The ruling Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) has defended the proposed Land Bridge megaproject, saying the scheme remains at the feasibility study stage and will not proceed if studies find it unviable or if local residents oppose it.
The party issued a detailed clarification on its official Facebook page under the headline "Clearing Up the Facts About the Land Bridge".
It said no construction or investment has yet been approved.
According to the party, the project aims to position Thailand as a regional logistics hub by reducing maritime transport times, improving national competitiveness, creating jobs and generating long-term economic growth.
The party said a 90-day impact study committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, would evaluate the project.
It insisted that if studies conclude the project is not economically viable or if local residents reject it, the scheme will not proceed, with public opinion serving as the decisive factor.
The party also rejected several circulating claims, saying there were no plans to allow foreigners to lease land for 99 years, no intention to legalise casinos or unlawful businesses, and no approved investment budget of one trillion baht. It said only funding for feasibility studies had been allocated.
The party concluded by saying the project had been proposed in good faith to support development in the South and that it respected the views of local residents and the wider public. It also warned that legal action could be taken against individuals spreading false or defamatory information about the party.
Also on Tuesday, the Senate was considering a study on the feasibility of developing transport infrastructure under the Southern Economic Corridor, linking the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea through the Land Bridge project.
The study, conducted by the Senate Committee on Transport chaired by Sen Wuttichai Kanlayanamitr, was debated alongside a motion submitted by Sen Noraset Pratchayakorn urging the government to reconsider the project.
Presenting the report, Sen Wuttichai said the committee had examined the project from policy, technical, economic and operational perspectives. A subcommittee established in August last year invited experts and stakeholders from government agencies, the private sector and academia to provide input.
He stressed that the committee's recommendations were intended neither to support nor oppose the project based on political or social trends, but to reflect factual information and academic principles.
Phamorn Chowsirikul, chairman of the subcommittee on water transport and maritime commerce policy, said the Land Bridge concept dates back to 2001, during the administration of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and was intended to boost development in southern Thailand.
He described the project as an integrated multimodal logistics system linking port operations, container handling, rail transport and shipping networks. He said the project's success would depend not only on infrastructure investment but also on management efficiency, operational speed and competitiveness with international ports and logistics hubs.
However, Sen Prapan Lohaviriyasiri, another member of the subcommittee, raised concerns about key assumptions used in the project's projections. He argued that estimates claiming the Land Bridge could reduce shipping times by four days and cut transport costs by 15% lacked sufficient supporting data.
