The government has defended a claim brought by the opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) and a civic group based in Chumphon that the 1-trillion-baht Land Bridge megaproject is not worth investing in and the public has not been consulted on it.
The accusation came as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, where he was.hoping to attract interest in the project – a priority of the Pheu-Thai-led government – among foreign investors.
The project envisages a logistics network connecting Ranong to Chumphon. It comprises deep-water ports in both provinces, a motorway cutting across the land to connect the two provinces and a railway system.
Deputy MFP leader Sirikanya Tansakul, who has reportedly resigned from the House Committee on the Land Bridge project, recently raised doubts regarding the project’s cost-effectiveness.
Ms Sirikanya said the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning report on the project seemed to contradict that of the National Economic and Social Development Council, which said Chulalongkorn University had concluded that the megaproject is not worth its cost.
Ms Sirikanya insisted that the MFP supported economic development in the South, but the government must assuage all doubts before concluding the investment is worthwhile, or whether the money could be better spent on other development projects.
Defending the project on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said all aspects of the project had already been studied, and the opposition had their own agenda in criticising it.
"We must use logic for the benefit of the country. We can become an economic hub in the region [if the project is completed],'' Mr Anutin said.
''The world today is one of collaboration, not just competition. We need to work together in the race with other regions,'' he said, adding that the project would benefit the local economy in terms of tourism, industry and food.
Mr Anutin said a mobile cabinet meeting will be held in Ranong on Jan 22-23 and the cabinet is expected to discuss the Land Bridge megaproject.
The civic group based in Chumphon is seeking a meeting with the prime minister during the mobile cabinet meeting.
In a letter submitted to the provincial governor of Chumphon, the Rak Pato group said local residents has expressed their concerns to relevant agencies in public hearings, but they were worried about the project being pushed through without proper consideration.
Their worries grew, they said, after the recent resignation of four Move Forward MPs from the House committee studying the megaproject before it met to endorse the report.
According to the opposition MPs, they quit because they did not want to be seen as endorsing the project by staying on the committee.
Rak Pato criticised some government MPs for accusing those opposed to the Land Bridge scheme of being lobbied by special interest groups. The group said the accusation reflected a bias and a refusal to consider their arguments based on their merits.
"So, we decided to seek a meeting with the prime minister to explain why we're concerned about this project and are opposed to it," read the letter.
Sanpet Boonyamanee, an MP for Songkhla, on Monday added to the criticism, calling on relevant agencies to conduct a comprehensive study on the Land Bridge scheme to ensure transparency and avert massive, long-term consequences.
He said state agencies must disclose information and answer questions clearly about economic, social and environmental aspects of the scheme.
Mr Sanpet said that inconsistencies in reports carried out by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) and the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) are of concern.
It was reported that the OTP suggested that the Land Bridge project would yield a return of 17%, while the NESDC's report said it was not worth investing in.
Mr Sanpet also said if the project was unable to shorten travel time, as some experts concluded, it might not be cost-effective. Relevant agencies such as the OTP and the NESDC must provide facts, he said.
However, the MP said, the Thai economy was in need of a large-scale investment scheme to create jobs and elevate its competitiveness.