18km Samui bridge urged
published : 3 Feb 2020 at 04:31
newspaper section: News
writer: Post Reporters
Phalang Pracharath Party MPs have raised a motion in the House to build a bridge linking mainland Nakhon Si Thammarat with Koh Samui, a popular tourist destination.
Sayan Yuttitham and Rong Boonsuaykwan, both MPs of the ruling PPRP for Nakhon Si Thammarat, submitted the motion asking the House to set up a committee to study the proposed bridge.
The bridge would give tourism a major boost.
Surat Thani province, of which Koh Samui is a part, raked in 64 billion baht from tourism on the island in 2018. That revenue accounted for 63% of Surat Thani's overall tourism income.
The MP added the project would spur the economic growth for the South and, if it materialises, should be named "Chan-o-cha" in Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha' honour.
Samart Ratchapolasit, the former Democrat Party MP and a transport and traffic management expert, estimated two years ago that it would cost around 45 billion baht to link the nearest point on the mainland in Khanom district of Nakhon Si Thammarat to Koh Samui.
A cable-stayed bridge would span 18km with two lanes in each direction.
