Southerners back land bridge plan, but concerns remain - Poll
More than half of southerners surveyed say they support the proposed one-trillion-baht land bridge megaproject across the Kra Isthmus, while admitting they know little about it. About 7% say they have never heard of the project, according to an opinion poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA).
NIDA surveyed 1,455 people aged 18 and over in 14 southern provinces between April 28th and 30th about the land bridge project.
The poll shows that 54.43% of respondents are aware of the project but do not know much about it, while 26.67% say they have some understanding. Only 10.52% say they understand the project very well, while 7.08% admit they are totally unaware of it. Another 1.30% say they do not understand the project at all.
Some 34.21% of respondents say they fully support the project, while 33.01% say they are quite supportive.
Meanwhile, 13.35% say they do not support the project at all, while 19.43% say they do not really agree with it.
About 29.71% express concerns about the project’s impact on their communities, such as land expropriation or negative effects on livelihoods. Another 25.81% are concerned about corruption in such a large public project.
Some 15.30% question the project’s long-term viability, 11.78% question how southerners would benefit from the project, and 11.40% wonder how Thai people as a whole would benefit.
About 6.15% express concern that Thailand may become a focus of rivalry between superpowers. Another 4.35% doubt the project will materialise, while 6.30% doubt the government will be able to attract sufficient private investment.
The land bridge project is a major infrastructure plan linking the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea across the Kra Isthmus, providing an alternative global trade and logistics route to the Strait of Malacca.
It would involve the construction of deep-sea ports in Ranong and Chumphon provinces, connected by a 90km dual-track railway, pipelines and a motorway.