The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT) stressed that the Chumphon-Ranong Land Bridge project’s impacts are not worth the cost and recommended organizing inclusive public consultation forums involving all community groups. It expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and Cabinet for accepting the recommendations and establishing a committee to study the impacts.
On 15 May 2026, Ms. Sayamon Kaiyurawong, a commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT), disclosed that after the NHRCT investigated and reported on complaints regarding the transportation infrastructure development project aimed at linking the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea—known as the Chumphon-Ranong Land Bridge project—the commission found environmental and community livelihood impacts and a lack of public participation. A letter dated 26 February 2026 was sent with recommendations to the Prime Minister and Cabinet. On 5 May 2026, the Cabinet acknowledged the recommendations and assigned the Ministry of Transport as the lead agency, in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Interior, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), and other relevant agencies, to study the feasibility and appropriateness of the recommendations.
The NHRCT emphasized findings from the investigation showing that the NESDC’s feasibility study on connecting sea transport routes between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea concluded that the Land Bridge project would support only 18 percent of the Southern Economic Corridor’s cargo. Development of tourist ports or airports is deemed sufficient. Moreover, the project does not significantly reduce shipping time from the Indian Ocean side bypassing the Malacca Strait and has higher transportation costs, making it noncompetitive compared to the established Singapore port route. Economically, the project is not viable as income from container transport services would not cover expenses.
Assessing the project's impacts reveals that the Land Bridge, which includes ports, double-track railways, expressways, and industrial or post-port industrial estates, would significantly affect natural resources and the environment. Port activities would cause sedimentation impacting coral reefs and seagrass beds that serve as nurseries for juvenile aquatic species, potentially harming the outstanding universal value of the Andaman Sea conservation area, currently under consideration for World Heritage status. Construction of double-track railways and expressways crossing conservation and ecologically important areas—such as first- and second-class watershed zones, mangrove forests, national parks, and wetlands—may lead to forest and agricultural land encroachment, loss of carbon sinks, changes to surface water flow, groundwater levels, and contamination of groundwater.
The Land Bridge project also affects fisheries. Chumphon province hosts many fishing communities near the project area with approximately 3,500 fishing vessels, including about 270 traditional fishing boats, catching 110,000 tons of aquatic animals valued at 3.9 billion baht, and serves as a life cycle habitat for mackerel. Ranong province also has multiple fishing communities near the project with over 2,000 traditional fishing boats. Additionally, the Moken sea gypsy ethnic group, who fish using traditional knowledge, would be impacted by the loss of aquatic habitats, resulting in loss of livelihoods and coastal community ways of life. Furthermore, the project affects agriculture through changes in water sources used for farming and land expropriation, as well as impacting eco-tourism businesses that provide income to local residents.
Regarding the public consultation process for the Land Bridge project, it was found that consultations were conducted on a project-by-project basis, limiting full public participation. Moreover, the information presented was insufficiently clear, and the public was not given opportunities to express opinions on how the project’s implementation might align with their needs.
Based on these facts, the Land Bridge project contradicts the State’s duties under the 2017 Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, which mandates conservation, protection, management, and sustainable use of natural resources with balanced benefits, minimizing impacts on people, communities, and the environment, proportionate to the potential harm. It also conflicts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the International Declaration on the Right to Development (DRTD). The project-level consultation conducted by relevant agencies does not constitute meaningful and full public participation as guaranteed by the Constitution and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), thus constituting a human rights violation.
Therefore, the NHRCT sent a letter to the Prime Minister proposing that the Cabinet order the NESDC to hold public consultation forums in Ranong and Chumphon provinces on development directions at a structural or broader level, recognizing the people’s right to determine their own future and freely develop their economic, social, and cultural life. This would inform the feasibility study of the Land Bridge project and allow all community groups and occupations to participate in planning development aligned with local potential, as identified in the NESDC’s feasibility study conducted from 2021 to 2022. The results of these consultations and study reports should be considered to assess the project’s feasibility in line with local potential and community needs.
“The government must comprehensively study the Land Bridge project’s impacts across all dimensions, weighing economic benefits against damage to natural resources, the environment, and community livelihoods, ensuring coverage of all affected groups. Nonetheless, the NHRCT appreciates the Cabinet’s resolution to accept the commission’s recommendations and to task the lead agency with further consideration. We also thank the Prime Minister for the 5 May 2026 order establishing a committee chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance to study ways to move the Land Bridge project forward. This aims to ensure the project proceeds carefully, considering all potential impacts comprehensively and in accordance with current circumstances,” the commission stated. The commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand concluded.