BANGKOK, Thailand – Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas has launched a comprehensive 90-day review of the multi-billion dollar “Landbridge” project, citing the need to account for a volatile global geopolitical landscape and ongoing maritime conflicts.
Ekniti, recently appointed by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to chair the project’s study committee, stated on Wednesday that the government will update existing feasibility studies rather than starting from scratch. The renewed assessment aims to provide clarity on the project’s economic viability in light of shifting global trade dynamics.
Ekniti said the world situation has changed significantly and emphasized the need to integrate current global contexts into the project’s assumptions, particularly geopolitical tensions, active wars, and disruptions in key international straits that are currently impacting the global economy.
The Landbridge project, designed to bypass the congested Strait of Malacca by connecting the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand via rail and road, has faced scrutiny over its environmental and social costs. Ekniti emphasized that the new study will move beyond pure economics to rigorously evaluate environmental impacts and community feedback.
The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) will serve as the committee’s secretariat. Ekniti pledged that the 90-day investigation would be conducted with total transparency to ensure the project delivers maximum benefit to the Thai public. “I confirm that I will perform this duty to the best of my ability as a Thai citizen,” Ekniti said. “We will adhere to principles of transparency and integrity to ensure this study serves the highest interests of the country.” – 819 (TNA)
