The Kra Isthmus Channel
Over the centuries, people have always looked for ways to shorten shipping routes. We all know the Suez Canal that connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, avoiding the long detour via the Cape of Good Hope.
The Suez Canal is 163 km long and was opened in its latest version in 1867. The Panama Canal is another example. Opened in 81, this 1914 km long canal connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. The long route via Cape Horn thus became superfluous.
The Kra Isthmus channel
Thailand also has such a plan to connect the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand via the Kra Isthmus Channel. This canal of approximately 100 kilometers is planned in the narrow neck of Thailand, just south of Chompun. However, this mega project has not yet been completed, in fact it has not even started at all.
The canal is expected to offer many new economic and trade benefits to Thailand and other countries in the region, but the problems to be solved are not small.
Issues
Apart from the financing issue, there is much discussion about the cost/benefit ratio for trade, the (possible) damage to the environment, national and regional security and concerns about the political and economic relations in the region. The latter is especially a hot topic for the port of Singapore, which will receive fewer ships in transit when the canal is built.
Current sailing route
The current shipping route from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean (and vice versa, of course) runs via Singapore and the Strait of Malacca. This route has many disadvantages, such as increasing piracy, shipwrecks, fog and sandbanks. The number of shipping accidents in the Strait of Malacca is twice that of the Suez Canal and four times that of the Panama Canal. An alternative route via the Kra Isthmus channel would solve many of these problems and would also shorten the route by 1000 km.
History
The plan for the Kra Isthmus channel is not new. The first concept was already designed in 1677 under King Narai, but the state of the art at that time was insufficient to actually implement the plan. By the end of the 19th century it was considered technically feasible with various proposals from France and Great Britain during the reign of King Rama IV and V. In the 20th century some attempts were made to revive the project, unfortunately without success. good luck. Each attempt failed for one or more of three main reasons: lack of funding, national security, and changes in government.
Promising?
The early 80s seemed to be the most promising period for the project, but political wrangling in Thailand again prevented success. In the late XNUMXs, foreign investors from Japan and the US showed interest in the project, but that also came to nothing.
Due to the economic crisis in Asia, the Kra Isthmus project was not discussed for a long time, but in 2001 there is hope again. Many seminars, debates and a "preparatory" feasibility study are taking place, because China, which urgently needs more and more oil from the Middle East, has also shown itself to be in favor of the construction. Indeed, in 2005 consensus was reached in the Thai parliament on the recommendation of a “full” feasibility study, to be carried out “as soon as possible”.
Finally,
That "as soon as possible" has not yet arrived and whether the dream of the Kra Isthmus canal, which would benefit Thailand economically and at the same time seriously damage Singapore, will come true is questionable.
Main source: Hua Hin Today, July 2014
Interesting to read about this, I had not heard of these plans before. Technically it will be feasible, but whether it is also economically feasible is a completely different matter. The route shortening that would be achieved with it seems to me to be of a completely different – much smaller – order than with the Sueze and Panama Canals.
Can remember that this plan once made the NOS news in which farmers who were strongly opposed to the construction of it. They feared having to leave because their livelihood would disappear.
Never really heard or read anything about it after that until now.
This plan is taken out of the fridge every so often, as can be seen in the article, we will see.
And of course do not forget the enormous economic power of singapore , singapore will not be very happy with that khra istmus canal a la suez and panama canal
It has been talked about for years. I remember 7 routes have been studied and the objections as already mentioned are supplemented with the countless cemeteries and temples that lie on the routes. Disturbing grave peace in this country is like a declaration of war.
The construction of gigantic lock works on both seas plus the excavation work, a secure zone kilometers wide, bridges for road and rail transport, where do they start if the state treasury is also empty? Will China cross the bridge?
I have read further of the plan, also old, to build a deep-sea container port in Satun province with a direct rail connection to C-Rai, but Satun is link area and is very close to the known war zone.
Myanmar's plans for a deep-sea port in her country and then container transport by rail through Thailand and Laos to China seems to me to be realized much more quickly. The pipeline for gas and Chinese refineries are already there. Then the stuff is directly in the Chinese hinterland.
China can then also abandon plans to deepen the Mehkong and thereby destroy the fish stocks and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
@,
Not knowing to what extent Singapore can exert pressure on Thailand to stop this channel.
Depends on how much Singapore moves in and out of Thailand financially.
The city-state of Singapore is of course a very large financial body, which knows exactly what it has to do to earn the bucks and Thailand unfortunately cannot match that.
I hope that Thailand will absolutely not rely on China, because this country only does what is good for China and the rest can fall.
Also withdraw very easily and without any remorse from already concluded deal.
They promise A, but if that doesn't work out, Z isn't even offered. [snappu?]
And since this plan is only 350 years old, it can still get a bit older, because where the hell should Thailand get the money from?
China??
Oh no.
Let's start thinking here to make the already existing possibilities economically more profitable and that is something that the thai treasury might be able to handle.
And that need not only refer to ports.
I think there are more projects that qualify for this.
LOUISE
The nice thing about this forum is that you learn things that you didn't know existed before.
This project would of course cost an enormous amount regardless of who pays. Thailand could benefit from concessions and/or tolls. 80% of Japan's oil supply eg. comes through the Straits of Malacca.
The shortcut profit is indeed less obvious than with Suez/Panama; it would be a lot safer though. The Strait is barely 2,5 km wide in some places and only 25 meters deep in others (Source: wikipedia)
After all, the Canal has made Panama a prosperous nation, but when container ships and tankers take a "detour" because of the extra cost, you're stuck with your canal. In transportation, every $ counts
The last I read about that is that it will never go through as long as the Muslim rebels in the south fight for their own status, they then have a natural border with the rest of Thailand, a Very Influential Person (I leave the name to your own imagination), does not think this is a good idea at all and has strongly advised against it and most Thai people usually take his advice well to heart.
Take a good look at the map; the hotbeds in the south are being separated from the rest of Thailand and paving the way for, minimally, self-government.
Yours faithfully,
lex k.
Don't wait any longer and start tomorrow. National interest and economic interest take precedence over personal interest. It will bring a lot of income and work to Thailand and the corrupt deals with Singapore can be phased out. Thailand should not be afraid, just do it.
The Suez Canal and the Panama Canal provide an amazing shorter route. After all, otherwise you would have to sail around the whole of Africa or South America. The profit that shipping can make with a possible Thai channel is a fraction of the aforementioned channels. That's why I think it will never happen given the crazy costs and intervention in the country itself.