Phakamon Proposes 2 Steps to Upgrade Ranong and Songkhla Ports for Southern Logistics
People's Party MP Phakamon Nun Anan urges the government to boost southern logistics by upgrading Ranong and Songkhla ports instead of pursuing high-risk mega-projects.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Phakamon Nun Anan urges the government to prioritize southern port logistics over high-risk investments.
- Points out that Ekniti's committee study concluded the land bridge project lacks economic viability.
- Proposes upgrading Ranong Port for the Andaman gateway and Songkhla Port as a southern hub.
- Emphasizes that state agencies have already studied the feasibility and budget requirements.
On July 28, Ms. Phakamon Nun Anan, a party-list MP and spokesperson for the People's Party, took to her personal Facebook page to urge the government to accelerate the strategic development of southern ports and logistics networks, shifting away from high-risk mega-project investments.
Phakamon noted that following the conclusion by Ekniti's committee, the land bridge project has been deemed economically unviable. She acknowledged that the project carries low feasibility, major economic return risks, heavy fiscal burdens, regional port competition pressures, as well as environmental concerns and divided public opinions.
The Chumphon-Ranong land bridge has long been proposed as a major infrastructure project connecting the Gulf of Thailand to the Andaman Sea. However, economic viability assessments, land expropriation challenges, and local community impacts remain subjects of intense national debate.
If the land bridge project is shelved, the government is likely to pivot toward alternative southern missing-link connectivity projects, linking transport routes up to northern Thailand and China while connecting eastern ports to Ranong Port via rail and road networks. Phakamon noted this aligns with her legislative arguments over the past three years favoring lower costs and faster economic returns.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
To drive the southern economy forward efficiently, she has laid out two concrete proposals:
- Upgrade Ranong Port: Develop it into the Andaman trade gateway connecting Myanmar, South Asia, and the Indian Ocean through dredging, urban planning, rail, road, and airport network expansion, alongside upgrading fisheries, seafood processing, and agricultural biotech.
- Upgrade Songkhla Port: Transform it into a lower southern logistics center connecting the port, double-track railways, the new Sadao border checkpoint, trade routes with Malaysia, and Penang Port to strengthen border trade and exports.
These two proposals are not novel concepts but rather strategies thoroughly studied by government agencies regarding feasibility, budgets, and implementation timeframes. Consequently, the administration should actively pursue them to develop the southern region faster and more cost-effectively for citizens.
Source: Matichon Politics
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