idea of a land bridge dated back to the government of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, when Suriya Juangroongruangkit, as transport minister in 2005, submitted a cabinet proposal for feasibility studies. Under former premier Prayut Chan-o-cha, the government revived the scheme, with then transport minister Saksayam Chidchob overseeing an investment volume of around 1.19 trillion baht for ports, a motorway and double-track rail lines.
Impact of global crises and cost adjustment
After the Covid-19 crisis, project details were revised in light of higher inflation, tighter fiscal policy and more cautious private investors, further strained by U.S. tariff measures under Donald Trump, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and interest rate hikes by the Fed and the ECB. The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) subsequently scaled back the first construction phase of the port facilities from an originally planned 6 million TEU to 4 million TEU, while maintaining the overall target capacity of 20 million TEU.
Lower budget and pending legal framework
With the reduced initial capacity, the OTP cut the estimated investment requirement from the earlier 1.19 trillion baht to 990 billion baht. At the same time, the project was awaiting key legal foundations such as the draft Southern Economic Corridor Act (SEC Act) and regulations for a dedicated land bridge fund, which had to be taken up again by the cabinet after the dissolution of the previous parliament.
Parallel preparation and investor feedback
The deputy permanent secretary in the Transport Ministry, Panya Chupanich, said work was progressing in parallel on development models, the drafting of request-for-proposal (RFP) documents and international roadshows to gather investor feedback.
“If the new government advances the SEC Act and the land bridge fund is in place, we can bring the project to tender and into joint financing with private partners within four years,”
said Panya Chupanich, deputy permanent secretary at the Transport Ministry. He pointed to a strong response from investors.
International players show interest
According to the ministry, interested parties at the roadshows included Thai firms and international players such as China Harbour Engineering Company, Gulf Energy Development, DP World Logistics (Thailand), Mitsui & Co (Thailand), Sahathai Terminal and the European Association for Business and Commerce. Shipping and port operators including Mediterranean Shipping (Thailand), HMM (Thailand), Evergreen Shipping Agency (Thailand) and Eastern Sea Laem Chabang Terminal were also said to have signalled interest, seen as important for future utilisation of the planned ports.
PPP model and 50-year concession
For the investment structure, the OTP opted for a public-private partnership (PPP) based on the PPP Net Cost approach with a concession period of 50 years. The tender was to follow a “One Port, Two Sides” principle, bundling construction and operation of the entire facility into a single contract and allowing only consortia with port and shipping experience and sufficient financial strength to participate.
Strategic role in the Mekong region
The core objective of the land bridge was to position the country as a strategic route between the Pacific and Indian oceans and strengthen its role as a regional hub for transport and logistics in Southeast Asia. The project was also intended to boost production and transport capacities of states in the Greater Mekong Subregion, including southern China, and formed part of the 20-year strategy to enhance competitiveness as well as the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2023–2027).
Samui expressway advances as separate mega-project
In parallel, the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) was pushing ahead with a planned expressway to the island of Samui and held the third public hearing on 11 February 2026 on the results of feasibility studies covering engineering, economic, financial and environmental aspects. EXAT put investment costs at 74.044 billion baht, envisaged a PPP model under the 2019 law and expected around 3,049 vehicles per day in the start year around 2034, rising to 10,339 vehicles daily in the 30th year of operation, which was projected to improve accessibility, enhance safety and benefit tourism.